HONOLULU, Hawaii – Tahirou Diabate recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, but turnovers and poor shooting doomed Portland in a 61-46 loss to Ball State in the seventh-place game of the 2019 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center on Christmas morning.

Diabate had a solid all-around game and added four steals and two blocked shots, but no other Pilots reached double figures.

The 46 points scored were a season low for the Pilots (8-7), as was the team's 2-for-17 three-point shooting. The Pilots shot 36 percent overall and committed 18 turnovers.

The team defense kept Portland close for a good portion of the game as Ball State was held to 34 percent shooting and 16 turnovers.

Diabate brought the energy with a pair of highlight reel blocked shots early in the second half. He also finished at the rim on a nice feed from Malcolm Porter. Porter then buried a corner three-pointer to give the Pilots their first lead of the game at 25-24. It was Portland's first made three after starting 0-for-8.

That was when Ishmael El-Amin heated up and took over for the Cardinals (7-6). El Amin took scored 11 straight points, including a trio of three-pointers, and then Luke Bumbalough closed an 11-0 run with a three to push the Cardinals ahead 38-27 with 12:23 left in regulation. Ball State would extend the margin to as much as 18 points late.

El-Amin finished with a game-high 18 points, while Bumbalough chipped in 14 points.

The 8:30 a.m. local start seemed to impact both teams out of the gates as shooting and turnovers were prevalent. Portland had 11 first half turnovers and went 0-for-8 on three-pointers in the opening period, but closed the half on an 11-0 run and held Ball State scoreless in the final 5:01 to make it a 19-19 score at halftime.

Portland will now shift to West Coast Conference play and host the No. 1-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. The Pilots then welcome San Francisco to the Chiles Center on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. Tickets for both games are available by visiting PortlandPilots.com/Tickets.