Ball State looks for third straight victory over Indiana State in program’s oldest rivalry
Game 4
Ball State (2-1, 0-0 MAC) vs. Indiana State (0-2, 0-0 MVC)
Sunday, Nov. 17 (4:30 p.m.)
Indianapolis, Ind. (Bankers Life Fieldhouse)
Watch: ESPN3 | Listen: 96.7/104.9 | Live Stats | Tickets
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The Farm Bureau Insurance Basketball Spectacular. Market Square Arena. December 13, 1975. Ball State 79, Indiana State 76.
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Larry Heinbaugh and Jim Fields scored 24 points each for the Cardinals. A young guy named Larry Bird was sitting out the year as a transfer for the Sycamores.
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Forty-four years later, it remains the only time these two longtime rivals have ever played on a neutral court. Sixty-four meetings in Muncie. Sixty-eight in Terre Haute. And one in Indianapolis … until Sunday, that is.
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The Cardinals and Sycamores will meet in the middle for their annual clash this year. The revered Market Square Arena is long since gone, but the teams will square off in Indy once again at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
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Mike White defends for BSU and Jim Holstein prepares to block out in the 1975 win over Indiana State at Market Square Arena.
There's something about this yearly meeting that just makes it different from your typical November hoops game. For one, there's the history with the series dating back to 1922. And then there's the familiarity of the players. The rosters for this year's teams feature a combined 16 Indiana natives.
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"It's kind of like a conference game because we play them every year," Tahjai Teague said. "I know most of the guys from AAU, high school and now college. I've been playing them all my life."
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Teague has had his share of success against Indiana State. Over the past two matchups, both Ball State wins, he has averaged 17 points on 15-for-19 overall shooting. Now the fifth-year senior from Pike High School gets a shot for one more against the Sycamores in his home city.
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He's one of five Indianapolis-area guys on the BSU roster and one of seven who played on the same Bankers Life court as high school seniors on the Indiana All-Star Team.
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Tahjai Teague works against Indiana State's All-Missouri Valley Conference guard Tyreke Key in last year's matchup at Worthen Arena.
Another one of those All-Stars, Cathedral product Jarron Coleman, will get his first real taste of the rivalry Sunday. He redshirted last year but is playing a key role this year and is also eager to take the biggest stage his hometown has to offer.
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"My family members that don't make it to our games in Muncie can come to that game," Coleman said. "I'm just going to try to play my hardest to get the win first but also to have my family members enjoy watching the game."
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Ball State has some history at Bankers Life Fieldhouse back in the days when it was called Conseco Fieldhouse. The Cardinals played the first college game in the building, defeating No. 24 Purdue in 1999. They have played there twice since – 2004 against Indiana and 2009 versus Purdue again in the Wooden Tradition.
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Now 10 years later, the venue welcomes the newest chapter in the Cardinals' oldest rivalry. The 134th meeting.
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BSU is looking to win a second straight road game and bring a 3-1 record back to Muncie for its upcoming five-game homestand. ISU is in search of its first win after a challenging early schedule that has seen them visit Dayton and No. 4 Louisville.
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Ball State is 8-3 against teams from Indiana over the past three seasons and is in search of another quality win to bolster that mark even more.
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"I love playing in-state teams, trying to prove which team is the better team," Teague said. "We already gave up one to Evansville, so it would be good to get one back and beat Indiana State."
