Cardinals Host Two-Time Defending MAC Champ Buffalo for Tuesday Tilt

Game 15
Ball State (8-6, 1-0 MAC) vs. Buffalo (9-5, 0-1 MAC)
Tuesday, Jan. 7 (7 p.m. ET)
Muncie, Ind. (Worthen Arena)
Watch: ESPN+ | Listen: 96.7/104.9 | Live Stats | Tickets

Setting the Stage
• After knocking off preseason MAC West Division favorite Toledo in the league opener, Ball State is back inside Worthen Arena on Tuesday to host two-time defending conference champion Buffalo. It is the first of two meetings between the teams this year. They will square off again in Buffalo on Feb. 18. After Tuesday's game, BSU will play four of its next five on the road.

• Ishmael El-Amin led Ball State with 17 points and a career-high nine rebounds in Friday's win over Toledo, as the Cardinals defeated the Rockets for the sixth time in the past seven meetings. Buffalo, which won its final three non-conference games over New York rivals Canisius, Niagara and St. Bonaventure, suffered a 73-72 home loss Saturday to Northern Illinois in its MAC opener.

The Matchup
• Ball State is looking to snap a three-game Buffalo winning streak in the series between the teams. The Bulls won last year's matchup 83-59 in Buffalo to take a slim 16-15 edge in the all-time series. BSU's last win over the Bulls came on the road in 2017.

• Buffalo assistant coach Angres Thorpe was an assistant coach for two seasons at Ball State in the early 2000's. He coached under Tim Buckley, helping guide the Cardinals to the Maui Invitational championship game and the NIT quarterfinals in the 2001-02 season. Another assistant from that team, Scot Bunnell, will also be in Worthen Arena in his usual post as radio analyst for BSU home games.

• Buffalo has represented the MAC in the NCAA tournament in four of the past five seasons. The Bulls are in their first year under head coach Jim Whitesell after the departure of Nate Oats to Alabama. Whitesell, previously a Division I head coach at Loyola Chicago, spent the previous four years as an assistant on the Bulls' staff.

• Buffalo lost its top three scorers from a year ago but still features four players averaging double figures, led by junior guard Jayvon Graves at 16.9 points per game. He ranks second in the league in scoring only to Northern Illinois guard Eugene German. Texas Tech transfer Josh Mballa, in his first season with the Bulls, averages a near double-double at 10.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.

What's Trending
• Ball State held Toledo to 57 points in the MAC opener, matching the Rockets' season-low scoring output. The Cardinals have held eight opponents to fewer than 60 points and won seven of those games. BSU leads the MAC and ranks 27th nationally in scoring defense, surrendering just 60.9 points per game.

• BSU has held five of its 14 opponents to their lowest point total of the season: Defiance (43), Indiana State (55), Georgia Tech (47), Portland (46) and Toledo (57). Buffalo's season low is 63 in its opener against Dartmouth.

• Junior guard Ishmael El-Amin leads Ball State in scoring at 14.6 points per game, nine full points better than his career average entering the season (5.6). He has reached double figures in 12 of BSU's 14 games after posting eight double-figure games through his first two years.

• BSU head coach James Whitford won his 97th career game Friday against Toledo, matching Dick Hunsaker (1989-93) for third on the school's all-time list. Jim Hinga (154 wins from 1954-68) is the winningest coach in program history, followed by Ray McCallum (126 wins from 1993-2000).

Cardinals Host Two-Time Defending MAC Champ Buffalo for Tuesday Tilt

Players Mentioned

Ishmael El-Amin

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