MAC West Favorites Meet Saturday in Kalamazoo

Saturday, January 13

Kalamazoo, Mich.

4:30 PM ET

Ball State University

Western Michigan

Photo by: Matt Pendleton

January 12, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

Cardinals have won four of past five meetings with Broncos

Game 17
Ball State (11-5, 2-1 MAC) at Western Michigan (10-6, 2-1 MAC)
Saturday, Jan. 13 (4:30 p.m.)
Kalamazoo, Mich. (University Arena)
Watch (ESPN3) | Listen (WLBC) | Live Stats

About the Cardinals
• Ball State visits Western Michigan for a matchup of last year's Mid-American Conference West Division co-champions. The Broncos and Cardinals were picked to finish first and second in the division in this year's MAC preseason poll.

• BSU and WMU will be meeting for the 129th time, dating back to the early 1930s, in a series that is even. The Cardinals have played only one team more often -- Indiana State (132).

• The Cardinals have won their past three road games, most recently Tuesday at Ohio. It was the program's first win in Athens since 2010. BSU also won at Indiana State on Nov. 25 and at Notre Dame on Dec. 5 when the Irish were ranked eighth in the country.

• Ball State has won 10 of 11 games since Thanksgiving. The Cardinals check in at No. 124 in the Ken Pomeroy ratings as the second-highest team from the MAC (Buffalo is No. 86).

• Junior center Trey Moses is averaging a double-double over the past six games at 11.2 points and 11.0 rebounds. He has four double-doubles in those six games and has posted double-figure rebounds in all six.

• Senior guard Sean Sellers needs four points to reach 1,000 for his career. He would become the 30th player to score 1,000 points at Ball State.

• Senior guard Francis Kiapway hit his 203rd career 3-pointer Tuesday at Ohio, moving into a tie for second place on the Cardinals' all-time list with Jauwan Scaife (2009-13). Jesse Berry (2010-14) holds the school record with 224. Sellers (200) is currently fifth on that list.

Scouting Western Michigan
• Western Michigan is off to a 2-1 start to MAC play with wins over Akron (87-75) and Miami (67-62) and a loss to Toledo (84-61).
• Returning All-MAC guard Thomas Wilder ranks third in the league in points (18.3), assists (4.4) and steals (2.3) per game for WMU. Josh Davis (10.4) and Bryce Moore (10.3) also average double figures for the Broncos.
• Western Michigan leads the MAC and ranks 40th in the country in fewest turnovers per game (11.7).
• The Broncos are in their 15th season under Steve Hawkins, the longest-tenured head coach in the MAC. WMU shared the MAC West title with Ball State last season and was picked to win the division in this year's preseason poll.

Series History
• The all-time series between Ball State and Western Michigan is even at 64-64. The Broncos hold a 42-20 lead in Kalamazoo.
• The Cardinals have won four of the five meetings over the past two seasons.
• The teams met three times last season with each team winning regular season matchups on its home floor and the Cardinals taking the rubber match in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament.
• Tayler Persons averaged 13 points and 3.3 assists last year against WMU despite missing the majority of the MAC Tournament game because of injury. He scored 24 points in BSU's win in Muncie.
• Francis Kiapway is averaging 10.9 points and shooting 48.6 percent (18 for 37) from 3-point range over seven career games against the Broncos.