Men’s Hoops Tips off “Hoosieroons and Hoops Day” versus Central Michigan

Game 27 -- Hoosieroons and Hoops Day
Ball State (14-12, 5-8 MAC) vs. Central Michigan (18-8, 7-6 MAC)
Saturday, Feb. 23 (2 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Worthen Arena)
Watch: ESPN+ | Listen: 104.9/96.7 | Live Stats

Setting the Stage
• Ball State tips off a men's and women's doubleheader Saturday at Worthen Arena, hosting Central Michigan on "Hoosieroons and Hoops Day." The Cardinals will be wearing "Hoosieroons" jerseys, harkening back to the 1920s when Ball State was known as the Indiana Normal School Eastern Division Hoosieroons. It's part of Ball State's year-long Centennial Celebration.

• The Cardinals had a three-game winning streak snapped this week at Miami and are looking to bounce back by sweeping the season series from Central Michigan. BSU was an 83-72 winner a month ago in Mount Pleasant. The Chippewas visit Muncie fresh off back-to-back home victories, most recently an 84-74 win over Kent State to climb within a game of Toledo for the MAC West Division lead.

About the Matchup
• Ball State faces a Central Michigan team that features all five starters averaging double-figure scoring, led by guards Larry Austin, Jr. (17.1 ppg) and Shawn Roundtree (16.5). The Chippewas have utilized the same starting lineup in all 26 games this season. Central Michigan ranks 11th in the country in scoring offense at 83.9 points per game and has attempted more free throws (714) than all but one team (South Florida). The Chippewas lead the MAC in steals per game (17.8) and force slightly more than 15 turnovers per game.

• Ball State is 40-6 all-time against Central Michigan in Muncie, including a 23-3 mark inside Worthen Arena.

• The Cardinals will play their final five regular season games against fellow MAC West Division teams. Ball State is 4-1 against the division this season, with its only loss coming in double overtime to Eastern Michigan. BSU is 25-10 against the West over the past four seasons.

What's Trending
• Ball State is on the verge of becoming the only team in the country with four 1,000-point scorers. Tayler Persons, Trey Moses and Austin Nehls are currently in the club, while Tahjai Teague (982) needs just 18 more points to reach the mark. Ball State is one of eight teams in the country with three 1,000-point scorers, along with Elon, Kansas State, Lipscomb, Northwestern, TCU, USC Upstate and Washington.

• Ball State's 69-66 loss Tuesday at Miami was its first this season when holding an opponent to fewer than 70 points. The Cardinals were previously 8-0 in such games.

• BSU's 14 steals in the loss at Miami are the most by a MAC team in a league game this season. The steals total was the highest for a Ball State team in eight years, since the Cardinals registered 15 against Toledo on Feb. 15, 2011. K.J. Walton led the way with four, while Tahjai Teague and Josh Thompson had three each.

• Sophomore forward Brachen Hazen has averaged 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game over the past three contests since returning from a back injury. Hazen (16 games), Ishmael El-Amin (14) and Zach Gunn (4) have combined to miss a total of 34 games to injury, limiting the Cardinals' bench.

Men’s Hoops Tips off “Hoosieroons and Hoops Day” versus Central Michigan

Players Mentioned

Ishmael El-Amin

Zach Gunn

Brachen Hazen

Trey Moses

Austin Nehls

Tayler Persons

Tahjai Teague

Josh Thompson

K.J. Walton

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