Through everything Ball State encountered this season, there is one achievement that the team has never been able to grasp.
Tonight at 7, the Cardinals will get the opportunity to achieve that- the outright clinch of the Mid-American Conference West Division title.
Heading into tonight's game at Western Michigan, Ball State is three wins ahead of the Broncos in the West. A win tonight would secure a divisional title.
"It's something we definitely want to accomplish but we still have some season to play, so it's nothing we are looking to brush out of the way," Ball State head coach Tim Buckley said. "It is definitely on our minds. We want to go up there and play well."
Ball State was crowned divisional champions after the league split in the 1996-97 season. In 1998 Ball State and Western Michigan shared the crown, each tallying conference records of 14-4. In 2000, the Cardinals tied with Toledo, each with 11-7 records, for first in the MAC West.
But now, heading into tonight's game with a 10-4 conference record, Ball State is the only team that could hold itself back from the MAC West title.
"It's a great feeling," senior Petie Jackson said. "I have been on some pretty good teams since I have been here, but that was more as a back up role-type player. It means more to me, Lonnie (Jones), (Brian) Burns and Billy (Lynch), to be able to win it out right. It will be a lot of great energy.
"We know we have a chance to do something special," Jackson said. "We are going to work hard, let it all hang it out, and see what happens."
Ball State will have to get past Western Michigan, a team the Cardinals defeated once already this season, in order to take the crown. The two teams met on Jan. 23 in Worthen Arena and Ball State won, 74-61.
Buckley mentioned a few Western Michigan players who could present problems in tonight's matchup.
"(Steve) Reynolds is the most obvious, but (Robby) Collum is the guy that really makes it go," Buckley said. "When they win he always plays well. Fortunately for us, we were able to keep him from playing well."
In the teams' first meeting this season, Reynolds scored a game-high 20 points while Collum was held to four points. A little more successful against the Cardinals in the game was freshman Ben Reed, who scored 10 points in the Bronco loss.
"(Reed)'s been as good of a freshman as there has been in our league," Buckley said. "He is probably one of the most consistent freshman in the country this year. He can score the ball, and he plays like a seasoned veteran."
One aspect of the game that Buckley continues to emphasize is "getting better." According to the second-year coach, win or lose, crown or no crown, improvement is what he wants.
"If we go up there and play hard and play (the way we are) capable of playing we will accomplish out goals," Buckley said. "Whether we win the game or not I don't know. We want to continue to improve. We want to put together two halfs of basketball, not just one."
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