The University of Toledo men's basketball team arrived in Muncie Jan. 25 as winners of two out of its first three games in the Mid-American Conference hoping to improve to 3-1 in MAC play with a win against Ball State University.
Instead the Cardinals used a balanced scoring attack featuring four players in double-digit point totals to defeat the Rockets 66-53 at Worthen Arena.
Toledo hasn't won a game in six tries since.
Ball State travels to Toledo (4-21, 2-9 MAC) tonight knowing its opponent will direct all of its frustration on them, sophomore forward Malik Perry said.
"Toledo's hungry - they're desperate for a win," said Perry, who is averaging four points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season. "I think they're hungry, and we have to match their intensity or be more hungry than them so we can win on the road."
Winning on the road has been one of the Cardinals' soft spots this season. Ball State (11-12, 6-5 MAC) is 3-7 in road games and 1-4 in conference road trips. The Cardinals also have a 9-25 all-time record in games played at Toledo, including losing six in a row there dating back to the 2001-02 season.
Ball State coach Billy Taylor said because his team leads the MAC West Division by one game against Western Michigan University, it will have a target on its back for the remainder of the regular season. The Cardinals end their regular season with five games against MAC West opponents and one non-conference matchup against Tennessee Tech University Saturday.
"We're really going to have to work to maintain that position the rest of the way because these next five games against the MAC West are going to be extremely challenging," Taylor said. "Sitting atop [the MAC West], we know we're going to get everybody's best effort home or away."
The Rockets are led by senior guards Jonathan Amos and Tyrone Kent, who leads the team with a 14 points-per-game average, while Amos is right behind with a 13.7 points-per-game average.
Amos had a career-high 32 points in Toledo's most recent game, a 91-58 loss to Ohio University on Saturday and an average of 26.5 points and 8.5 rebounds during his last two games.
Taylor said while Kent and Amos are Toledo's primary threats to score, sophomore forward Justin Anyijong deserves as much attention. The 6-foot-9 Anyijong scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting - including 2-of-7 from 3-point range - with a team-high nine rebounds against Ball State on Jan. 25.
"Those moments when we were staring at the basketball while Kent or Amos had it, they were able to reverse the ball and find Anyijong for open shots and he knocks them down," Taylor said. "We just got to make sure that we do our best not to give him any open looks, contest all his jump shots, and then keep him off the glass."
Perry considers Anyijong more of a "pick-and-pop" post player. He said while the wiry Anyijong isn't very physical, he'll take plenty of shots from anywhere on the court.
"We've got to be more honest with [Anyijong]," said Perry, who scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting last time out against Toledo. "If we don't put our hands up, he's basically going to shoot over us, so we're going to have to take his confidence out early, pressure him and start making him handle that ball and get him off that jump shot."
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Toledo's newly renovated Savage Arena.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
