The NIU men’s basketball team overcame a deficit of 11 points to tie the game against Ball State with 2:41 remaining.

However, Ball State outscored NIU 10-4 over the remaining 2:41 to win its fifth straight game 71-65 on Wednesday in Muncie, Ind.

“I liked the way we played,” NIU coach Rob Judson said. “We would have liked to come away with a different result.”

A free throw by Ball State (8-6 overall, 5-1 MAC) gave the Cardinals a 64-63 lead. After a rebound by NIU’s Marcus Smallwood on the second free throw, NIU (7-10, 2-4) had the ball with a chance to take the lead. But Smallwood’s skip pass was mishandled by Perry Smith and Ball State was able to take advantage of NIU’s 24th turnover.

Ball State’s Peyton Stovall made his third three-point field goal of the night to give Ball State a lead they would never relinquish.

“Too many turnovers, especially down the stretch,” Judson said. “It was a couple plays here or there. This was something we can take a lot away from.”

NIU had won three of four games in Muncie prior to Tuesday night’s loss.

Smallwood led the Huskies with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

Smith scored 14 points, but shot 4-of-19 from the floor.

Freshman Paige Paulsen was the third Huskie to reach double figures with a career-high 12 points.

NIU held Ball State to 41 percent field goal shooting from the floor, but the Cardinals made 26-of-34 free throws, compared to 14-of-18 for the Huskies.

“There were a lot of tough calls,” Judson said.

Judson received his first technical foul of the season in the second half after a no-call on NIU’s Mike McKinney.

The loss for the Huskies marked the 10th time in 11 games that NIU has lost on the road this season.

The only win was a 54-53 neutral court victory over UIC at the Gazette Hawkeye Classic on Dec. 5.

NIU will play seven of its last 11 MAC games at home, where the Huskies are 6-0.

“We are going to keep going forward,” Judson said. “We’ll be glad to get back to the Convocation Center.”