Ball State University
University at Buffalo
Women's Basketball Takes On Buffalo In MAC Tourney Championship Game Saturday
March 11, 2022 | Women's Basketball
The Cardinals and the Bulls have never met in the Mid-American Conference title game
Game 32 | No. 5 Ball State vs. No. 2 BuffaloÂ
March 12 | Cleveland, Ohio | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | 2022 MAC Tourney Championship Game | 11 a.m. ET
Watch: CBS Sports Network |Â Listen:Â Muncie Sports Station (92.5FM/1340 AM)Â | Live Stats
2022 MAC Tournament Bracket | 2022 MAC Tournament Website
Opening Tip:
- A Ball State win will give the Cardinals their first Mid-American Conference Tournament championship title since 2009.Â
- The No. 5 seed has never won the MAC Tournament since the tournaments induction in 1982.Â
- The last time Buffalo and Ball State met in the Mid-American Conference Tournament was in 2017 in the quarterfinal round. That year, the Bulls defeated the Cardinals 65-69.
-Â Ball State and Buffalo have never met in the MAC championship game.- Ball State and Buffalo have met a total of five times in the Mid-American Conference Tournament with the Cardinals leading that series, 3-2.
-Â This is the third time Ball State and Buffalo have played one another this season. The Bulls and the Cardinals split the two-game series this year. Ball State defeated Buffalo on their home court on Jan. 26, 72-70 and then UB returned the favor in Worthen Arena on Feb. 16 by defeating BSU, 67-62.
- This marks the 32nd appearance for the Cardinals in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in program history. Ball State has advanced to Cleveland 20 out of the past 22 seasons. The Cardinals are 20-30 all-time in MAC Tournament play and have advanced to the MAC Tournament finals on five occasions. Ball State defeated Bowling Green in 2009 in the MAC Tournament Championship game. This is the eighth time in current head coach Brady Sallee's tenure the Cardinals have punched their ticket to the MAC Tournament in Cleveland.
Lowest Seed To Win The MAC Tournament:
The lowest seed to ever win the Mid-American Conference Tournament was No. 8 Buffalo in 2016. That year the Bulls knocked off No. 2 Central Michigan 73-71 in overtime.
Backs, Crashers & Keys:
This year, the Cardinals are forgoing "traditional" positions and using their own such as backs, crashers, and keys, to bring a sense of team unity. That system proved to be the lift Ball State needed, especially with so many new faces on the court. BSU started the season 2-0 for the first time since 2017.
When BSU Scores 80+ We Win:
When the Cardinals score 80+ points this season it results in a victory for Ball State. The Cardinals are 6-0 when the reach the 80 point plateau with wins over Milwaukee (84-75 OT), Purdue Fort Wayne (86-58), Utah State (81-55), Bellarmine (84-63), Northern Illinois (83-82 OT) and Eastern Michigan (83-73)Ohio (84-74), Bowling Green (91-80) and Eastern Michigan (92-58).
So Close To Victory:
In seven of the Cardinals eight losses in Mid-American Conference play they were by very slim margins so slim that those seven losses were lost by seven or less points. Ball State barely lost to Kent State (51-54), Akron (76-83), Toledo (55-58), Kent State (61-64), Buffalo (62-67), Toledo (66-69) and Northern Illinois (72-77).
Last Time They Met:
No. 7 Buffalo 69, No. 2 Ball State 65 (2017 MAC Quarterfinals)
Lucky No. 5:
The last time the Cardinals were the No. 5 seed was in 2014 when Ball State became postseason eligible by winning seven of their final eight games en route to advancing to the MAC Tournament championship game for the first time since winning it all in 2009. In the semifinals of the MAC Tournament, Ball State scored a thrilling 73-55 win over 25th-ranked Bowling Green. The Cardinals then lost to No. 3 seed Akron 79-68 in the title game. That year Ball State also played in the postseason WNIT.
Ball State OT In MAC Tourney:
Ball State has gone to overtime twice in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The first time was in 1997 where the Cardinals lost in overtime by a score of 81-76 to Bowling Green. It also happened in 2001 when Ball State lost 91-88 in OT to Miami.
Seeding Facts:Â
In the 30 years of the tournament, the top seed has won the title 21 times. In 2016, the Buffalo Bulls became the highest seed (#8) to ever advance to the tournament championship game and the highest seed to ever win the title. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have met 15 times in the championship game, with the top seed winning 13 times.
Watch Party:
Ball State is hosting a Watch Party at Roots Burger Bar in the Village beginning at 11 a.m. Enjoy Ball State Cardinals giveaways and raffles while watching the title tilt with fellow Cardinals fans.
