Ball State University Athletics
Men?s Hoops Opens MAC Tourney at BG on ESPN3
March 08, 2015 | Men's Basketball
MAC Tournament First Round
Ball State at Bowling Green
Monday, March 9; 7 p.m.
Stroh Center (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Video: ESPN3
Radio: 104.1 WLBC
The Ball State men's basketball team turns the page to the postseason when it visits Bowling Green for an opening-round game in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
The Cardinals and Falcons will meet for the third time this season. On the line is a trip to Cleveland, where the winner will play Wednesday against either No. 8 seed Eastern Michigan or No. 9 seed Miami.
Bowling Green entered the final game of the regular season with a chance for one of the tournament's double byes in a crowded race at the top of the MAC standings. But a two-point loss at Buffalo left the Falcons (19-10, 11-7 MAC) with the No. 5 seed and the task faced by each of the bottom eight seeds – win five games in six games to claim the title.
Ball State (7-22, 2-16 MAC) enters the tournament as the No. 12 seed. The Cardinals have been close in so many games down the stretch but have not been able to get over the hump. Their last regular season game, an overtime loss to Northern Illinois, illustrated that.
Matt Kamieniecki scored a career-high 21 points Friday against the Huskies, and Sean Sellers drained a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to send the game to overtime. But a physical NIU team bullied its way to 11 points at the foul line in the extra period to escape Muncie with a 61-57 win.
Ball State had two looks at Bowling Green during the regular season. The Cardinals led at halftime in Bowling Green before the Falcons rallied for a 58-46 win in January. Last month in Muncie, BG led wire-to-wire in a 79-65 win.
The teams have met four times previously in the MAC Tournament but not since 2005. The Falcons have won four of those previous tournament meetings.
Central Michigan enters this year's tournament as the top seed after sharing the regular season championship with Buffalo and Kent State. Those three teams and No. 4 seed Toledo earned trips straight to Cleveland, while the other eight teams all begin their title quest Monday night.
