Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Eastern Michigan
Men's Basketball Hosts Eastern Michigan Saturday
February 26, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Game 29
Ball State (18-10, 9-6 MAC)
vs. Eastern Michigan (15-13, 7-8 MAC)
Saturday, Feb. 27 (2 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Worthen Arena)
Watch (ESPN3) | Listen (WLBC) | Live Stats
A Look at the Cardinals                                Â
• Ball State hosts Eastern Michigan for the second meeting between the teams this season. The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 88-87 in double overtime Jan. 23 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on a last-second 3-pointer from Francis Kiapway.
• The Cardinals hold a one-game lead in the Mid-American Conference West Division at 9-6 in league play with three games left. Toledo and Central Michigan are one game back, while Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois are two games behind.
• Ball State is chasing its first MAC West Division championship since 2009 (co-champions with Central Michigan and Western Michigan) and its first outright division title since 2002. This is the latest in a season the Cardinals have led the MAC West Division since the 2009 division co-championship.
• Ball State ranks No. 144 out of 351 Division I teams in the Ken Pomeroy rankings and has been as high as No. 136 this season. BSU has not finished a season better than its current Pomeroy ranking since 2005 (No. 105). Eastern Michigan currently checks in at No. 147.
• BSU is the third-most improved team in the country in terms of its record from last year to this year. The Cardinals are 18-10 this season after going 7-23 a year ago. Only Tennessee State (5-26 to 19-9) and UALR (13-18 to 25-3) have made bigger turnarounds (source: NCAA).
• The Cardinals' 238 3-pointers this season already rank as the second most in program history. The Cardinals rank 35th nationally at 38.1 percent from 3-point range.
With a Win ...   Â
• With a win Saturday, Ball State would ...
-- Maintain a one-game lead in the MAC West Division race at 10-6 in league action (Central Michigan and Toledo play each other, and the winner will be 9-7).
-- Move back into position for one of the top four seeds in the MAC Tournament.
-- Reach 19 wins for the first time since 2010-11 and just the second time since 2001-02.
-- Improve to 7-1 this season against the MAC West Division.
-- Sweep the season series from Eastern Michigan for the first time since 2011.
If the Tournament Started Today           Â
• If the MAC Tournament began today, Ball State (9-6 MAC) would be the No. 5 seed behind No. 1 Akron (10-5), No. 2 Ohio (9-6), No. 3 Buffalo (9-6) and No. 4 Kent State (9-6).
• The Cardinals are part of a four-way tie for the second-best record in the league but would be the No. 5 seed based on tiebreakers.
• The top four seeds receive byes to the quarterfinals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, while seeds 5-12 will play first-round games on campus sites.
