Ball State University
Kent State
MAC Leaders Battle as MBB Hosts Kent State
January 18, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Game 18
Ball State (12-5, 3-1 MAC)
vs. Kent State (12-5, 3-1 MAC)
Tuesday, Jan. 19 (7 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Worthen Arena)
Watch (ESPN3) | Listen (WLBC) | Live Stats
Promotions: Dollar Dog Night (hot dogs for $1 while supplies last) … Nest T-Shirts for the first 500 students.
A Look at the Cardinals
• Ball State welcomes Kent State Tuesday for a matchup of Mid-American Conference division leaders. The Cardinals are tied atop the MAC West Division at 3-1 in league play, while Kent State shares the MAC East Division lead with the same 3-1 record.
• The Cardinals won for the fifth time in six games Saturday, coming from 16 points down in the second half to defeat Miami 48-46 on a lay-in from senior guard Jeremiah Davis with 1.8 seconds remaining.
• Through four MAC games, Ball State owns the best scoring margin in the league (+6.0), largely because of its play on the defensive end. The Cardinals are 10th of 12 teams in scoring offense (70.5) but first in scoring defense (64.5) by nearly six full points over the closest team.
• Ball State ranks first in the MAC and 19th nationally in scoring defense for the entire season, allowing 62.9 points per game. The Cardinals have surrendered 70 points in a game only four times all year. They allowed a season-low 46 points Saturday against Miami.
• Ball State sits at No. 148 out of 351 Division I teams in the Ken Pomeroy rankings. The Cardinals have been as high as No. 144 this season, marking their highest rating since January 2012. The last time the Cardinals finished a season better than their current ranking was 2005 when the team finished at No. 105.
• At 12-5 so far this season, the Cardinals are off to their best start through 17 games since the 2011-12 team started 12-5.
Hot from Deep
• Ball State has taken advantage of the 3-point line during conference play, ranking second in the league in both 3's made (39) and 3-point percentage (.415).
• Through four league games, the Cardinals have outscored their opponents 117-72 from beyond the arc.
Getting It Done at the Stripe
• Ball State leads the MAC at 77.6 percent from the free throw line during conference play.
• The Cardinals have raised their percentage nearly nine full points from non-conference play when they shot 68.9 percent at the stripe.
Home Court Advantage
• Ball State is 9-1 at home this season, and the Cardinals are outscoring their opponents 69.3-58.3 on average inside Worthen Arena.
• Ball State is 777-351 (.693) all-time on its home floor and 245-108 (.694) inside Worthen Arena.
• In 23 full seasons in Worthen, the Cardinals have posted at least 10 home wins 15 times. They have not reached the 10-win mark at home since 2011-12.
Players Mentioned
