Saturday, January 11
Muncie, Ind.
2 PM
Ball State University
vs
Bowling Green
Photo by: Samantha Blankenship / Ball State University
Cardinals Hosting Bowling Green Saturday at Worthen to Continue MAC Play
January 10, 2025 | Men's Basketball
The Ball State men's basketball team stays home to host Bowling Green at 2 p.m. on Saturday in a game presented by Reed's Plumbing.
The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ with Mick Tidrow and David Eha on the call, while Mark Foerster and Scot Bunnell handle the radio broadcast on WMUN 1340AM – 92.5FM.
Bowling Green leads the head-to-head series 55-41, but Ball State leads 27-19 in games played in Muncie. The Falcons won the most recent game 80-70 on March 8 in last year's season finale.
The Cardinals (7-7, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) saw their four-game winning snapped Tuesday night at Worthen Arena in an 80-72 setback to Miami (OH). Payton Sparks (20 points, 16 rebounds) and Jermahri Hill (20 points, three assists) led Ball State in scoring in the MAC home opener.
The Falcons (6-8, 1-1 MAC) took down Western Michigan on the road Tuesday by a score of 83-79 for their first conference win of the season. Ball State and Bowling Green have one common opponent so far, as the Cardinals beat Bellarmine 86-82 on Dec. 14 in Louisville while the Falcons fell 80-68 to the Knights on Nov. 23 on the road.
Bowling Green is in its second season with head coach Todd Simon in charge, and they went 20-14 (10-8 MAC) last season to earn the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament before falling to No. 8 seed Kent State in the semifinals. The Falcons were picked to finish fifth in the MAC preseason poll.
Bowling Green paces the league in free throw percentage (77.1, No. 35 nationally) and 3-point defense (30.4 percent) and ranks second in 3-point shooting (35.3 percent).
Junior guard Javontae Campbell has accumulated 48 steals (3.43 per game), with the total ranking third in NCAA Division I and the average second. Senior forward Marcus Johnson's 16.8 points per game are second in the MAC, while Campbell and Derrick Butler follow closely behind with a 15.2 scoring average.
Next up for the Cardinals is a road game at Ohio at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
PAYTON POUNDING THE GLASS: Senior center Payton Sparks has recorded double figures rebounds in each of the last three games (16-12-16) to increase his season rebounding average to fourth in the Mid-American Conference (6.7 per game).
The Winchester, Ind., native has now reached the 16-board mark in four career games.
70 IS A MAGIC NUMBER: The Cardinals have found success when scoring at least 70 points (6-2 record) and/or allowing fewer than 70 points (5-0) this season.
Ball State has put up at least 70 points in five straight games, which is the longest current stretch among MAC teams.
GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE FREE THROW LINE: Sparks (96) and junior guard Jermahri Hill (94) are first and second in the league in free throw attempts, respectively.
Hill is first in makes (67) at the charity stripe while Sparks is second (58) and forward Mickey Pearson Jr. (48) is fifth in the MAC.
LOCK IT DOWN: The Ball State defense ranks second in the MAC in field goal percentage defense (41.4) and scoring defense (70.9 points per game) and ranks third in 3-point defense (30.7 percent).
Ball State limited Kent State to 1-for-11 shooting from the field in the final four minutes of Saturday's game to secure the road win.
HERNANDEZ HEATING UP: Graduate guard Jeremiah Hernandez has scored in double figures each of the last five games to increase his scoring average to 7.8 points per game on the season.
Hernandez tallied 13 last Saturday to lead Ball State to a win against the Golden Flashes.
1,000 FOR SPARKS: Sparks scored his 1,000th career point late in the second half of the New Year's Eve win against Anderson on his way to a 23-point, 16-rebound double-double.
The 16 boards matched his career-best, while the 23 points were one shy of tying his career-high, as the big man recorded his first double-double of the year.
ONE-TWO PUNCH: Sparks and Hill have established a dynamic duo over the last few weeks, combining for 112 points, 58 rebounds and 14 assists in the most recent three games.
Hill led the Cardinals in scoring in each game while Sparks was the leading rebounder in all three contests for Ball State.
DOMINANT DEFENSE: Ball State limited Evansville to 43 points and 29.1 percent shooting from the field on Dec. 21. Those were the lowest tallies the Cardinals had allowed an NCAA Division I opponent to get since March 11, 2019 against Eastern Michigan.
The Cardinals limited the Purple Aces to their fewest points in the 58-game series history since 1935, and the 37-point margin of victory was the second-highest for Ball State ever vs Evansville.
MILESTONE WATCH: After Sparks (currently 1,031 points) reached the milestone on New Year's Eve, Hernandez (935) and Pearson Jr. (871) are each closing in on scoring 1,000 points in his Division I career.
