Thursday, December 20
Muncie, Ind.
7:00 PM ET
Ball State University
vs
Howard
Photo by: Timothy Sofranko
Men’s Basketball Finally Returns to Worthen to Host Howard Thursday
December 19, 2018 | Men's Basketball
Cardinals face challenging test in defending MEAC’s highest scoring offense
Game 12
Ball State (7-4) vs. Howard (6-5)
Thursday, Dec. 20 (7 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Worthen Arena)
Watch: ESPN+ | Listen: 96.7/104.9 | Live Stats
Setting the Stage
• Ball State hosts Howard for its first game at Worthen Arena in more than three weeks, and just its fourth of the year, coming off a four-game road stretch. The Cardinals went 3-1 in those games, including a victory at 2018 Final Four team Loyola Chicago and BSU's first road win at Valparaiso since 1990 ... Howard is coming off a pair of single-digit losses on the road last week at George Washington and Fordham. The Bison won a road game earlier this season at Atlantic 10 opponent UMass.
• Ball State will close out its non-conference schedule with back-to-back games against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. BSU hosts Howard for the first meeting between the programs and then takes an eight-day holiday break before Delaware State visits Dec. 29 in the final tuneup for Mid-American Conference play.
About the Matchup
• Ball State returns to Worthen Arena, where the Cardinals are 3-0 this season and 19-2 in their past 21 games. The Cardinals have not lost a non-conference home game since Dec. 3, 2016 (IUPUI).
• The 16-point win Monday at Valpo jumped Ball State 18 spots to No. 96 in the Ken Pomeroy ratings, marking the best the Cardinals have been since finishing the 2004-05 campaign at No. 96. The MAC has three teams among KenPom's top 100. Buffalo is No. 22, and Toledo is No. 64.
• Ball State faces a Howard team that was picked fourth in the MEAC preseason poll and currently owns the league's best record. The Bison feature a pair of preseason first-team All-MEAC selections in RJ Cole and Charles Williams. Cole leads the MEAC in scoring at 20.5 points per game and also ranks ninth nationally with 75 assists (6.8 per game). Williams averages 18.9 points, while a third guard, Chad Lott, adds 14.2. That trio accounts for 62 percent of the scoring for a Howard team that averages a MEAC-leading 83.9 points per game. The Bison do a good chunk of their scoring at the free throw line, where they rank eighth nationally in attempts and 11th in makes.
• Ball State is 14-2 all-time against the MEAC, with its only losses coming to South Carolina State in 1993 and Coppin State in 1994. The Cardinals are 9-0 in the past decade against the MEAC (4-0 under James Whitford), although three of those have been one-possession games. BSU's most recent matchup with the league was last season in a 75-54 win over Florida A&M at Worthen Arena.
What's Trending
• Ball State turned in its best defensive performance of the year in Monday's victory at Valparaiso. The Cardinals' surrendered their fewest points of the season (61), recorded a season-high 10 steals and forced 17 total turnovers (the most in a regulation game this season). The Cardinals held Valpo to 40 percent shooting from the floor, including 3-of-16 (18.8 percent) from 3-point range.
• Tahjai Teague recorded his first double-double of the season at Valpo, leading the Cardinals with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Teague has scored double figures in seven straight games, averaging 16.3 per game during that stretch. Ball State is 6-1 in those seven games.
• Tayler Persons overtook Eastern Michigan's James Thompson as the active leading scorer among MAC players with 1,581 career points (Thompson, now 12 points behind Persons, plays Wednesday night). Persons ranks ninth among active Division I players in career assists (473), while Trey Moses is 17th among active players in career rebounds (753).
• Ball State ranks 14th nationally in team field goal percentage at 50.2 percent. The Cardinals feature the two most efficient players in the MAC in Tahjai Teague (61.2 percent) and K.J. Walton (61.1 percent). That duo ranks 28th and 29th in the nation, respectively. Walton is 56-for-78 (71.8 percent) over the past seven games.
Ball State (7-4) vs. Howard (6-5)
Thursday, Dec. 20 (7 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Worthen Arena)
Watch: ESPN+ | Listen: 96.7/104.9 | Live Stats
Setting the Stage
• Ball State hosts Howard for its first game at Worthen Arena in more than three weeks, and just its fourth of the year, coming off a four-game road stretch. The Cardinals went 3-1 in those games, including a victory at 2018 Final Four team Loyola Chicago and BSU's first road win at Valparaiso since 1990 ... Howard is coming off a pair of single-digit losses on the road last week at George Washington and Fordham. The Bison won a road game earlier this season at Atlantic 10 opponent UMass.
• Ball State will close out its non-conference schedule with back-to-back games against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. BSU hosts Howard for the first meeting between the programs and then takes an eight-day holiday break before Delaware State visits Dec. 29 in the final tuneup for Mid-American Conference play.
About the Matchup
• Ball State returns to Worthen Arena, where the Cardinals are 3-0 this season and 19-2 in their past 21 games. The Cardinals have not lost a non-conference home game since Dec. 3, 2016 (IUPUI).
• The 16-point win Monday at Valpo jumped Ball State 18 spots to No. 96 in the Ken Pomeroy ratings, marking the best the Cardinals have been since finishing the 2004-05 campaign at No. 96. The MAC has three teams among KenPom's top 100. Buffalo is No. 22, and Toledo is No. 64.
• Ball State faces a Howard team that was picked fourth in the MEAC preseason poll and currently owns the league's best record. The Bison feature a pair of preseason first-team All-MEAC selections in RJ Cole and Charles Williams. Cole leads the MEAC in scoring at 20.5 points per game and also ranks ninth nationally with 75 assists (6.8 per game). Williams averages 18.9 points, while a third guard, Chad Lott, adds 14.2. That trio accounts for 62 percent of the scoring for a Howard team that averages a MEAC-leading 83.9 points per game. The Bison do a good chunk of their scoring at the free throw line, where they rank eighth nationally in attempts and 11th in makes.
• Ball State is 14-2 all-time against the MEAC, with its only losses coming to South Carolina State in 1993 and Coppin State in 1994. The Cardinals are 9-0 in the past decade against the MEAC (4-0 under James Whitford), although three of those have been one-possession games. BSU's most recent matchup with the league was last season in a 75-54 win over Florida A&M at Worthen Arena.
What's Trending
• Ball State turned in its best defensive performance of the year in Monday's victory at Valparaiso. The Cardinals' surrendered their fewest points of the season (61), recorded a season-high 10 steals and forced 17 total turnovers (the most in a regulation game this season). The Cardinals held Valpo to 40 percent shooting from the floor, including 3-of-16 (18.8 percent) from 3-point range.
• Tahjai Teague recorded his first double-double of the season at Valpo, leading the Cardinals with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Teague has scored double figures in seven straight games, averaging 16.3 per game during that stretch. Ball State is 6-1 in those seven games.
• Tayler Persons overtook Eastern Michigan's James Thompson as the active leading scorer among MAC players with 1,581 career points (Thompson, now 12 points behind Persons, plays Wednesday night). Persons ranks ninth among active Division I players in career assists (473), while Trey Moses is 17th among active players in career rebounds (753).
• Ball State ranks 14th nationally in team field goal percentage at 50.2 percent. The Cardinals feature the two most efficient players in the MAC in Tahjai Teague (61.2 percent) and K.J. Walton (61.1 percent). That duo ranks 28th and 29th in the nation, respectively. Walton is 56-for-78 (71.8 percent) over the past seven games.
Players Mentioned
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