Saturday, January 18
Muncie, Ind.
2 PM
Ball State University
vs
Toledo
Photo by: Sam Findley/Ball State Athletics
Cardinals Hosting Toledo Saturday Afternoon at Worthen
January 17, 2025 | Men's Basketball
The Ball State men's basketball team returns home for a Mid-American Conference matchup with Toledo at 2 p.m. on Saturday in a game presented by Community Hospital Anderson.
The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ with Noah Reed and David Eha on the call, while Mick Tidrow and Scot Bunnell handle the radio broadcast on WMUN 1340AM – 92.5FM.
Toledo leads the head-to-head series 55-50, but Ball State has a 31-18 edge in games played in Muncie. The Rockets and Cardinals played only once in 2024, with Toledo claiming a 77-72 decision at home on Jan. 13.
The first 500 students will receive replica jerseys for the Red Out game.
Ball State (8-8, 2-2 MAC) got a game-high 19 points from Mickey Pearson Jr., but fell 86-71 to league-leading Ohio on Tuesday night in Athens.
Toledo (9-7, 3-1 MAC) led 42-30 at halftime on Tuesday but fell 85-78 at Akron to drop its first conference game of the year. The Rockets beat Western Michigan (76-70 on Jan. 4), Eastern Michigan (90-87 on Jan. 7) and Central Michigan (69-67 on Jan. 10) in their first three MAC games. Detroit Mercy is the only common opponent so far for Ball State and Toledo, as the Rockets won 82-67 on the road on Nov. 16.
The Rockets take care of the ball and don't foul, pacing the MAC in fewest turnovers per game (9.8, No. 15 in NCAA Division I) and fewest fouls per game (15.3). Their 1.41 assist-to-turnover ratio is second in the conference.
Sophomore guard Sonny Wilson averages team-bests in scoring (14.9 points per game) and assists (3.4 per game), and his 51.1 percent shooting from the field ranks fourth in the MAC.
The Cardinals begin a stretch of four out of five games on the road when they play at Central Michigan at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
BUCKEYE STATE BATTLES: Toledo will be Ball State's fifth straight opponent from the state of Ohio to begin the Mid-American Conference schedule.
After Saturday, the Cardinals will have played every MAC team in the state besides Akron.
CROATIAN CONNECTION: Ball State's Jurica Zagorsak and Toledo's Grgur Brcic both hail from Croatia, which lies east of Italy across from the Adriatic Sea.
Zagorsak is from Zadar while Brcic's hometown is Zagreb, and the two are sophomores playing in their second season in the MAC.
SPREAD OUT THE SCORING: Six Cardinals scored in double figures in Ball State's 91-69 triumph over Bowling Green last Saturday: Payton Sparks (19 points), Juanse Gorosito (16), Mickey Pearson Jr. (16), Jeremiah Hernandez (14), Jermahri Hill (12), and Ethan Brittain-Watts (10).
It was the first time the men's basketball team has placed six in double digits in the box score since Nov. 19, 2022 against IU-South Bend.
OFFENSIVE SHOWCASE: The Cardinals shot 58.9 percent (33-for-56) from the field in last Saturday's 91-69 winning decision against Bowling Green.
The shooting percentage was Ball State's best since Nov. 24, 2023 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (61.1), while the total field goals made tied for the most in a game this season.
PAYTON POUNDING THE GLASS: Senior center Payton Sparks has recorded double figures rebounds in each of the last four games (16-12-16-1-12) to increase his season rebounding average to second in the Mid-American Conference (7.4 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 (7-3 record) and/or allowing fewer than 70 points (6-0) this season.
Ball State has put up at least 70 points in seven straight games, which is the longest current stretch among MAC teams.
GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE FREE THROW LINE: Junior guard Jermahri Hill (110) and Sparks (101) are first and second in the league in free throw attempts, respectively.
The two are No. 1 and No. 3 in the conference in free throws made, with 77 for Hill and 61 for Sparks, while forward Mickey Pearson Jr. (59) is fifth in the MAC.
HERNANDEZ HEATING UP: Graduate guard Jeremiah Hernandez has scored in double figures in 6 of 7 games to increase his scoring average to 8.2 points per game on the season.
Hernandez tallied 14 last Saturday against Bowling Green and added five rebounds, four assists and three steals against the Falcons.
ONE-TWO PUNCH: Sparks and Hill have established a dynamic duo over the last few weeks, combining for 165 points, 95 rebounds and 26 assists in the most recent five games.
Hill led the Cardinals in scoring in three of those games while Sparks has been the leading rebounder in all five 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 1,058 points) reached the milestone on New Year's Eve, Hernandez (957) and Pearson Jr. (906) are each closing in on scoring 1,000 points in his Division I career.
Sparks (651 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 (27.3) and free throws made per game (18.8) through the season's first 16 games.
Ball State ranks No. 6 and No. 12 in those categories in NCAA Division I, respectively. The total tallies (429 attempts and 301 makes) outpace the next-closest MAC team (Toledo) by 82 attempts and 53 makes.
