Ball State Hosts IU-South Bend on Saturday

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men's basketball team returns to the friendly confines of Worthen Arena for the last time in November as IU-South Bend makes the trip to Muncie on Saturday. The Cardinals enter the contest with a 2-1 record, while the Titans are 3-3.

BSU students, be among the first 400 in The Nest and receive a free hot dog, a slice of pizza, a fountain drink, or a beer. Arrive early, cheer loud, and enjoy responsibly.

Last Time Out
The Cardinals are coming off a 71-61 road win against the Omaha Mavericks. Jalen Windham led the way for the Cardinals with a season-high 15 points as he shot 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the 3-point line. Demarius Jacobs recorded his third-straight game in double figures as he notched 12 points to go along with his team-high four assists and his three steals. Jaylin Sellers produced his first game in double digits with an 11-point effort, including a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Sellers added three steals. Jarron Coleman led the team with nine rebounds and added 11 points with three steals.

Spreading the Love
Coleman leads Ball State in scoring with 16.3 points per game. He is shooting 50.0 percent from 3-point range, which is tied for 59th in the NCAA and leads the MAC. Coleman is tied for second on the team with 6.3 boards per game to go along with his eight assists, four steals, and two blocks. Jacobs is second on the squad with 14.3 points per game and he is tied for second on the team with 6.3 rebounds per game. Jacobs paces the squad with 13 assists and is tied for the team lead with seven steals. Payton Sparks rounds out the double-digit scorers with 14.0 points per contest. Sparks is averaging 6.7 rebounds per game, which is a team best. Sparks and Jacobs are tied for the team lead in blocks with four each. Windham is tied with a team-best seven steals.

Taking Advantage at the Free-Throw Line
Coleman, Windham, Sellers, Kaiyem Cleary, and Luke Bumbalough are tied for first in the NCAA with a perfect 1.000 free-throw percentage. As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 26.3 free throws per game, which is tied for 29th in the country and leads the MAC. Ball State finished the game with Omaha shooting 94.1 percent from the free-throw line in the second half, including 9-for-10 in the final four minutes to secure the victory.

Solid Defense
Ball State has been stout on the defensive end of the court early in the season. The Cardinals are currently tied for 58th in the country with 5.0 blocks per game, which leads the MAC. BSU has been strong on the glass and is 45th in the NCAA with a rebound margin of 10.0, which is at the top in the MAC. BSU is tied for 45th in the NCAA with 42.67 boards a contest, which is the best in the MAC. Ball State leads the conference in scoring defense, as the Cardinals are holding opponents to 61 points per game.

Series History with the Titans
Saturday will mark the first ever meeting between Ball State and IU-South Bend.

Scouting IU-South Bend
IU-South Bend opened the season as the No. 19 team in the NAIA Preseason Poll. The Titans are led by Donyell Meredith II who is averaging 16.2 points per contest. Meredith also leads the team with 21 assists. Dejon Barney paces the team with 6.3 rebounds per game and is averaging 14.0 points per game. Kenney Washington is third on the squad with 13.2 points per contest to go along with 10 steals and 10 turnovers. Miles Tracy rounds out the double-digit scorers with 10.8 points a contest. Micah Poole leads the team with 14 steals. Tracy and Spencer Pettit are tied for the team lead with seven blocked shots.

Tale of the Tape

BSU	Category	IUSB
83.7	POINTS PER GAME	77.2
61.0	OPP. POINTS PER GAME	78.7
.489	FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.475
.364	OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.477
.321	3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.311
.273	OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.440
.734	FREE THROW PERCENTAGE	.701
42.7	REBOUNDS PER GAME	32.5
10.0	REBOUNDING MARGIN	-0.5
14.3	ASSISTS PER GAME	13.0
15.3	TURNOVERS PER GAME	13.0
1.7	TURNOVER MARGIN	2.7
10.0	STEALS PER GAME	9.7
5.0	BLOCKS PER GAME	4.2

All of BSU's games are presented on the Ball State Gainbridge Radio Network on Woof Boom stations 96.7 FM, 102.9 FM, 104.9 FM, WLBC HD2, and the stream of 967BlakeFM.com as well as WERKFM.net.

For general and season ticket information, please click here or call 1-888-BSU-TICKET (756-285-1474).

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Players Mentioned

Luke Bumbalough

Kaiyem Cleary

Jarron Coleman

Demarius Jacobs

Jaylin Sellers

Payton Sparks

Jalen Windham