Ethan Brittain-Watts recently made his 100th career 3-pointer, while Sparks (626 rebounds) is currently No. 14 in Ball State program history for a career.
GETTING TO THE LINE: The Cardinals pace the Mid-American Conference in both free throw attempts per game (27.7) and free throws made per game (19.3) through the season's first 14 games.
Ball State ranks No. 4 and No. 8 in those categories in NCAA Division I, respectively. The total tallies (388 attempts and 270 makes) outpace the next-closest MAC team (Toledo) by 95 attempts and 64 makes.
MICKEY MONEY FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE: Pearson Jr. went 12-for-12 at the free throw line in Ball State's win at Bellarmine on Dec. 14 including sinking two foul shots with six seconds to play to secure the 86-82 decision.
Pearson's 12 free throws made were the most by a Ball State player since Taylor Persons also sunk a dozen on Nov. 18, 2018 vs App State. Pearson is the only Cardinal with multiple career games making at least 10 free throws without a miss in the last 10 seasons (10-for-10 vs Central Michigan on Jan. 6, 2024).
GORO-THREE-TO: Junior guard Juanse Gorosito was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week after hitting seven 3-pointers for 21 and adding four assists and three steals on Dec. 14 at Bellarmine.
Gorosito is third in the conference in 3-pointers made (39) and leads the league in shooting percentage (42.9) from distance.
HOME STATE HEROES: Brittain-Watts (2019), Zane Doughty, Joey Hart and Mason Jones (2023) were each named Indiana High School All-Stars, while three more Cardinals also had ties to the state before arriving in Muncie.
Ball State has the second-most players from Indiana high schools among Indiana-based Division I teams behind Purdue.
WORLD FLYERS: The 2024-25 Ball State roster consists of student-athletes from three different countries in addition to the United States of America.
Gorosito (Argentina), Ben Hendriks (Canada) and Jurica Zagorsak (Croatia) are international Cardinals this season. Interestingly, Juanse, Ben and Jurica were born on different continents, so Ball State has student-athletes from North America, South America and Europe on the team.
TRANSFERS FROM ALL OVER: Each of Ball State's seven student-athletes who have transferred into the program have come from different college basketball conferences.
The list includes Brittain-Watts (Patriot League, Boston), Gorosito (West Coast Conference, Portland), Hart (SEC, Kentucky), Hernandez (Ohio Valley Conference, USI), Pearson Jr. (Big 12, TCU), Sparks (Big Ten, Indiana) and Hill who played junior college ball at South Plains in Levelland, Texas.
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The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ with Mick Tidrow and David Eha on the call, while Mark Foerster and Scot Bunnell handle the radio broadcast on WMUN 1340AM – 92.5FM.
Bowling Green leads the head-to-head series 55-41, but Ball State leads 27-19 in games played in Muncie. The Falcons won the most recent game 80-70 on March 8 in last year's season finale.
The Cardinals (7-7, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) saw their four-game winning snapped Tuesday night at Worthen Arena in an 80-72 setback to Miami (OH). Payton Sparks (20 points, 16 rebounds) and Jermahri Hill (20 points, three assists) led Ball State in scoring in the MAC home opener.
The Falcons (6-8, 1-1 MAC) took down Western Michigan on the road Tuesday by a score of 83-79 for their first conference win of the season. Ball State and Bowling Green have one common opponent so far, as the Cardinals beat Bellarmine 86-82 on Dec. 14 in Louisville while the Falcons fell 80-68 to the Knights on Nov. 23 on the road.
Bowling Green is in its second season with head coach Todd Simon in charge, and they went 20-14 (10-8 MAC) last season to earn the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament before falling to No. 8 seed Kent State in the semifinals. The Falcons were picked to finish fifth in the MAC preseason poll.
Bowling Green paces the league in free throw percentage (77.1, No. 35 nationally) and 3-point defense (30.4 percent) and ranks second in 3-point shooting (35.3 percent).
Junior guard Javontae Campbell has accumulated 48 steals (3.43 per game), with the total ranking third in NCAA Division I and the average second. Senior forward Marcus Johnson's 16.8 points per game are second in the MAC, while Campbell and Derrick Butler follow closely behind with a 15.2 scoring average.
Next up for the Cardinals is a road game at Ohio at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
PAYTON POUNDING THE GLASS: Senior center Payton Sparks has recorded double figures rebounds in each of the last three games (16-12-16) to increase his season rebounding average to fourth in the Mid-American Conference (6.7 per game).
The Winchester, Ind., native has now reached the 16-board mark in four career games.
70 IS A MAGIC NUMBER: The Cardinals have found success when scoring at least 70 points (6-2 record) and/or allowing fewer than 70 points (5-0) this season.
