Ball State University Athletics
Men?s Hoops Travels to Face Kent State Wednesday
February 17, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Ball State at Kent State
Wednesday, Feb. 18; 7 p.m.
M.A.C. Center (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Video: kentstatesports.com
Radio: 104.1 WLBC
Coming off a loss to the first-place team in the Mid-American conference, the new week doesn't get any easier for the Ball State men's basketball team.
Wednesday night at Kent State, the Cardinals will square off with one of three teams tied for the second-best record in the league.
Kent State (17-8, 8-4 MAC) is coming off a thrilling overtime victory at Toledo, while Ball State (7-16, 2-10 MAC) is coming off a 79-65 loss to Bowling Green.
Wednesday will mark the second meeting between the teams this season. The Golden Flashes defeated the Cardinals 63-52 last month in Muncie.
The biggest challenge for Ball State in recent weeks has come on the defensive end of the floor, where injury to center Matt Kamieniecki has left the team vulnerable in the paint. In the 16 games Kamieniecki was healthy, Ball State's opponents shot 43.3 percent. In the seven games since, they are shooting 50.3 percent. His status remains day-to-day.
The first meeting between Ball State and Kent State this season was the first game Kamieniecki missed. Jimmy Hall took advantage in that game, scoring 32 points for Kent State. Hall leads the Flashes in scoring (15.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg), but he has missed the past four games.
Kent State checks in at No. 119 in the Ken Pomeroy rankings. Wednesday's matchup will be the seventh MAC game Ball State has played against a team currently ranked inside the top 120. Pomeroy continues to rate the MAC as the 11th-best conference in the country.
The Kent State game is one of two on the road this week for Ball State, which will travel to face Central Michigan on Saturday. With three weeks remaining in the regular season, teams are playing for positioning in the MAC Tournament.
