While it would’ve been easier for Matt Kamieniecki to walk around Nate Hutcheson at midcourt, Ball State’s junior forward chose contact.
On two consecutive possessions in Saturday’s 65-62 win over Western Michigan, the two players collided on the way down the floor—Kamieniecki going for an unnecessary screen and Hutcheson flopping for a feeble charge attempt.
Neither player was whistled for a foul, but each team’s willingness to mix it up physically has personified games between the Cardinals and Broncos over the past couple seasons.
“This is a rivalry game, but at the same time you have to hold your emotions in check and play smart,” Kamieniecki said. “This is a really good win and know we just have to build on it for Wednesday.”
Perhaps no one has fueled the rivalry more than Kamieniecki in his three seasons at Ball State.
A native of Clarkston, Mich., Kamieniecki pegged Western Michigan as one of his finalists before committing to play for coach Billy Taylor. Brandon Pokley, a senior guard for the Broncos, was also his teammate in high school.
“He broke our heart when he left the state of Michigan to come down here and do those little things,” coach Steve Hawkins said, commenting on his hustle and energy on the court. “Kammy has a way of getting under your skin. That’s his job and he does it well.”
Kamieniecki wouldn’t give more than a dry smile when asked about the satisfaction of beating a team that recruited him, but there was no hiding his enthusiasm on the court.
The 6-foot, 8-inch big man almost burst a lung screaming after he blocked David Brown’s game-tying 3-point attempt to seal Ball State’s win.
Besides his game-saving play, Kamieniecki filled up the stat sheet with 10 points, five rebounds, two steals, one assist and three charges taken—each ending with a ear-piercing yell.
While he had all the motivation he needed individually, that didn’t stop Kamieniecki from extending some to newcomers like freshman Marcus Posley in pregame.
“It was fun,” Posley said with a smile, commenting on the style of play. “Coming into the game I hadn’t heard too much about the rivalry until we were warming up. But it was fun and a good win for us.”
