When the Cardinals needed a spark in their 61-55 win over Eastern Michigan, freshman guard Luke Bumbalough and redshirt freshman guard Jarron Coleman answered.
Close margins of victory have been the theme for Ball State Women’s Basketball this season. On Saturday it saw yet another game decided by 10 points or fewer. This time, it was Eastern Michigan that was able to take the slight edge over the Cardinals 61-58. Here are four takeaways from the Cardinals’ first loss in February.
After coming up short in the final stretch against Bowling Green and Western Michigan, a huge 26-6 run in the final 10 minutes against Eastern Michigan gave Ball State Men's Basketball the edge they needed for a 64-55 win over the Eagles.
In a back-and-forth contest that went all the way down to the final possessions, turnovers stalled Ball State Women’s Basketball’s chances, as it fell to Eastern Michigan 61-58.
Brachen Hazen loves to joke. He even loves to make fun of his teammates, but he also knows when to cut it out and pick up a player if they make a mistake and help them move on to the next play.
Ball State only won three conference games all season last year, but this season they have already tripled that and are looking to do more. This year, Ball State has now beaten eight opponents that they fell to last season.
Beating Northern Illinois (8-16, 4-9 MAC) 97-89 Wednesday, Ball State remains undefeated against Mid-American Conference opponents at Worthen Arena.
The game was tied at 29 at the half, but the Bulls stormed passed the Cardinals in the second half, outscoring Ball State 43-30 and ultimately winning 72-59.
Ball State cut its 20-point deficit to three, but the Falcons ultimately held the Cardinals off with free throws, defeating them 77-71. Most teams may throw up the white flag down 20 points in the final minutes, but Coleman said he knows the team will keep fighting until the end.
The defense has been the story for the Cardinals this season, and Saturday was no different. The second matchup against the Bulls proved to be quite similar to the first one. The defense was a great point of emphasis for Ball State, and it executed like it has all year and came out on top.
Ball State Men's Basketball's defensive struggles throughout the game and a season-high 33 points from Bowling Green's Justin Turner was too much, as the Falcons would pulled away for a 77-71 win.
Ball State Women’s Basketball closed out Mid-American Conference East play the right way. The Cardinals swept Buffalo in the season series after winning in convincing fashion 69-58.
After going 34 days since its last road victory, Ball State was hungry for a win away from Muncie. It took an all-around team effort to take down Toledo, and that is exactly what the Cardinals did.
A two-point head start didn’t come back to hurt the Cardinals, as they went on to beat Toledo in their first matchup this year 60-58.
Ball State went on to win the game 63-59, defeating the top team in the Mid-American Conference West Division, and El-Amin led all scorers with 22 points, adding three rebounds and three assists to his total.
The Cardinals' 60-52 win extended their unbeaten win streak in Worthen Arena in Mid-American Conference play. Their record now sits a 6-0 at home.
Western Michigan's Brandon Johnson's efforts could not be stopped, as Ball State Men's Basketball held close with Western Michigan until the end, but the Broncos pulled away 68-64.
Finding a rhythm on offense was not the Cardinals’ forte Saturday, but their defensive effort made up for their offensive struggles. Ball State Women’s Basketball turned to a physical defensive presence to overcome an early deficit and defeat Akron 60-52.
Setting the tone on defense was something that, when executed well, the Cardinals have been successful with. In their tilt against the Golden Flashes, Ball State was able to hold them to fewer than 55 points.
Bill Clinton was President of the United States the last time Ball State Men’s Basketball traveled to Kent State and won. The long-awaited win finally happened, as the Cardinals defeated the Golden Flashes 62-54.
