DEKALB, Ill. — It wasn't pretty, but Ball State (9-10, 4-4 MAC) earned a 74-67 road victory over Northern Illinois (5-12, 2-5 MAC).
The victory brings Ball State back to .500 in the Mid-American Conference and marks the third time this season it has won two games in a row.
Here are three takeaways from Ball State's victory:
Ball State allows Northern Illinois to keep it close
Ball State opened strong, leading by 10 (12-2) early and by as many as 11 (21-10) in the first 10 minutes.
But Ball State also allowed Northern Illinois to slowly climb back in the game.