27-13.
That's not the projected score of tonight's Ball State University football game against Central Michigan University - it's the score of the first-ever game between in-state basketball rivals Ball State and Butler University on Dec. 23, 1924.
Butler won that inaugural game, and the two schools have battled each other 98 times since.
The Cardinals and the Bulldogs play game No. 100 in the series tonight at Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse.
"I think every game, we're trying to measure how good you are, and it's in different ways," coach Billy Taylor said. "Butler, our first road game going into a hostile environment, playing a great rivalry game, is going to challenge us in a different way."
Butler claims a 62-37 all-time record against Ball State, including last season's 61-45 Butler victory at Worthen Arena in both team's season opener.
The Bulldogs have won the last four meetings between the two schools by an average of almost 12 points per game. The last Ball State win was in the 2003-04 season with the Cardinals claiming a 63-61 victory at Worthen Arena.
Ball State last was victorious in Hinkle Fieldhouse in 1996 with a 71-67 result and has a 9-40 all-time road record against Butler.
This season, the Cardinals (1-0) will try to take advantage of a youthful Butler squad that lost seven letterwinners and four starters from last season's 30-4 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and was ranked as high as No. 8 in the Associated Press Poll.
"Certain things that we know about the Butler program are they are very well-coached," Taylor said. "[Butler coach] Brad [Stevens] does a terrific job and there has been a long line of excellent coaches there that have implemented a Butler way of basketball."
Butler (1-0) started three freshmen in a game for the first time since the 1979-80 season in its 58-48 opening day victory against Drake University on Nov. 15, and is led by lone returning starter, sophomore forward/center Matt Howard, and sophomore point guard Zach Hahn.
Howard, the 2007-08 Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and second team All-Horizon League selection, averaged 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last year. The 6-foot-8-inch Howard also contributed from foul line last season, converting 78 percent of his free throw attempts.
He had 12 points and seven rebounds against Drake.
"Matt Howard is a tremendous player; Horizon League newcomer of the league last year, got great experience obviously with that group of seniors going very deep in the NCAA tournament," Taylor said. "Matt is a skilled player that can play down in the post, step out and make jump shots, runs the floor well, [get] offensive rebounds - he's very complete in terms of a post player."
Hahn, a 6-foot guard, came off the bench against Drake to lead Butler with a career-high 13 points on three-for-seven 3-point shooting.
Hahn appeared in every game last season, mostly behind 2007-08 Horizon League Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-American senior guard Mike Green and CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major All American senior guard A.J. Graves. Hahn averaged two points per contest.
"[Hahn] is a very good player - he got some significant experience last year behind A.J. Graves and Mike Green - two All-American guards," Taylor said. "If you get a chance to play against those guys every day in practice, you're going to get better and Zach clearly did - played very well in their first game against Drake, stepped up and made big 3-point shots, led them in scoring and looked very sharp. He looked like a guy who was ready to take his game to another level."
Butler has led the Horizon League in scoring defense the past three seasons, allowing an average of 59 points per game. The Bulldogs continued that trend against Drake, allowing 14 points in the first half and 31 percent shooting for the entire game.
"We know the Butler program, historically, is going to have very good 3-point shooting, space the floor very well on offense, take care of the basketball and they are going to play tough-nosed, aggressive defense," Taylor said. "Those are all going to be challenges for us in trying to figure out how we combat that and how we can hopefully play well down in Hinkle."
In actionBall State at ButlerTime: 7 p.m.Venue: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Where to watch/listen:
- horizonleaguenetwork.tv
- 104.9 FM WERK
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