MAC ROUNDUP American whips Ohio for fifth win in a row

Turnover-prone Bobcats rallied, then faded at the end of the game.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- Jason Thomas matched a career-high with 26 points and American won its fifth straight by beating Ohio, 64-55 on Saturday.
Thomas, who also scored 26 against Towson on Wednesday, has now matched or tied a career high in points three different times this season. American (5-2) led the Bobcats (3-2) by as many as 16 in the second half, but the Eagles found themselves in a 55-53 game when Mychal Green was fouled after making a layup with 3:04 left.
However, Green missed the free throw and things unraveled quickly for the Bobcats. Their next two possessions resulted in turnovers, which started American on its 9-2 run to close the game.
Andre Ingram, who came into the game averaging more than 18 points, missed all eight of his 3-point attempts in the game, but scored four of the team's final nine points to finish the game with 10.
Sonny Troutman scored 16 points to lead Ohio and Jeff Halbert added 14.
American, which forced Ohio into 20 turnovers, took its first big lead with a 20-8 run that gave the Eagles a 36-24 halftime lead.
Ball St. 80, IUPUI 73
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Dennis Trammell and Terrance Chapman scored 19 points apiece to lead Ball State.
IUPUI (4-3) started fast, going on a 10-0 run in the first two minutes of the game. Ball State (4-2) didn't score its first points until Jesse McClung's layup with about three minutes gone in the half.
Then the Cardinals went on 20-6 run of their own in the next seven minutes, helped by five 3-pointers, to take a 22-16 lead. They built the lead to 17 points, shooting 56.5 percent in the first half.
But IUPUI was able to fight back with a 10-4 run in the last five minutes of the half, for a 42-35 Ball State lead at intermission.
IUPUI kept it close for the first 10 minutes of the second half, but Ball State was again able to build a 17-point lead with about eight minutes left in the game.
IUPUI cut the score to 77-71 with 1:13 left, but the Cardinals held on for the win, making 14 of 20 free throws in the second half and shooting 47.8 percent.
Ball State outshot IUPUI 52.2 percent to 42.9 percent for the game.
Chapman added nine rebounds to go with his 19 points for the Cardinals, and Peyton Stovall had 16 points.
Brandon Cole led IUPUI with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
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