Ball State University Athletics
MBB Welcomes MAC Favorite Toledo Saturday at 2pm
February 06, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Ball State vs. Toledo
Saturday, Feb. 7; 2 p.m.
Worthen Arena (Muncie, Ind.)
Video: Ball State All-Access
Radio: 104.1 WLBC
The game had ended Wednesday night, and the fans had all filed out. The Worthen Arena crew was busy cleaning up, but they weren't the only ones still at work.
Ball State freshman guard Francis Kiapway, half an hour removed from a 4-for-5 shooting performance from 3-point range, was back on the court putting up more shots. The site was not uncommon.
“Francis is one of the only players I've ever coached who makes you worry about overuse injuries,” Ball State head coach James Whitford said after the game. “He's a hard working kid who wants so badly to be a really good player, and he has been key for us.”
Kiapway has found his rhythm over the past few weeks. He busted out of a shooting slump with five 3-pointers five games ago against Ohio. In the five games prior, he was 4 for 22 from beyond the arc. In the five games since, he is 14 for 21.
The Hamilton, Ontario, product will look to continue his hot shooting Saturday when Ball State welcomes another one of the league's top teams to Worthen Arena. The Cardinals continue a challenging stretch against Mid-American Conference preseason favorite Toledo.
In terms of consistency, the two teams find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum. Various circumstances have conspired to force Ball State into nine different starting lineup combinations already this season. Toledo, on the other hand, has used the exact same starting five in every game.
Returning All-MAC First Team guard Julius Brown averages 16.0 points per game to lead a Toledo lineup that features all five starters averaging 9.4 points or better. The Rockets are the second-best scoring team in the league (74.9 points per game), but they rank ninth in the MAC in scoring defense (68.6).
Ball State has demonstrated balance of its own on the offensive end. The Cardinals once again put five players in double figures Wednesday night in their near comeback against Buffalo. Post players Franko House and Bo Calhoun have both greatly increased their scoring averages since the start of conference play to provide an inside answer to the outside shooting of the team's back court.
The Cardinals have shown signs of improvement despite a current losing streak, and they will look to continue making strides against a Toledo team that is riding a four-game winning streak. The Rockets' three losses in MAC play have come by a combined 13 points.
Toledo holds a 45-40 edge in the all-time series. The Rockets have won their past three visits to Muncie, though the Cardinals continue to hold an 18-6 advantage at home in the series.
