Two distinctly different wins at home opened the 2009-10 season for the Ball State University men's basketball team, and now the Cardinals begin their road slate tonight in Philadelphia at a perennial NCAA Tournament team at Temple University.Coach Billy Taylor said Monday that the Owls (2-1) present problems all around the court for the Cardinals (2-0).
With a 57-47 victory against SIU Edwardsville on Saturday, Ball State University improved to 2-0 for the first time in coach Billy Taylor's tenure.The Cardinals started off hot, opening the game with seven straight points and two dunks. Their shooting touch would go cold as the game continued, but Ball State finished strong enough to earn the win.
In the chaos there was calm for a split-second, then an eruption. Danielle Gratton had single-handedly turned the tide. Gratton positioned herself under the basket and drew a charge with just over a minute to go with the game still very much in doubt.Trailing by one, 58-59 with the ball and 1:05 on the clock, Ball State (0-2) got a great look at the basket. Senior Audrey McDonald got the ball on the left wing and put up a shot. The ball went halfway down and then popped back out.
Sophomore Jarrod Jones leads Ball State with 19 points and five other Cardinals score more than 10 points. Ball State defeats Valparaiso 88-78 Friday night at Worthen Arena.
The Cardinals (1-0) were led by six players in double digits, including sophomore Jarrod Jones' 19 points.
Starting his first game as a Cardinal, Jauwan Scaife, a Muncie Central High School product, scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range in Ball State's 88-78 season-opening win over Valparaiso Friday night at Worthen Arena.
Cardinals expect a more exciting style of play this year.
The Ball State University men's basketball team will have at least three opportunities in the first two months of the season to show Indiana where it stands among the best college basketball programs in the state.
The Hoosier Lady Stars is a team of former college basketball players with ties to the Hoosier State. Recent changes in NCAA rules do not permit schools to play non-NCAA Division I four-year college institutions.
The Mid-American Conference released its preseason polls Wednesday, and the reigning MAC Tournament champion Ball State women's basketball team was predicted to finish second in the MAC West Division behind the University of Toledo. The Cardinals' men's team — co-MAC West champs last season — was predicted to finish in fourth place in the West this season.
Freshman forward Jarrod Jones scored eight points in Ball State University's 64-52 loss to the University at Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals. It wasn't enough to propel the Cardinals into the finals, but Jones climbed to fourth place on Ball State's all-time freshman scoring list. With 28 points in two games in Cleveland, Jones finishes his first season with 346 points, moving ahead of Randy Boarden.
The MAC All-Tournament Teams were also announced following the game. Bowing Green State University's Nate Miller, Buffalo's Max Boudreau and Akron's Steve McNees, Brett McKnight and Linhart formed the five-man team, and Linhart took home Tournament MVP honors.