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 fourth in the conference in 3-pointers made (45) and second in shooting percentage (44.1) from distance, which ranks No. 23 in NCAA Division I.
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 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 Ethan 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 Noah Reed and David Eha on the call, while Mick Tidrow and Scot Bunnell handle the radio broadcast on WMUN 1340AM – 92.5FM.
Toledo leads the head-to-head series 55-50, but Ball State has a 31-18 edge in games played in Muncie. The Rockets and Cardinals played only once in 2024, with Toledo claiming a 77-72 decision at home on Jan. 13.
The first 500 students will receive replica jerseys for the Red Out game.
Ball State (8-8, 2-2 MAC) got a game-high 19 points from Mickey Pearson Jr., but fell 86-71 to league-leading Ohio on Tuesday night in Athens.
Toledo (9-7, 3-1 MAC) led 42-30 at halftime on Tuesday but fell 85-78 at Akron to drop its first conference game of the year. The Rockets beat Western Michigan (76-70 on Jan. 4), Eastern Michigan (90-87 on Jan. 7) and Central Michigan (69-67 on Jan. 10) in their first three MAC games. Detroit Mercy is the only common opponent so far for Ball State and Toledo, as the Rockets won 82-67 on the road on Nov. 16.
The Rockets take care of the ball and don't foul, pacing the MAC in fewest turnovers per game (9.8, No. 15 in NCAA Division I) and fewest fouls per game (15.3). Their 1.41 assist-to-turnover ratio is second in the conference.
Sophomore guard Sonny Wilson averages team-bests in scoring (14.9 points per game) and assists (3.4 per game), and his 51.1 percent shooting from the field ranks fourth in the MAC.
The Cardinals begin a stretch of four out of five games on the road when they play at Central Michigan at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
BUCKEYE STATE BATTLES: Toledo will be Ball State's fifth straight opponent from the state of Ohio to begin the Mid-American Conference schedule.
After Saturday, the Cardinals will have played every MAC team in the state besides Akron.
CROATIAN CONNECTION: Ball State's Jurica Zagorsak and Toledo's Grgur Brcic both hail from Croatia, which lies east of Italy across from the Adriatic Sea.
Zagorsak is from Zadar while Brcic's hometown is Zagreb, and the two are sophomores playing in their second season in the MAC.
SPREAD OUT THE SCORING: Six Cardinals scored in double figures in Ball State's 91-69 triumph over Bowling Green last Saturday: Payton Sparks (19 points), Juanse Gorosito (16), Mickey Pearson Jr. (16), Jeremiah Hernandez (14), Jermahri Hill (12), and Ethan Brittain-Watts (10).
It was the first time the men's basketball team has placed six in double digits in the box score since Nov. 19, 2022 against IU-South Bend.
OFFENSIVE SHOWCASE: The Cardinals shot 58.9 percent (33-for-56) from the field in last Saturday's 91-69 winning decision against Bowling Green.
The shooting percentage was Ball State's best since Nov. 24, 2023 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (61.1), while the total field goals made tied for the most in a game this season.
PAYTON POUNDING THE GLASS: Senior center Payton Sparks has recorded double figures rebounds in each of the last four games (16-12-16-1-12) to increase his season rebounding average to second in the Mid-American Conference (7.4 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 (7-3 record) and/or allowing fewer than 70 points (6-0) this season.
Ball State has put up at least 70 points in seven straight games, which is the longest current stretch among MAC teams.
GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE FREE THROW LINE: Junior guard Jermahri Hill (110) and Sparks (101) are first and second in the league in free throw attempts, respectively.
The two are No. 1 and No. 3 in the conference in free throws made, with 77 for Hill and 61 for Sparks, while forward Mickey Pearson Jr. (59) is fifth in the MAC.
HERNANDEZ HEATING UP: Graduate guard Jeremiah Hernandez has scored in double figures in 6 of 7 games to increase his scoring average to 8.2 points per game on the season.
Hernandez tallied 14 last Saturday against Bowling Green and added five rebounds, four assists and three steals against the Falcons.
ONE-TWO PUNCH: Sparks and Hill have established a dynamic duo over the last few weeks, combining for 165 points, 95 rebounds and 26 assists in the most recent five games.
Hill led the Cardinals in scoring in three of those games while Sparks has been the leading rebounder in all five 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 1,058 points) reached the milestone on New Year's Eve, Hernandez (957) and Pearson Jr. (906) are each closing in on scoring 1,000 points in his Division I career.
Sparks (651 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 (27.3) and free throws made per game (18.8) through the season's first 16 games.
Ball State ranks No. 6 and No. 12 in those categories in NCAA Division I, respectively. The total tallies (429 attempts and 301 makes) outpace the next-closest MAC team (Toledo) by 82 attempts and 53 makes.
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 fourth in the conference in 3-pointers made (45) and second in shooting percentage (44.1) from distance, which ranks No. 23 in NCAA Division I.
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 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 Ethan 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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