El-Amin scores 18 to lead Ball State over Portland 61-46
HONOLULU (AP) — Ishmael El-Amin scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half and Luke Bumbalough added 14 points as Ball State topped Portland 61-46 on Wednesday for seventh place in the Diamond Head Classic.
El-Amin and Bumbalough each made four 3-pointers as Ball State (7-6) was 10 of 37 from distance. The duo combined to make five 3-pointers in the first seven minutes of the second half for the first double-digit lead of the game at 38-27. The lead got as high as 18 from there and as low as eight.
Neither team was able to get much going offensively in the first half, heading to the locker room tied at 19. The Pilots' 19 first-half points marked a season low for the team.
Tahirou Diabate had 12 points for the Pilots (8-7), whose losing streak stretched to four games.
Ball State plays Toledo at home on Jan. 3. Portland hosts top-ranked Gonzaga on Jan. 2.
