By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - Butler was undefeated and unranked before Wednesday night.

That combination might be changing.

Rylan Hainje scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Thomas Jackson added 14 points and Darnell Archey hit three critical 3-pointers in the second half to help Butler upset No. 21 Ball State 75-66 and extend its winning streak to 11 games.

"The only thing we tell our players is it's who's the best on any given night," Butler coach Todd Lickliter said. "We have an opportunity to play teams on any given night and that's the only thing we worry about."

The Bulldogs, 11-0 for the first time in 110 years of basketball, took advantage of their opportunities at Ball State's Worthen Arena.

They played solid defense.

They controlled the tempo.

They hit key shots, and then Butler won by stealing a page right out of the Ball State playbook - with tremendous perimeter shooting.

"It's a big win for us," said Hainje, who helped the Bulldogs take control with 19 first-half points. "It's a big win for me and my teammates. There was a lot of trash-talking before the game about who was the best team."

That much was settled on the Cardinals' home court.

Ball State (6-3) entered the game with a national ranking, the highest average of 3-pointers per game in the nation and the second-ranked 3-point shooting team.

Butler, however, came in as one of eight undefeated teams in the nation and proved why it was better.

The Bulldogs limited the Cardinals to just 5-of-13 shooting from 3-point range, while making 12 of 26 themselves.

"They beat us in every phase of the game," Ball State coach Tim Buckley said. "They have great shooters, they had excellent spacing and they made great looks."

The results were evident from the early moments.

After Butler started just 1-of-6 from the field, it rallied for eight straight points to take a 10-8 lead with 12:28 left in the first half. The Bulldogs never trailed again.

Butler seized control late in the first half with a 10-2 run, ignited by Hainje's sensational shooting and which forced Ball State coach Tim Buckley to pull all five of his players because of their poor play.

"I wasn't trying to send a message," Buckley said. "I just wanted to get a loose ball."

Regardless of Buckley's intentions, the Cardinals understood the lesson of their 35-26 deficit they were in at halftime.

After Hainje and Jackson scored the first two baskets of the second half, to make it 40-26, the Cardinals started playing their game.

"I think they got a little more physical," said Hainje, who scored just two points in the final 19:30. "They had to come at us."

Ball State went inside to Lonnie Jones and Theron Smith, who combined for 10 points in a 13-0 run that got Ball State within 43-39 with 14:08 left. Smith finished with 27 points to lead the Cardinals.

But Archey hit a 3 to end the run. When Ball State closed back within 48-45, Archey hit another 3 to make it 51-45. Archey's last 3-pointer, with 6:15 to go, started a 10-2 run that sealed the victory, Butler's 20th in 21 games.

And maybe a national ranking.

"We're an opportunistic team," Lickliter said. "If the opportunity's there, we take it."