Cardinals Return To Action At Akron
January 29, 2021 | Men's Basketball
| Ball State (6-7, 4-4) at Akron (9-3, 7-2) | |
| Date | Saturday, Jan. 30 |
| Time | 2 pm ET |
| Location | Rhodes Arena - Akron, Ohio |
| Television | ESPN 3Â (Michael Reghi, Jacki Windon) (Watch) |
| Radio | 96.7 and 104.9 FM (Joel Godett, David Eha) (Listen) |
| Tickets | NONE AVAILABLE |
| Game Notes | Ball State  |  Akron |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Social Media | Twitter  |   Instagram |
The Starting 5Â -Â The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
1. CARDS AND AKRON - THE SERIESÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Saturday's game is the 43rd meeting between Ball State and Akron on the court, with UA leading the series 24-18. BSU had won three straight over Akron before a 75-60 loss on the road last year. The two teams are scheduled to meet in Muncie Saturday, Feb. 20.
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2. LAST TIME OUT: AT OHIOÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
In the last two games, Ball State has been postponed a day due to a power outage at Ohio and then COVID protocols postponed a home game on Tuesday. That means seven days ago was BSU's last outing. Following the power situation, Ball State fell down 11-0 early only to battle back and be competitive late in an 85-77 loss at Ohio. Ishmael El-Amin had an efficient 21-point game and made five 3-pointers.
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3. SO, HOW'S AKRON?                                                                                                      Â
Akron is one of the country's better scoring teams - 16th nationally in shooting percentage on 2-pointers and 13th nationally in free throw shooting. The Zips have scored 85+ five times this season, including four games with 90+ points. Akron likes to shoot 3-pointers, as more than half their field goal attempts are from long range. Stout defense, effective rebounding and ball control (Akron doesn't force many turnovers) for the Cards are some keys to the game.
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4. CARDS TAKING ACTION ON JACKSONÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
He ended up with 19 points and eight assists, but the Cardinals did make it an inefficient outing vs. Akron star Loren Jackson last year. Jackson shot 4-for-14 from the floor but made it up at the lin (9-for-10 FTs). In 2019 in Muncie, Jackson shot 3-for-13 (0-for-7 from 3) in a Cardinals victory. Defending and slowing down the high-scoring Jackson will go a long way to determining how the Cards fare on Saturday.
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5. STARTING FOR YOUR CARDINALS???                                              Â
It's no secret the roster juggling many teams across the country are having to do, and Ball State is no different. Ball State has used five different starting lineups in 13 games, and three of those combinations just twice or once each. The three guards (Walton, El-Amin, Bumbalough) have stay in place each game while Brachen Hazen, Miryne Thomas, Blake Huggins, Zach Gunn and Ben Hendriks have all started at different times throughout the season. Thomas and Hazen have stated alongside each other seven times, but not since the Ohio game on Jan. 2.
