A 63-48 loss at Mid-American Conference Western Division rival Toledo capped a dismal two-game road swing for Ball State. A horrid shooting average of 26 percent combined with poor interior defense resulted in more frustration for this young team.
But unlike other sports, such as football, where a team must sit on a loss for an entire week before getting another opportunity to win, basketball, in some instances, is played multiple times per week.
Ball State returns to Worthen Arena, with another chance to muster out a win when it plays host to Eastern Division foe Akron at 1 p.m.
The Zips enter today's game having dropped three of their last five games. In their latest game, the Zips lost a heartbreaker, 72-71 in overtime at conference opponent Ohio. Despite the loss, three Zips reached double figures in scoring, including sophomore guard Sina King, who notched a team-leading 15 points, junior guard Taylor Ruper, who recorded 14 points and sophomore guard Hanna Luburgh, who tallied 12 points. King also led the Zips with 16 boards in the loss.
Playing at Worthen has been advantageous for the Cardinals over the last few seasons. Since coach Kelly Packard's inaugural season in 2008, the Cardinals are 37-18 during the regular season at home and 20-7 at home during conference games. In their nine home games this season, the Cardinals have outscored their opponents by 11 points.
The Cardinals have dropped two of their last three games to the Zips. In 2008-09, the Cardinals came away with a 61-55 road win. In 2009-10, the Zips clung to a 66-64 overtime win at Worthern. And last season, the Zips cruised to a 78-65 home victory.
Ball State currently finds itself in a two-way tie with Western Michigan for fourth place in the Western Division standings. Both the Cardinals and Broncos will tipoff this afternoon. A win would draw the Cardinals closer in the division, while a loss would sink them even further.
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