Ball State University
Eastern Michigan
Men's Hoops Visits EMU for Early Saturday Tip
January 22, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Game 19
Ball State (12-6, 3-2 MAC)
at Eastern Michigan (10-8, 2-3 MAC)
Saturday, Jan. 23 (11:30 a.m.)
Ypsilanti, Mich. (Convocation Center)
Watch (ESPN3) | Listen (WLBC) | Live Stats
A Look at the Cardinals  Â
• Ball State plays the first of back-to-back Mid-American Conference road games Saturday when it visits Eastern Michigan. The Cardinals won their most recent MAC road game Jan. 12 at Western Michigan.
• Junior post player Franko House recorded a career-high seven assists in Tuesday's 76-68 loss to Kent State. Ball State has been the top assist team in the MAC during conference play, averaging 16 assists per game.
• The Cardinals' bench has been a major factor in the team's success this season, outscoring opponents' benches by an average of 26.1 to 15.5. Ball State has won the battle of bench points in all but two games this year.
• Through five MAC games, Ball State owns the best scoring defense (66.8) in the league and the best free throw percentage (.761).
• Ball State ranks first in the MAC and 25th nationally in scoring defense for the entire season, allowing 63.6 points per game. The Cardinals have surrendered 70 points in a game only five times all year.
• Ball State sits at No. 167 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. Only once since 2005 has Ball State finished a season better than its current 167 mark (166 in 2010-11).
Slow StartsÂ
• Ball State has suffered from slow starts in each of its past two games, leading to double-digit deficits.
• The Cardinals trailed 12-2 in the early going last Saturday against Miami and 10-0 in the opening minutes Tuesday against Kent State.
• Ball State eventually rallied from 16 down to win the Miami game 48-46 on a shot from Jeremiah Davis in the closing seconds.
• The Cardinals clawed back from 12 down to get within one of Kent State but were never able to take the lead.
True ShootersÂ
• Francis Kiapway and Ryan Weber rate among the top 40 players in the country in Ken Pomeroy's "true shooting" metric.
• A player's true shooting percentage is determined by a formula that takes into account shooting from 2-point range, 3-point range and the free throw line.
• Kiapway (66.8) checks in at No. 22 in the country, while Weber (65.5) is No. 39. SMU's Sterling Brown (81.1) is the national leader.
Hot from DeepÂ
• Ball State has taken advantage of the 3-point line during conference play, ranking second in the league in both 3's made (50) and 3-point percentage (.424).
• Only Akron (53) has made more, while only Bowling Green (.430) has shot a higher percentage.
• Through five league games, the Cardinals have outscored their opponents 150-90 from beyond the arc.
