Ball State vs. Akron
season stats
(4-13) Record (13-6)
(65.1) Points per game (70.3)
(40.5) Field goal percentage (43.4)
(35.9) Rebounds per game (35.8)
(12.4) Assists per game (11.7)
(16.9) Turnovers per game (14.2)
Three weeks after the first matchup, the Ball State men’s basketball team will have a chance to avenge the 68-72 loss against Akron tonight.
Akron leads the Mid-American Conference in three-point percentage and total three-pointers made, with .355 and 143, respectively.
Despite Akron’s proficiency for shooting from outside, Ball State held Akron to 13 percent from the three-point range.
“I feel like I am a defensive-oriented coach,“ head coach James Whitford said. “I believe in playing excellent defense. I think if you look at the four teams in this year’s Final 4, I think you find four head coaches who all believe in that.“
Akron is led by senior forwards Demetrius Treadwell and Quincy Diggs, who combine for 37.6 percent of the team’s scoring effort.
Against Ball State on Jan. 8, Diggs and Treadwell combined for 34 points, well above their average.
Treadwell also is fourth in the conference in rebounding, pulling in an average of 8.4 rebounds per game.
He will once again be matched up with Ball State senior center Majok Majok. On Jan. 8, Majok scored 16 points and pulled down 13 rebounds against Akron’s front line.
Freshmen Mark Alstork and Zavier Turner rank No. 4 and No. 5 in the conference for three-point shooting percentage. Though, Alstork has attempted about half as many as Turner from deep.
The game Jan. 8 was as physical as any game Ball State will play this season. A total of 53 fouls were called in the game. Akron’s Carmelo Betancourt and Ball State’s Franko House fouled out during the game.
Whitford said he’s seen an improvement in the team’s defense since the start of the season.
“Defense is a matter of effort,” he said. “Offense is often a matter of skill.”
A Ball State win could depend on senior guard Jesse Berry’s performance. Berry played six minutes in the loss to Miami. However, since then, his performance and playing time has flipped.
Against Buffalo, Berry scored a team-high 21 points in 32 minutes. He played 31 minutes, tied for third on the team, in the loss to Western Michigan on Sunday.
Ball State is currently ranked 10th for scoring defense in the MAC, allowing 71.9 points per game.
“I feel like we’re a better defensive team now than we were when we played them here,” Whitford said.
Read More
Ball State Baseball falls in MAC Championship game
By Staff Reports / 2 days agoAfter defeating Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament one-seed opponent Bowling Green Saturday morning, Ball State Baseball earned a spot in the championship later that day. The Cardinals were set to face two-seed Western Michigan.
Delta baseball defeats Yorktown in extra innings to become Delaware County champions
By Zach Carter / May 11, 2024The Eagles defeated the Tigers 5-2 in extra innings to win the Delaware County baseball tournament. It's the first time Delta has won the event since 2017.
'I'm grateful and proud:' No. 6 Ball State falls to No. 1 Miami in MAC Championship title game
By Zach Carter / May 11, 2024The No. 6 Cardinals fell to the No. 1 Redhawks 8-0 in the MAC title game. It's the farthest the Cardinals have advanced in the tournament since 2015.
