FOOTBALL: Ball State adds graduate assistant
February 16, 2010Ball State University added Patrick Henry as a graduate assistant coach Tuesday.
Ball State University added Patrick Henry as a graduate assistant coach Tuesday.
Last year, Ball State had the worst defense in the MAC. This year, the Cardinals know that area of the game must be improved.
Successive falls on the balance beam cost Ball State as it lost to Bowling Green State University 191.575-190.475 Sunday at Worthen Arena.
Ball State (13-11, 7-5) is tied with Central Michigan University (12-12, 7-5) after each team scored victories this weekend.
Ball State lost to Eastern Michigan 63-57 on Saturday and the Cardinals missed 15 free throws.
This is another meet where either team could conceivably pull out the victory. Bowling Green has the higher average score on the season, but the Cardinals have the momentum by outscoring the Falcons last week.
It was a disappointing weekend for the Ball State women's tennis team after losing 4-3 to Chicago State on Friday and then losing again 5-2 to Butler on Saturday.
Ball State drops to 7-3 overall, with a 2-3 record in Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association play. The Cardinals have now lost two of their last three after having a six-match winning streak.
The Cardinals will host the Chippewas on Wednesday night in Worthen Arena in a game that will determine who has the upper hand in the division.
The second contest between Ball State (10-15, 4-8 MAC) and Eastern Michigan (18-6, 8-4 MAC) showed how little love was lost. A total of 48 fouls were called, but that didn't keep players from being thrown to the floor and being temporarily knocked out of the game to be taped up.
The Cardinals will have a chance to continue to build upon their success as they take on Wisconsin University at Green Bay next Sunday. It is their third scheduled game in their six-match home stretch.
Ball State (7-3, 2-3) lost to Quincy (3-5, 1-2) Saturday night 3-1. The Cardinals defeated the Hawks Friday night in five games.
Randy Davis didn't just knock down "some shots." He knocked down big shots down the stretch to help give Ball State (13-11, 7-5 MAC) three road wins in the MAC for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
This season, Ball State has been converting just more than 73 percent of its shots from the foul line – fourth best in the Mid-American Conference – but shot 12-of-27 (44.4 percent) from the foul line in Saturday's loss to the Eagles.
Perhaps the Cardinals' top team effort came in the 400-meter dash. Renyae Owsley (57.55), Jenna Schmitmeyer (57.79) and Judah Smith (57.95) placed sixth, seventh and eighth, respectfully.
After a 4-2 tour of the MAC East Division, Ball State (12-11, 6-5 MAC) continues play against the MAC West Division today as it travels to Northern Illinois University (8-15, 4-7 MAC), losers of seven straight since beginning MAC play 4-0.
After Wednesday's match against IPFW got postponed due to poor weather conditions, the team was able to get healed up and rested for today's home match against Illinois State University.
Junior outside attacker Lee Meyer led the Cardinals with a career-high 27 kills. Junior outside attacker Dominic Spadavecchio led Ball State's defense with a team-high 13 digs, while junior middle attacker Anders Nelson had 10 kills and a match-high six blocks.
Realistically, coach Kelly Packard said, the goal is to win as many of the remaining games as possible to build momentum to make a run in the MAC Tournament. A win over Eastern Michigan would go a long way in doing so for Ball State.