Ball State has put up at least 70 points in five straight games, which is the longest current stretch among MAC teams.
GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE FREE THROW LINE: Sparks (96) and junior guard Jermahri Hill (94) are first and second in the league in free throw attempts, respectively.
Hill is first in makes (67) at the charity stripe while Sparks is second (58) and forward Mickey Pearson Jr. (48) is fifth in the MAC.
LOCK IT DOWN: The Ball State defense ranks second in the MAC in field goal percentage defense (41.4) and scoring defense (70.9 points per game) and ranks third in 3-point defense (30.7 percent).
Ball State limited Kent State to 1-for-11 shooting from the field in the final four minutes of Saturday's game to secure the road win.
HERNANDEZ HEATING UP: Graduate guard Jeremiah Hernandez has scored in double figures each of the last five games to increase his scoring average to 7.8 points per game on the season.
Hernandez tallied 13 last Saturday to lead Ball State to a win against the Golden Flashes.
1,000 FOR SPARKS: Sparks scored his 1,000th career point late in the second half of the New Year's Eve win against Anderson on his way to a 23-point, 16-rebound double-double.
The 16 boards matched his career-best, while the 23 points were one shy of tying his career-high, as the big man recorded his first double-double of the year.
ONE-TWO PUNCH: Sparks and Hill have established a dynamic duo over the last few weeks, combining for 112 points, 58 rebounds and 14 assists in the most recent three games.
Hill led the Cardinals in scoring in each game while Sparks was the leading rebounder in all three contests for Ball State.
DOMINANT DEFENSE: Ball State limited Evansville to 43 points and 29.1 percent shooting from the field on Dec. 21. Those were the lowest tallies the Cardinals had allowed an NCAA Division I opponent to get since March 11, 2019 against Eastern Michigan.
The Cardinals limited the Purple Aces to their fewest points in the 58-game series history since 1935, and the 37-point margin of victory was the second-highest for Ball State ever vs Evansville.
MILESTONE WATCH: After Sparks (currently 1,031 points) reached the milestone on New Year's Eve, Hernandez (935) and Pearson Jr. (871) are each closing in on scoring 1,000 points in his Division I career.
Ethan Brittain-Watts recently made his 100th career 3-pointer, while Sparks (626 rebounds) is currently No. 14 in Ball State program history for a career.
GETTING TO THE LINE: The Cardinals pace the Mid-American Conference in both free throw attempts per game (27.7) and free throws made per game (19.3) through the season's first 14 games.
Ball State ranks No. 4 and No. 8 in those categories in NCAA Division I, respectively. The total tallies (388 attempts and 270 makes) outpace the next-closest MAC team (Toledo) by 95 attempts and 64 makes.
MICKEY MONEY FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE: Pearson Jr. went 12-for-12 at the free throw line in Ball State's win at Bellarmine on Dec. 14 including sinking two foul shots with six seconds to play to secure the 86-82 decision.
Pearson's 12 free throws made were the most by a Ball State player since Taylor Persons also sunk a dozen on Nov. 18, 2018 vs App State. Pearson is the only Cardinal with multiple career games making at least 10 free throws without a miss in the last 10 seasons (10-for-10 vs Central Michigan on Jan. 6, 2024).
GORO-THREE-TO: Junior guard Juanse Gorosito was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week after hitting seven 3-pointers for 21 and adding four assists and three steals on Dec. 14 at Bellarmine.
Gorosito is third in the conference in 3-pointers made (39) and leads the league in shooting percentage (42.9) from distance.
HOME STATE HEROES: Brittain-Watts (2019), Zane Doughty, Joey Hart and Mason Jones (2023) were each named Indiana High School All-Stars, while three more Cardinals also had ties to the state before arriving in Muncie.
Ball State has the second-most players from Indiana high schools among Indiana-based Division I teams behind Purdue.
WORLD FLYERS: The 2024-25 Ball State roster consists of student-athletes from three different countries in addition to the United States of America.
Gorosito (Argentina), Ben Hendriks (Canada) and Jurica Zagorsak (Croatia) are international Cardinals this season. Interestingly, Juanse, Ben and Jurica were born on different continents, so Ball State has student-athletes from North America, South America and Europe on the team.
TRANSFERS FROM ALL OVER: Each of Ball State's seven student-athletes who have transferred into the program have come from different college basketball conferences.
The list includes Brittain-Watts (Patriot League, Boston), Gorosito (West Coast Conference, Portland), Hart (SEC, Kentucky), Hernandez (Ohio Valley Conference, USI), Pearson Jr. (Big 12, TCU), Sparks (Big Ten, Indiana) and Hill who played junior college ball at South Plains in Levelland, Texas.
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