Cardinals Host Bulls for Coaches vs. Cancer Week

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men's basketball team returns take to the court for a Mid-American Conference matchup with Buffalo presented by Stoops Automotive Group. The Cardinals and Bulls are slated for a 7 p.m. tip. BSU coaches will be wearing sneakers with their suits as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer "Suits and Sneakers" event.

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
Ball State is coming off an 86-65 loss on the road against Kent State. Sellers finished with 11 points and a steal. Jihad went for 11 points and four rebounds. Demarius Jacobs led the team with eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal. He notched nine points. Luke Bumbalough tied a season high with eight points with a steal. Jarron Coleman, Mickey Pearson Jr., and Payton Sparks all chipped in with seven points. Coleman recorded his 1,000-career point in the first half.

Boogie on Down
Coleman is averaging a team-high 14.2 points per game. He leads the team with 40 made 3-pointers and is shooting 35.1 percent from behind the arc. He leads the team with 65 assists and in steals with 27. Coleman has added nine blocks, which is tied for third on the squad.

Sensational Sellers
Sellers is second on the team with 13.4 points per game. He is shooting 46.8 percent from 3-point range, which leads the team. He is fourth on the team with 4.1 rebounds per game. He has produced a field-goal percentage of 48.8 on the season. Sellers has collected 14 assists, 14 steals and eight blocks. He has notched four games with 20 or more points for the season.

Spark Plug
Sparks paces the team with 7.9 rebounds per game, which is tied for 93rd in the country and fourth in the conference. His 3.11 offensive rebounds per contest have him ranked 42nd in the nation and third in the MAC. He is third on the team averaging 12.8 points per game. He is shooting 60.4 percent from the field, which leads the team. He has five double-doubles on the season, which is tied for 75th in the country and tied for third in the MAC. He is third on the team with 38 assists, second on the team with 16 blocks, and has added eight steals.

Spreading the Love
The Cardinals have four players averaging double-digit points. Demarius Jacobs rounds out the double-digit scorers with 12.1 points a contest. He has a team-high 30 blocks, which is tied for 67th in the NCAA and most in the MAC lead. His 1.58 blocks per contest is 65th in the nation and first in the conference. He second on the team in assists with 59 and is second on the team in steals with 25. He is averaging 3.7 boards per contest. Mickey Pearson Jr. is second on the squad with 5.1 rebounds per contest and is averaging 7.0 points a game. Pearson is shooting 50.6 from the field.

Taking Advantage at the Free-Throw Line
As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 25.3 free throws per game, which is fourth in the NCAA and leads the MAC. Ball State is averaging 17.4 free-throws made per contest, which is tied for eighth in the nation and leads the conference. Sparks is tied for seventh in the nation with 141 free-throw attempts, which leads in the MAC. The Cardinals are one of 18 teams in the NCAA that have a positive or neutral free-throw differential.

Effective Shooting
The Cardinals are currently shooting 47.1 percent from the field, which is tied for 48th in the NCAA and is second in the MAC. Ball State has been effective from behind the arc with a combined 37.0 percent from 3-point range, which is tied for 46th in the country and second in the MAC.

Series History with the Bulls
The Cardinals and Bulls will meet for the 38th time on Tuesday. Buffalo leads the series 21-16 and have won the last five matchups, including an 80-74 win in Buffalo on February 12, 2022. Ball State is 10-7 at home against Buffalo.

Scouting Buffalo
As a team, Buffalo is second in the NCAA with 19.00 fastbreak points per game. The Bulls are tied for 27th in the country with 79.7 points per game, which is second in the MAC. Curtis Jones leads the Bulls with 15.3 points per game. He is second on the team with 56 assists and in steals with 28. He is averaging 5.2 rebounds per game and has two blocks. Zid Powell is second on the team in scoring with 14.0 points a contest. Powell leads the team in steals with 35. He has brought down 4.1 boards a contest and has produced 46 assists with four blocks. Isaiah Adams closes out the double-digit scorers with 10.7 a game to go along with 4.7 rebounds per game, 30 assists, 10 steals, and nine blocks. LaQuill Hardnett has a team-high 7.2 rebounds a game. Jonnivius Smith leads the Bulls with 15 blocks.

Tale of the Tape

BSU	Category	UB
75.6	POINTS PER GAME	79.7
68.2	OPP. POINTS PER GAME	77.6
.471	FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.462
.423	OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.437
.370	3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.328
.361	OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.330
.688	FREE THROW PERCENTAGE	.680
35.8	REBOUNDS PER GAME	38.4
3.0	REBOUNDING MARGIN	2.1
12.6	ASSISTS PER GAME	15.6
12.5	TURNOVERS PER GAME	14.8
-0.2	TURNOVER MARGIN	0.6
6.1	STEALS PER GAME	8.7
4.3	BLOCKS PER GAME	3.1

MAC Conference Standings
1. Kent State – 16-3 (6-0)
2. Akron – 13-6 (5-1)
3. Ball State – 13-6 (4-2)
4. Toledo – 13-6 (4-2)
5. Bowling Green – 9-10 (3-3)
6. Buffalo – 9-10 (3-3)
7. Northern Illinois – 7-12 (3-3)
8. Ohio – 10-9 (2-4)
9. Central Michigan – 7-12 (2-4)
10. Western Michigan – 6-13 (2-4)
11. Miami – 7-12 (1-5)
12. Eastern Michigan – 4-15 (1-5)

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.

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Players Mentioned

Luke Bumbalough

Jarron Coleman

Demarius Jacobs

Mickey Pearson Jr.

Payton Sparks