Saturday, February 25
Ypsilanti, Mich.
3:30 p.m.
Ball State University
at
Eastern Michigan
Photo by: Grace Walton - BSU Creative Services
Ball State Hits the Road for Matchup with Eastern Michigan
February 24, 2023 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men's basketball team returns to Michigan for a Saturday matchup with Eastern Michigan. The Cardinals (20-8, 11-4 MAC) and the Eagles (7-21, 4-11) are scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. tip inside George Gervin GameAbove Center.
Head Coach Michael Lewis is the first, first-year head coach to produce a seven-game winning streak. Ball State started 16-7 overall, which is the best start since the 1999-2000 season. The 19-7 start is the best start since the Cardinals started 1997-98 with a 21-7 record. He is the second coach in BSU history to win the regular season opener and the MAC opener in their first season as a head coach. He joins Rick Majerus in achieving the feat. Ball State has won 20 games for just the 13th time in program history.
Last Time Out
Ball State is coming off a big 82-70 home win against Kent State. Jaylin Sellers finished with a team-high 20 points and added two rebounds. Luke Bumbalough recorded a season-high 13 points with four assists and three rebounds. Basheer Jihad also tallied 13 points to go along with his six boards and he tied a career high with two blocks. Demarius Jacobs shot 80.0 percent from the field and finished with 12 points. He added five boards and four assists. Sparks collected his ninth double-double with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. He dished out one assist. Jarron Coleman produced a game-high eight assists, which tied a career high and was two more than Kent State produced as a team. Coleman added nine points and three rebounds.
Boogie on Down
Jarron Coleman is averaging a team-high 14.7 points per game. He leads the team with 66 made 3-pointers and is shooting 36.7 percent from behind the arc. He leads the team with 107 assists and leads the squad in steals with 39. Coleman has added 10 blocks. He has compiled five games of 20 or more points. Earlier this season, Coleman recorded his 1,000th career point.
Sensational Sellers
Sellers is second on the team with 13.8 points per game. He is shooting 48.0 percent from 3-point range, which leads the team. He is averaging 3.7 rebounds per game. He has produced a field-goal percentage of 50.6 on the season. Sellers has collected 23 assists, 18 steals, and 15 blocks. He has notched six games with 20 or more points for the season, including back-to-back games.
Spark Plug
Sparks leads the team with 8.6 rebounds per game, which is tied for 54th in the country and fourth in the conference. His 3.25 offensive rebounds per contest have him tied for 29th in the nation and third in the MAC. He is third on the team averaging 12.8 points per game. He is shooting 59.3 percent from the field, which leads the team. He has nine double-doubles on the season, which is tied for 53rd in the country and is third in the MAC. He is third on the team with 54 assists, second on the team with 24 blocks, and has added 14 steals.
Spreading the Love
The Cardinals have four players averaging double-digit points. Demarius Jacobs rounds out the double-digit scorers with 11.9 points a contest. He has a team-high 35 blocks, which is tied for 105th in the NCAA and tied for the most in the MAC. His 1.30 blocks per contest is tied for 111th in the nation and tied for first in the conference. He second on the team in assists with 92 and is second on the team in steals with 35. He is averaging 3.9 boards per contest. Pearson is second on the squad with 5.6 rebounds per contest and is averaging 7.7 points a game. Pearson is shooting 50.4 percent from the field.
Taking Advantage at the Free-Throw Line
As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 24.8 free throws per game, which is third in the NCAA and leads the MAC. Ball State is averaging 16.8 free-throws made per contest, which is 15th 19th in the nation and is second in the conference. Sparks is tied for ninth in the nation with 203 free-throw attempts, which is second in the MAC.
Effective Shooting
The Cardinals are currently shooting 47.3 percent from the field, which is tied for 40th in the NCAA and is second in the MAC. Ball State has been effective from behind the arc with a combined 37.5 percent from 3-point range, which is tied for 28th in the country and tied for second in the MAC.
