INDIANAPOLIS - Hampered by injuries, the shortened bench came up short for Ball State University men's basketball coach Billy Taylor on Wednesday.
The Cardinals were missing sophomore forward Malik Perry and freshman guard Randy Davis for the second-straight game to open the season. With three players coming off the bench, Ball State dropped its fifth-straight game to Butler University 64-55.
"We're a little bit short on our bench right now," Taylor said. "We're missing a couple guys in our rotation. We didn't get point production from our bench, but we did get point production from our starters."
The Bulldogs' bench outscored the Cardinals' 21-2, led by nine points in 10 minutes from freshman forward Garrett Butcher.
"I've got to be ready every game," Butcher said. "No matter how much time I think I'm going to get."
The Cardinals' two bench points came from junior forward Eric Wormley, whose putback at the end of the first half closed the Butler lead to 31-29. Wormley was joined by junior guard Brawley Chisholm and senior guard Rob Giles off the bench. The trio combined for five assists and eight rebounds in 55 minutes.
The three-man bench worked better in Ball State's first game against Eastern Illinois University, when they combined for 16 points in a 72-59 win. But against a stronger test on the road, the starters were forced to play more minutes, Taylor said.
Both Perry and Davis are still listed as day-to-day, and Taylor said both have been making a lot of progress.
Butler coach Brad Stevens said bench play has always been a strong point for his team.
"I think that's been a trademark of Butler for a long time," Stevens said. "The bench did a great job. That's why you have a team."
That kind of strength off the bench is something Taylor aspires to when the depth returns to the Cardinals, he said.
"We have to get our guys healthy," Taylor said. "Hopefully we'll have a stronger, deeper rotation and be able to wear our opponents down later in the season."
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