Hood, Hawkins carry Eastern Kentucky past Ball State 89-81
RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) Jonathan Hood scored 21, points and JaVontae Hawkins 20 and Eastern Kentucky defeated Ball State 89-81 on Friday night.
Jaylen Babb-Harrison added 14 points and Ja'Mill Powell 13 for the Colonels (2-1), who shot 57 percent, including 11 of 22 from 3-point range.
Eastern Kentucky scored 8 straight points and turned that into an 18-2 run with Powell and Hood hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 77-62 lead with 5:41 to play.
The Cardinals (1-2) came right back with a 16-5 surge, closing within 82-78 when Ryan Weber hit a 3-pointer with 1:06 left.
Weber finished with 19 points, Franko House had 17 and 10 rebounds and Francis Kiapway had 15, going five of nine behind the arc, for Ball State.
Hawkins went 10 for 10 from the foul line as Eastern Kentucky finished 26 of 30. Ball State was 11 of 18 but hit 12 of 26 3-pointers.
