MEN'S BASKETBALL: Top seeds upset in Cleveland
March 11, 2010Sports Editor Teddy Cahill provides news and notes from the MAC Tournament taking place in Cleveland this weekend.
Sports Editor Teddy Cahill provides news and notes from the MAC Tournament taking place in Cleveland this weekend.
A slow start in the second half doomed Ball State as Toledo was able to jump out to an 11-point lead and led by as many as 16 points down the stretch.
Tied at 30 at halftime, the Rockets went on a 17-6 run over the first five minutes of the second half to find themselves up 47-36 practically before the fans returned to their seats from the concession stands.
Ball State has eight players on its roster from last season's MAC Tournament Champion team that defeated powerhouse University of Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Junior forward Ty'Ronda Benning led the seventh-seeded Cardinals with 16 points. Senior guard Audrey McDonald scored 13 points, while senior forward Danielle Gratton added two in their final games for Ball State.
The loss for the Cardinals wraps up a crash-and-burn end of the season. Ball State's hopes of almost assuredly taking the MAC West Division title and a first-round tournament bye vanished with three straight losses to end the regular season. That losing streak ends at four with Sunday's decision.
Today's game is set for a 2 p.m. tipoff. Though it is a MAC Tournament game, students who have stayed in Muncie for Spring Break can still get into "The Nest" free of charge by showing their student IDs.
Trampled by dismal free-throw shooting and costly turnovers, Ball State lost 67-52 to Western Michigan as the Cardinals ended their regular season with three straight losses for the second year in a row.
Ball State coach Billy Taylor didn't comment on Watson's specific actions, but said he is meeting with Watson today to further evaluate the situation.
The Cardinals (15-13, 8-7 MAC) need a win to have any realistic chance of receiving a bye through the first round of the MAC Tournament. With a win and an Eastern Michigan University loss against Central Michigan University, Ball State would claim the No. 2 seed and the bye.
Of all the words sputtered by Ball State coach Billy Taylor during the 10-plus minutes of his weekly press conference Monday, none were more important than effort and energy.
The first four seeds in the MAC Tournament earn the important first-round bye. The first two seeds go to the West and East Division champions and the next two seeds are the next best conference teams based on MAC records. Seeds five through 12 must play a first-round MAC Tournament game at campus sites before advancing to quarterfinal play in Cleveland against seeds one through four.
The 45-42 Toledo win gave the Rockets their first MAC win of the season in 15 tries and snapped their 19-game losing streak as Ball State enters its regular season finale Thursday at Western Michigan needing a win.
Nationally, Toledo ranks No. 345 out of 347 Division I teams in scoring average (54.4), No. 341 in scoring margin (-13.3 points per game), No. 344 in steals per game (4.2) and No. 332 in blocks per game (1.8).
The Cardinals travel to the lowly University of Toledo — winless in MAC play at 0-14 — Saturday and then travel to Western Michigan in what could be a critical MAC West showdown to end the regular season March 4.
Ball State could have wrapped up the No. 2 seed and the first round bye that comes with it Wednesday night, as they got help from Northern Illinois University. It defeated Central Michigan University 67-65 on a last second shot, essentially dropping the Chippewas from the race.
Tonight, Brawley Chisholm and Terrence Watson will be honored on Senior Night before they play their final regular season home game as Ball State plays host to Eastern Michigan at 7 p.m.
Ball State returns to MAC play Wednesday as it plays host to Eastern Michigan University in its final home game of the regular season. The Cardinals look to avenge a 57-53 loss to the Eagles in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Jan. 23.
Ball State fans looking for a reason to attend the game might be interested in the halftime activities. The 1989-1990 Ball State team will be recognized for its 20th anniversary of reaching the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, followed by a performance by the Indy Bears Jump Rope squad.
The victory effectively gives Ball State a two-game lead in the MAC West with three conference games to play.