Series History with the Eagles
Saturday will be the 115th meeting between Ball State and Eastern Michigan. The Cardinals lead the series 67-45. BSU has won the last seven meetings, including a 91-90 victory in Muncie on Feb. 3, earlier this season. The Cardinals are 33-21 against the Eagles in Ypsilanti.
Scouting Eastern Michigan
In the matchup earlier this season, Emoni Bates finished with a game-high 35 points with five rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal. Tyson Acuff went of 18 points, two assists, and one rebound. Noah Farrakhan recorded 16 points with two assists and a steal. Farrakhan, Kevin-David Rice, and Orlando Lovejoy tied for a team-best six rebounds. As a team, EMU is tied for 16th in the NCAA with a free-throw percentage of 76.9. Bates leads the squad averaging 19.9 points per game, has a team-best 5.8 boards per contest, and has a team-high 15 blocks. He has added 39 assists and 20 steals. Acuff is second on the team averaging 13.7 points a contest. He paces the team with 71 assists and in steals with 34. He is averaging 2.7 rebounds per game to go along with three blocks. Farrakhan rounds out the double-digit scorers with 12.6 a contest. He is averaging 4.1 rebounds with 68 assists, 19 steals, and four blocks.
Tale of the Tape
MAC Conference Standings
1. Toledo – 22-6 (13-2)
2. Kent State – 22-6 (12-3)
3. Ball State – 20-8 (11-4)
3. Akron – 19-9 (11-4)
5. Ohio – 17-11 (9-6)
6. Buffalo – 13-15 (7-8)
7. Northern Illinois – 11-17 (7-8)
8. Central Michigan – 10-18 (5-10)
9. Bowling Green – 10-18 (4-11)
10. Miami – 10-18 (4-11)
11. Eastern Michigan – 7-21 (4-11)
12. Western Michigan – 7-21 (3-12)
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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Head Coach Michael Lewis is the first, first-year head coach to produce a seven-game winning streak. Ball State started 16-7 overall, which is the best start since the 1999-2000 season. The 19-7 start is the best start since the Cardinals started 1997-98 with a 21-7 record. He is the second coach in BSU history to win the regular season opener and the MAC opener in their first season as a head coach. He joins Rick Majerus in achieving the feat. Ball State has won 20 games for just the 13th time in program history.
Last Time Out
Ball State is coming off a big 82-70 home win against Kent State. Jaylin Sellers finished with a team-high 20 points and added two rebounds. Luke Bumbalough recorded a season-high 13 points with four assists and three rebounds. Basheer Jihad also tallied 13 points to go along with his six boards and he tied a career high with two blocks. Demarius Jacobs shot 80.0 percent from the field and finished with 12 points. He added five boards and four assists. Sparks collected his ninth double-double with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. He dished out one assist. Jarron Coleman produced a game-high eight assists, which tied a career high and was two more than Kent State produced as a team. Coleman added nine points and three rebounds.
Boogie on Down
Jarron Coleman is averaging a team-high 14.7 points per game. He leads the team with 66 made 3-pointers and is shooting 36.7 percent from behind the arc. He leads the team with 107 assists and leads the squad in steals with 39. Coleman has added 10 blocks. He has compiled five games of 20 or more points. Earlier this season, Coleman recorded his 1,000th career point.
Sensational Sellers
Sellers is second on the team with 13.8 points per game. He is shooting 48.0 percent from 3-point range, which leads the team. He is averaging 3.7 rebounds per game. He has produced a field-goal percentage of 50.6 on the season. Sellers has collected 23 assists, 18 steals, and 15 blocks. He has notched six games with 20 or more points for the season, including back-to-back games.
Spark Plug
Sparks leads the team with 8.6 rebounds per game, which is tied for 54th in the country and fourth in the conference. His 3.25 offensive rebounds per contest have him tied for 29th in the nation and third in the MAC. He is third on the team averaging 12.8 points per game. He is shooting 59.3 percent from the field, which leads the team. He has nine double-doubles on the season, which is tied for 53rd in the country and is third in the MAC. He is third on the team with 54 assists, second on the team with 24 blocks, and has added 14 steals.
