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Top Stories of 2016-17: Men’s Hoops Tops 20 Wins Again
July 05, 2017 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. – Another athletic year is in the books for the Cardinals. Ball State student-athletes, coaches and teams accomplished several notable feats in 2016-17 and left their mark on the university.
Through much discussion, BallStateSports.com has identified the top 10 storylines of the year. We are revealing the storylines one-by-one each week over a period of 10 weeks. In early August, once they have all been announced, fans will be able to vote for their favorite stories of the year.
The stories are being revealed in chronological order, beginning with the fall season and running through the spring. We continue this week with a look back at a second straight MAC West Division title for the men's basketball team …
Men's Hoops Tops 20 Wins, Shares MAC West Title Again
With a March 3 victory over Northern Illinois in the regular season finale, the Ball State men's basketball team achieved one milestone for the first time in the Mid-American Conference's divisional history and reached another for the first time in nearly a quarter century.
The win was the team's 20th of the year, marking the first time the Cardinals reached that level in consecutive seasons since the 1991-92 and 1992-93 campaigns.
The victory also clinched a share of the MAC West Division championship for the second straight year. It was the Cardinals' sixth division title since divisions were introduced in 1998 but first time Ball State had ever won back-to-back crowns.
The Cardinals shared the division championship with Western Michigan and went on to defeat the Broncos in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2011.
BSU came up just short of the championship game with a 74-70 loss to top-seeded Akron. The Cardinals' two losses to the league's best squad came by a combined six points, proving a team that won just seven games two years earlier had once again reached contender status.
Ball State went on to accept an invitation to the CIT for the second year in a row. The team will return eight letterwinners next season as it looks to continue its climb.
Previous Storylines
June 8 - James Gilbert Runs Wild at Buffalo
June 12 - Soccer Goes Back to Back
June 20 - Three Women's Basketball Players Score 1,000 Career Points
June 27 - Track & Field Claims Five Medals in MAC Championship Competition
Through much discussion, BallStateSports.com has identified the top 10 storylines of the year. We are revealing the storylines one-by-one each week over a period of 10 weeks. In early August, once they have all been announced, fans will be able to vote for their favorite stories of the year.
The stories are being revealed in chronological order, beginning with the fall season and running through the spring. We continue this week with a look back at a second straight MAC West Division title for the men's basketball team …
Men's Hoops Tops 20 Wins, Shares MAC West Title Again
With a March 3 victory over Northern Illinois in the regular season finale, the Ball State men's basketball team achieved one milestone for the first time in the Mid-American Conference's divisional history and reached another for the first time in nearly a quarter century.
The win was the team's 20th of the year, marking the first time the Cardinals reached that level in consecutive seasons since the 1991-92 and 1992-93 campaigns.
The victory also clinched a share of the MAC West Division championship for the second straight year. It was the Cardinals' sixth division title since divisions were introduced in 1998 but first time Ball State had ever won back-to-back crowns.
The Cardinals shared the division championship with Western Michigan and went on to defeat the Broncos in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2011.
BSU came up just short of the championship game with a 74-70 loss to top-seeded Akron. The Cardinals' two losses to the league's best squad came by a combined six points, proving a team that won just seven games two years earlier had once again reached contender status.
Ball State went on to accept an invitation to the CIT for the second year in a row. The team will return eight letterwinners next season as it looks to continue its climb.
Previous Storylines
June 8 - James Gilbert Runs Wild at Buffalo
June 12 - Soccer Goes Back to Back
June 20 - Three Women's Basketball Players Score 1,000 Career Points
June 27 - Track & Field Claims Five Medals in MAC Championship Competition
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