Ball State University Athletics
Tuesday, December 21
Muncie, Ind.
7 p.m.
Ball State University
vs
Eastern Illinois
Photo by: Chad Smith
Cardinals Host Panthers for Final Game in Worthen in 2021
December 20, 2021 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men's basketball team returns to the court inside Worthen Arena for a matchup with Eastern Illinois, sponsored by Varsity House. The Cardinals and Panthers will meet for the 23rd time on Tuesday with tip scheduled for 7 p.m.
Tyler Cochran produced his third-straight game in double figures and tallied his third game leading Ball State in rebounds with a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds in BSU's last contest against Illinois State. Demarius Jacobs led the squad with three assists. Kani Acree notched a team-high two steals. Mickey Pearson Jr. recorded the only block for the Cardinals. As a team, BSU collected 34 rebounds and 11 of the 13 players recorded at least one board.
Luke Bumbalough continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game and has a team-high 33 assists. Cochran has moved into double-digit scoring with 10.9 points per game and is second on the squad with 5.0 rebounds per game. Cochran has been a force defensively and leads BSU with 17 steals. Payton Sparks has been impressive on the glass and paces the Cardinals with 5.5 rebounds per game in just his first season. Miryne Thomas and Basheer Jihad have emerged as the shot blockers with five and four, respectively.
Coming into Tuesday's contest, Ball State holds a 17-5 record over Eastern Illinois. The Cardinals have won 11 of the last 12 meetings, including the last meeting on November 16, 2015, 73-56, in Worthen Arena. In home games against EIU, BSU is 11-1.
The Panthers are led by Kashawn Charles who averages 10.3 points per game. Kejuan Clements paces EIU in rebounds with 5.3 per game and has a team-high 47 assists. Jermaine Hamlin is the lone player with double-digit blocks, but has 21, which is tied for 68th in the NCAA. Rodolfo Bolis has a team-best 14 steals, while Henry Abraham has 10.
All of BSU's games are presented on the Ball State Gainbridge Radio Network as well as Woof Boom Radio's 96.7 FM, 102.9 FM, 104.9 FM, WLBC HD2, and the stream of 967BlakeFM.com as well as WERKFM.net.
Tale of the Tape
Save the dates for Ball State Basketball's "Take a Kid to a Game" days at Worthen Arena. With one paid adult ticket purchased, two kids 13-and-under will receive a complimentary ticket. That offer is available for the following home men's and women's basketball games: Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 29, women's basketball vs. Western Michigan at 6:30 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 1, men's basketball vs. Bowling Green at 6 p.m.
In addition to "Take a Kid to a Game", join the movement inside Worthen Arena and enjoy three or more games at a special price! Starting at just $27 for three men's games and $21 for three women's games or mix and match! Click here for more details.
Follow the Cardinals
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Instagram
*For tickets call 1-888-BSU-TICKET or 765-285-1474, or click here.
Tyler Cochran produced his third-straight game in double figures and tallied his third game leading Ball State in rebounds with a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds in BSU's last contest against Illinois State. Demarius Jacobs led the squad with three assists. Kani Acree notched a team-high two steals. Mickey Pearson Jr. recorded the only block for the Cardinals. As a team, BSU collected 34 rebounds and 11 of the 13 players recorded at least one board.
Luke Bumbalough continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game and has a team-high 33 assists. Cochran has moved into double-digit scoring with 10.9 points per game and is second on the squad with 5.0 rebounds per game. Cochran has been a force defensively and leads BSU with 17 steals. Payton Sparks has been impressive on the glass and paces the Cardinals with 5.5 rebounds per game in just his first season. Miryne Thomas and Basheer Jihad have emerged as the shot blockers with five and four, respectively.
Coming into Tuesday's contest, Ball State holds a 17-5 record over Eastern Illinois. The Cardinals have won 11 of the last 12 meetings, including the last meeting on November 16, 2015, 73-56, in Worthen Arena. In home games against EIU, BSU is 11-1.
The Panthers are led by Kashawn Charles who averages 10.3 points per game. Kejuan Clements paces EIU in rebounds with 5.3 per game and has a team-high 47 assists. Jermaine Hamlin is the lone player with double-digit blocks, but has 21, which is tied for 68th in the NCAA. Rodolfo Bolis has a team-best 14 steals, while Henry Abraham has 10.
All of BSU's games are presented on the Ball State Gainbridge Radio Network as well as Woof Boom Radio's 96.7 FM, 102.9 FM, 104.9 FM, WLBC HD2, and the stream of 967BlakeFM.com as well as WERKFM.net.
Tale of the Tape
| BSU | Category | EIU |
| 74.3 | POINTS PER GAME | 57.4 |
| 80.2 | OPP. POINTS PER GAME | 70.3 |
| .438 | FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .393 |
| .463 | OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .427 |
| .390 | 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .320 |
| .382 | OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .326 |
| .665 | FREE THROW PERCENTAGE | .636 |
| 35.0 | REBOUNDS PER GAME | 33.2 |
| -2.7 | REBOUNDING MARGIN | -6.1 |
| 13.7 | ASSISTS PER GAME | 12.9 |
| 14.3 | TURNOVERS PER GAME | 16.8 |
| -2.0 | TURNOVER MARGIN | -5.1 |
| 6.3 | STEALS PER GAME | 5.9 |
| 1.6 | BLOCKS PER GAME | 3.9 |
Save the dates for Ball State Basketball's "Take a Kid to a Game" days at Worthen Arena. With one paid adult ticket purchased, two kids 13-and-under will receive a complimentary ticket. That offer is available for the following home men's and women's basketball games: Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 29, women's basketball vs. Western Michigan at 6:30 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 1, men's basketball vs. Bowling Green at 6 p.m.
In addition to "Take a Kid to a Game", join the movement inside Worthen Arena and enjoy three or more games at a special price! Starting at just $27 for three men's games and $21 for three women's games or mix and match! Click here for more details.
Follow the Cardinals
*For tickets call 1-888-BSU-TICKET or 765-285-1474, or click here.
Players Mentioned
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