Friday, March 5
Toledo, OH
7 p.m.
Ball State University
10-12,8-9MAC
70
at
89
Toledo
20-7,15-4MAC
1
2
F
Ball St.
34
36
70
Toledo
38
51
89
Round 2 Goes To Toledo
March 05, 2021 | Men's Basketball
TOLEDO, Ohio - Round 1 in Muncie went to Ball State on Feb. 6. Round 2 went to Toledo on Friday night. Leading up to a tournament rubber match this coming week, the Ball State men's basketball team dropped an 89-70 game at Toledo to close the regular season.
Ishmael El-Amin led Ball State with 22 points and Jarron Coleman added 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Toledo's Marreon Jackson had a triple-double with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
Assuming the eight-team field is set, these same two teams will meet Thursday in the quarterfinal of the MAC Men's Basketball Championship in Cleveland.
TURNING POINT: Toledo led by four at halftime as the two teams traded shots. The game featured seven ties and nine lead changes. With the score 57-54 with 9:39 left, Toledo went on a 20-8 run over a 4:45 span as Jackson broke out and the MAC champion turned stops into transition points. Toledo led by 22 points when the subs came in on both sides with 1:40 left.
STRAIGHT FROM THE COACH: "Toledo played a really good game," head coach James Whitford said. "Jackson, (Spencer) Littleson are great players. We didn't play well in the first half, and in the second half they just made shots. We got in some foul trouble and Toledo ran away with it. Toledo and Ball State has been the big rivalry for years in the MAC West. It's been a battle for the last better part of five years. It's always a war. And there's no question it will be up there (in Cleveland) too."
SOMETHING FOUL: The Cards led most of the first half until foul trouble hit just before halftime. K.J. Walton picked up his third foul, and moments later, a foul-technical combo put Miryne Thomas on the bench with four personals.
GUARDS ON THE GLASS: Friday's game featured a ton of great veteran guard play. In addition to El-Amin's night and Jackson's triple-double, Walton scored 13 points and two other starting guards for Toledo scored in double figures. The six starting guards in the game combined for 97 points.
DEFENDING THE 3: Ball State entered the game 32nd nationally in 3-point percentage and Toledo was 17th in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage. The Cards held that line in the first half, as UT shot just 2-for-10 from the arc. The home team broke out in the second half and finished 10-for-22 on the night.
UP NEXT: Ball State and Toledo meet with the season on the line Thursday at noon in Cleveland. Toledo is the top seed in the tournament and BSU is seeded eighth. Whoever wins three games in Cleveland goes to the NCAA Tournament in Central Indiana.
Ishmael El-Amin led Ball State with 22 points and Jarron Coleman added 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Toledo's Marreon Jackson had a triple-double with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
Assuming the eight-team field is set, these same two teams will meet Thursday in the quarterfinal of the MAC Men's Basketball Championship in Cleveland.
Ahhhhhhh!@brachen_!!!!! pic.twitter.com/Xnu1p4gB8v
— Ball State Basketball (@BallStateMBB) March 6, 2021
TURNING POINT: Toledo led by four at halftime as the two teams traded shots. The game featured seven ties and nine lead changes. With the score 57-54 with 9:39 left, Toledo went on a 20-8 run over a 4:45 span as Jackson broke out and the MAC champion turned stops into transition points. Toledo led by 22 points when the subs came in on both sides with 1:40 left.
STRAIGHT FROM THE COACH: "Toledo played a really good game," head coach James Whitford said. "Jackson, (Spencer) Littleson are great players. We didn't play well in the first half, and in the second half they just made shots. We got in some foul trouble and Toledo ran away with it. Toledo and Ball State has been the big rivalry for years in the MAC West. It's been a battle for the last better part of five years. It's always a war. And there's no question it will be up there (in Cleveland) too."
SOMETHING FOUL: The Cards led most of the first half until foul trouble hit just before halftime. K.J. Walton picked up his third foul, and moments later, a foul-technical combo put Miryne Thomas on the bench with four personals.
GUARDS ON THE GLASS: Friday's game featured a ton of great veteran guard play. In addition to El-Amin's night and Jackson's triple-double, Walton scored 13 points and two other starting guards for Toledo scored in double figures. The six starting guards in the game combined for 97 points.
DEFENDING THE 3: Ball State entered the game 32nd nationally in 3-point percentage and Toledo was 17th in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage. The Cards held that line in the first half, as UT shot just 2-for-10 from the arc. The home team broke out in the second half and finished 10-for-22 on the night.
UP NEXT: Ball State and Toledo meet with the season on the line Thursday at noon in Cleveland. Toledo is the top seed in the tournament and BSU is seeded eighth. Whoever wins three games in Cleveland goes to the NCAA Tournament in Central Indiana.
Team Stats
BSU
UT
FG%
.400
.500
3FG%
.219
.455
FT%
.875
.714
RB
39
38
TO
13
9
STL
2
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
22
FGM
9
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
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