Cardinals Head to Eastern Michigan for Tuesday Divisional Matchup

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Cardinals Head to Eastern Michigan for Tuesday Divisional Matchup

January 13, 2020 | Men's Basketball

BSU on the road again, seeking 3-1 start to MAC play

Game 17
Ball State (9-7, 2-1 MAC) at Eastern Michigan (10-6, 0-3 MAC)
Tuesday, Jan. 14 (7 p.m. ET)
Ypsilanti, Mich. (EMU Convocation Center)
Watch: ESPN+ | Listen: 96.7/104.9 | Live Stats

Setting the Stage
• Ball State visits Eastern Michigan looking to bounce back from having its three-game winning streak snapped Friday at Akron. The Zips remained unbeaten in MAC play, handing the Cardinals their first league defeat. Tuesday's meeting is the first of two this season between BSU and EMU. The MAC West Division rivals will square off again Feb. 22 in Muncie.

• Eastern Michigan went 10-3 in non-conference play but has dropped its first three league contests, most recently falling 71-68 Saturday at Northern Illinois. Ball State defeated the Eagles last year in the MAC Tournament to snap a three-game EMU winning streak in the series. The Cardinals had previously won five in a row over the Eagles.

The Matchup
• Ball State and Eastern Michigan met three times last season with the Eagles winning both regular season matchups and the Cardinals winning in the first round of the MAC Tournament. BSU rebounded from a 68-61 loss at EMU late in the regular season for a decisive 61-43 tournament win just six days later in Ypsilanti.

• Tahjai Teague scored a career-high 28 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for Ball State in last season's first meeting in Muncie. EMU's Elijah Minnie hit a late 3-pointer to force overtime, and BSU's Austin Nehls drained a 3 to send the game to a second extra period. The Eagles eventually won 84-82 when Trey Moses' 3-point attempt at the final buzzer was off the mark.

• Tahjai Teague averaged a double-double at 19.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game over last season's two meetings with Eastern Michigan. He led the Cardinals in scoring in all three matchups.

• Eastern Michigan leads the nation in steals at 11.6 per game. The Eagles are forcing a total of 19.3 turnovers per game, while Ball State turns it over 12.9 times on average.

• Ty Groce leads a balanced Eastern Michigan scoring attack with 11.6 points per game. EMU is the lowest scoring team in the MAC at 66.5 points per game defensively, but the Eagles surrender just 62.7 points per game, second in the league only to Ball State (62.2).

What's Trending
• Tahjai Teague was named co-MAC West Division Player of the Week with Toledo's Marreon Jackson after averaging 22.0 and 10.5 rebounds over BSU's games with Buffalo and Akron. It was the third time he won the award this season and the fifth time a BSU player has claimed it.

• Tahjai Teague recorded his fifth double-double of the season and the 19th of his career Friday at Akron. Only Toledo's Willie Jackson (23) has more career double-doubles among MAC players. Teague, who ranks 10th in rebounding among active players nationally (809), surpassed 800 career rebounds at Akron. He is two points shy of 1,300 for his career.

• The Cardinals were out-rebounded 41-29 by Akron for their second-largest deficit on the glass this season. Only UTEP (37-21) outrebounded Ball State by more.

• Ishmael El-Amin hit 3-of-5 from 3-point range at Akron to raise his season percentage to 45.9 percent, the best among MAC players with at least three attempts per game.