Cleveland - Theron Smith may have been the runner-up in the 2002 MAC Player of the Year voting, but after Thursday's game between Ball State and Miami (Ohio), there was little doubt that Smith was the key player in the game.
Smith finished the contest with 29 points and 11 rebounds, leading Ball State to a 62-50 quarterfinal victory over the RedHawks.
"Theron is a factor," Miami head coach Charlie Coles said. "This kid is the best player in the league. Simple as that. Theron is phenomenal. I wish someone would suggest the NBA to him. No I don't. He needs to stay with Ball State and get better. But, he is just impossible."
Senior point guard Petie Jackson said feeding the ball to Smith was a main focus for Thursday's game plan.
"We were going to our go-to man," Jackson said. "Anytime we get the ball to 'T' they go with the double, so we were able to get the open kick. We are going to ride our best player out."
Aside from Smith's 29 points, Thursday's game was dominated by defense. The first half, which consited of hard defense and little offense, sent the players to the locker room tied at 22.
"I thought it was a really good basketball game," head coach Tim Buckley said. "I'm really proud of the guys, especially as poorly as we shot the ball in the first half. The way we defended in the first half really kept us in the ball game."
The defense held Miami to 36 percent from the field in the first half. Ball State, however, shot 34 percent.
By the end of the contest only four players ended in double figures. Ball State's Jackson finished with 12 points, while Miami's Alex Shorts talled 17 points and Eugene Seals knocked in 12.
Seals was dealt the responsibility of guarding Smith the majority of the game.
"I think the reason they kept doing it was because I was giving him position," Seals said. "They just took advantage."
Buckley said Smith's performance, which marked his 20th double-double of the year, was key in the second half.
"I thought in the first half we settled for jump shots just a little too much," Buckley said. "We didn't go inside enough. In the second half I thought we could ride 'T.' Our guards did a terrific job finding him in there."
Heading into Thursday's game, Buckley said controlling the tempo against Miami would be an important factor. After Thursday's game, the second-year Cardinals head coach was pleased with the team's effort in that area.
"That is one of the keys to Miami's success in the tournament," Buckley said. "When I watch Miami tape I have to fast forward a lot to move the ball up court. We felt like we could bring fatigue tonight, and that's what we wanted to do because we didn't feel they could play at that pace."
After the game, Coles said the only area in which fatigue really set in for his team was in the post against Smith.
Ball State's win will advance the Cardinals to the semifinal round to play Bowling Green tonight at 9.
Also playing tonight at 7 will be No. 1 Kent State and No. 4 Toledo. According to Buckley, the tournament has turned to a high level of competition with the final four teams as the top four seeds.
"I think Kent State is above everyone else right now," Buckley said. "But I also think that while we are here at the tournament everyone is competing on a high level. There is great balance throughout."
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