Following an eight-point overtime loss to Miami in its Mid-American Conference opener, the Ball State men's basketball team looks to rebound against a team it defeated in 2003 by 35. The Cardinals (2-2) host the Division III Anderson Ravens (4-2) at Worthen Arena tonight.
While some would expect Ball State to easily control a team it held to 19 of 56 from the field and 48 points in total again this year, Ball State has a history of close games with Anderson. The Cards have a 10-1 record against Anderson, five of those games have been decided by less than 10 points.
The Ravens are coached by Denny Lehnus, who is in his 12th season at Anderson (32nd overall) and holds a 147-142 record there (695-257 overall).
"(He's a) great coach; one of the better coaches in the game," Ball State coach Tim Buckley said. "That's why it's a good game for us. We have to be prepared."
Buckley would like to see his team come out with the intensity it showed in the second half at Miami, when it came back from an 11-point deficit at halftime to force the overtime.
"We need to start every game with it and carry it through," he said.
Buckley, at times a liberal with his substitutions, left starters Skip Mills, Terrance Chapman, Dennis Trammell and Peyton Stovall, and forward Michael Bennett in the last 13 minutes of the Miami game, except for Mills fouling out in the final minute.
"It's a pretty versatile lineup," Buckley said. "We'll take a look at (starting that group). We haven't gotten off to good starts, or at least the kind of starts I'd like."
Junior Anthony Kent has started each game at center this season, and is listed as a probable starter against Anderson.
Stovall, who leads the MAC in scoring this season (18.5 per game), will face the team that he notched his first double-digit scoring game against.
Chapman also had a good game against Anderson last season, with nine rebounds and a team-best 13 points. While the Cardinals only had three players in double figures against the Ravens last year, three also put up nine points and nine players scored in all.
Leading Anderson this year are J.D. Clampitt (19.3 points, 6.7 rebounds per game) and Andy Warren (10.8 ppg). Anderson's returning players from last year's game put up a combined five points and five rebounds in last years loss.
After the Anderson game, the Cardinals continue their homestand by hosting IUPUI on Saturday and Indiana State a week later.
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