Spreading the Love
The Cardinals have four players averaging double-digit points. Demarius Jacobs rounds out the double-digit scorers with 11.9 points a contest. He has a team-high 35 blocks, which is tied for 105th in the NCAA and tied for the most in the MAC. His 1.30 blocks per contest is tied for 111th in the nation and tied for first in the conference. He second on the team in assists with 92 and is second on the team in steals with 35. He is averaging 3.9 boards per contest. Pearson is second on the squad with 5.6 rebounds per contest and is averaging 7.7 points a game. Pearson is shooting 50.4 percent from the field.
Taking Advantage at the Free-Throw Line
As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 24.8 free throws per game, which is third in the NCAA and leads the MAC. Ball State is averaging 16.8 free-throws made per contest, which is 15th 19th in the nation and is second in the conference. Sparks is tied for ninth in the nation with 203 free-throw attempts, which is second in the MAC.
Effective Shooting
The Cardinals are currently shooting 47.3 percent from the field, which is tied for 40th in the NCAA and is second in the MAC. Ball State has been effective from behind the arc with a combined 37.5 percent from 3-point range, which is tied for 28th in the country and tied for second in the MAC.
Series History with the Eagles
Saturday will be the 115th meeting between Ball State and Eastern Michigan. The Cardinals lead the series 67-45. BSU has won the last seven meetings, including a 91-90 victory in Muncie on Feb. 3, earlier this season. The Cardinals are 33-21 against the Eagles in Ypsilanti.
Scouting Eastern Michigan
In the matchup earlier this season, Emoni Bates finished with a game-high 35 points with five rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal. Tyson Acuff went of 18 points, two assists, and one rebound. Noah Farrakhan recorded 16 points with two assists and a steal. Farrakhan, Kevin-David Rice, and Orlando Lovejoy tied for a team-best six rebounds. As a team, EMU is tied for 16th in the NCAA with a free-throw percentage of 76.9. Bates leads the squad averaging 19.9 points per game, has a team-best 5.8 boards per contest, and has a team-high 15 blocks. He has added 39 assists and 20 steals. Acuff is second on the team averaging 13.7 points a contest. He paces the team with 71 assists and in steals with 34. He is averaging 2.7 rebounds per game to go along with three blocks. Farrakhan rounds out the double-digit scorers with 12.6 a contest. He is averaging 4.1 rebounds with 68 assists, 19 steals, and four blocks.
Tale of the Tape
| BSU | Category | EMU |
| 76.5 | POINTS PER GAME | 72.5 |
| 69.8 | OPP. POINTS PER GAME | 80.9 |
| .473 | FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .440 |
| .433 | OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .483 |
| .375 | 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .317 |
| .372 | OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .339 |
| .678 | FREE THROW PERCENTAGE | .769 |
| 36.5 | REBOUNDS PER GAME | 31.5 |
| 4.0 | REBOUNDING MARGIN | -5.5 |
| 13.2 | ASSISTS PER GAME | 9.8 |
| 12.5 | TURNOVERS PER GAME | 11.9 |
| -0.6 | TURNOVER MARGIN | 0.5 |
| 5.7 | STEALS PER GAME | 6.3 |
| 3.9 | BLOCKS PER GAME | 2.2 |
MAC Conference Standings
1. Toledo – 22-6 (13-2)
2. Kent State – 22-6 (12-3)
3. Ball State – 20-8 (11-4)
3. Akron – 19-9 (11-4)
5. Ohio – 17-11 (9-6)
6. Buffalo – 13-15 (7-8)
7. Northern Illinois – 11-17 (7-8)
8. Central Michigan – 10-18 (5-10)
9. Bowling Green – 10-18 (4-11)
10. Miami – 10-18 (4-11)
11. Eastern Michigan – 7-21 (4-11)
12. Western Michigan – 7-21 (3-12)
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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