Before Saturday’s game against Miami, Ball State freshman point guard Zavier Turner was honored with the 2012-13 Mini Mr. Basketball award by Hoosier Basketball Magazine.
Ball State freshman guard Zavier Turner rubbed his temples as he walked to the bench during a timeout after his team committed its 13th turnover late in the first half. It summed up the game for the Cardinals as they lost 64-52 to the Miami RedHawks (6-9, 2-2 Mid-American Conference). Turner, the 5-foot-9 Pike High School graduate, paced his team with a game-high 24 points.
It was a focus coming in to Wednesday’s game. As the Ball State women’s basketball team prepared to host Bowling Green, it knew that speed would be key in the game.
Coming off a trip to IUPUI, the Ball State women’s swimming and diving team will look to keep momentum as the team faces off against Eastern Illinois on Saturday. The Cardinals were able to swim to a 176-120 victory over IUPUI as well as a 219-72 win against the Xavier.
After taking steps forward, Ball State seemed to take a step backward Wednesday night. The Ball State men’s basketball team fell 51-71 on the road against Ohio. Many of its offensive possessions in the first half were spent trying to beat the 35-second shot clock.
A volleyball cut through the air, barely rotating as it tipped the top of the net and fell backward. Senior Larry Wrather frowned and shook his head, unhappy with the result. “One more,” he said quietly to his teammate next to him toward the end of Tuesday morning’s practice.
Ball State fell to 7-8 on the season and 2-2 in the Mid-American Conference in a loss to BowlingGreen, which improved to 14-2 and 4-0 in the MAC.
For about 60 years, Earl Yestingsmeier stood in the crowd and supported Ball State’s golf team. On Tuesday at his funeral, about 50 current and former team members stood up in his honor at the request of Ball State golf head coach Mike Fleck. Then Fleck paused, fighting back tears. “Coach not only impacted the lives of all these men,” he said.
On a revamped Ball State offense, freshman guard Zavier Turner has been a consistent contributor. His work ethic is a bright spot for head coach James Whitford.
Most players aren’t asked to learn a new position toward the end of their career. Doing it while rehabbing a torn rotator cuff and labrum almost seems unfair. It’s the scenario that Larry Wrather faced during the offseason.
Tied at 23 with the second set hanging in the balance, Ball State waited for Sacred Heart to serve. Maybe Larry Wrather would receive the serve, pass to Graham McIlvaine, who would set the ball for Marcin Niemczewski to get a kill.
Free throws have been the key to Ball State’s latest victories. After not shooting well from the free-throw line and only hitting 18 out of 33 shots when playing against Eastern Michigan last week, the women’s basketball team had a stronger showing from the line in this week’s game against Kent State. Free throws were a large part of the game, having contributed 25 points to the 31-55 win over Kent State.
It’s a bit of déjà vu for the Ball State women’s basketball team. The Cardinals have won four of five, and now sit on a .500 record.
SECOND HALF FINAL SCORE: Ball State 55, Kent State 31 Ball State’s efficient aggressiveness in the second half led to a game total of 32 free throws.
Usually when a player has career highs in kills, aces and digs, that person was expecting to see a bulk of the offense. Not for sophomore outside attacker Marcin Niemczewski.
Ball State loses to Kent State 74-86, drops 10th straight against Golden Flashes
Ball State women’s swimming and diving head coach Kristy Castillo doesn’t want to stop here.
This is the first Mid-American Conference road game for the Cardinals. Senior Majok Majok is coming off third straight double-double. Senior Chris Bond scored 18 points last game.
Headline: Sights set on first win David Polaski | Assistant Sports Editor @DavidPolaski It’s hard to make a game plan for an opponent when there’s nothing to see. That’s the problem for Joel Walton, the Ball State men’s volleyball head coach.
The first three seconds were a microcosm of the entire game. Ball State senior center Majok Majok couldn’t handle the opening tip, and the ball quickly found its way into the hands of Akron guard Deji Ibitayo running hard at the rim. Ball State’s freshman guard Zavier Turner ran back to defend, but was easily thrown aside by Ibitayo’s 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame. The Cardinals matched the Zips blow-for-blow in the second half, but couldn’t contain the team’s size and physicality, losing 68-72 in its Mid-American Conference opener. “Coming in, we knew it was a physical team,” senior forward Chris Bond said.
