3-point play: Koch nearly back from injury
By Matt McKinney / February 11, 2014Tyler Koch is close to returning Koch is medically allowed to return to play, and it’s just a matter of time before he returns to the court.
Tyler Koch is close to returning Koch is medically allowed to return to play, and it’s just a matter of time before he returns to the court.
Ball State is having a difficult time finding ways to prepare for its next two opponents. The 4-17 Cardinals have not had a height disparity since facing Utah in November, which can cause challenges for Ball State’s offense.
After utilizing a 17-2 run to come back in the first half, Ball State committed enough turnovers to lose their chance at upsetting 20-3 Toledo. The Cardinals opened up with a turnover not even 15 seconds into the second half.
Ball State gave Mid-American Conference leader Toledo all it could handle Saturday afternoon in its 80-73 loss, falling to 4-17 on the year. The Cardinals played with strong effort in a game where personal fouls seemed to take dominance over the play of both teams. “They’re 20-3,” Ball State basketball head coach James Whitford said.
Ball State freshman point guard Zavier Turner faced some big challenges this season, but perhaps none bigger than Saturday’s matchup guarding Toledo’s point guard Julius “Juice” Brown, a member of the preseason All-MAC team. The matchup didn’t disappoint for those watching at Worthen Arena.
The basketball ended up in the hands of Ball State junior guard Brittany Carter for a final desperation three-point heave in overtime. With six seconds remaining in the extra period, Ball State needed a three-pointer to tie and go to double overtime with the Mid-American Conference leading Central Michigan Chippewas. Carter missed the three-point attempt from the left corner, as the ball fell just short of the hoop, keeping Central Michigan perfect in MAC play at 10-0. “What we were trying to do was back screen with Shelby Merder,” Ball State head coach Brady Sallee said.
Holding a 19-point lead in the second half, not many things could have doomed the Ball State women’s basketball team. An offensive explosion from Crystal Bradford was one of them. Central Michigan’s Bradford had just two points at half time but scored 24 in the final 25 minutes to knock off Ball State 84-81 in overtime. “I expected that kind of performance from her,” Ball State head coach Brady Sallee said.
The Ball State men’s basketball team traveled to New York and lost against Buffalo on Wednesday evening. The Cardinals could not reproduce the results from its Jan.
Ball State has gone to Chris Bond in late-game situations. At the end of regulation and overtime against Northern Illinois, senior forward Chris Bond was the player for Ball State with a chance to score.
Members of the Ball State men’s basketball program walked off Worthen Arena’s hardwood floor with their fists clenched in the air and their heads high Jan.
At the beginning of the season, the Ball State men’s basketball team exhibited youth, experience and variety in its roster. Cardinals head coach James Whitford would commonly use a rotation that consisted of four freshmen, Zavier Turner, Franko House, Mark Alstork, Quinten Payne, and sophomore Bo Calhoun as they started off 2-2. “That’s the team you’re going to see all season,” Whitford said.
Three individuals scored in double figures for Ball State, but the women’s basketball team fell to Kent State 57-60 Sunday night.
David K. Jones | @dkjones_BSU | Chief Reporter Most of the 2,786 people in Worthen Arena stood in shock after seeing Ball State blow its lead with just seconds remaining. With 16.3 left in the fourth quarter, Ball State was ahead.
With 16.3 seconds left in regulation, Northern Illinois was down by two as guard Travon Baker drove to the rim, making contact with Ball State’s Majok Majok. Majok blocked the shot, but he fouled Baker in the process for his fifth and final foul of the game.
Consecutive losses left the Ball State women’s basketball team with its back against the wall, forcing it to change its own momentum. “We didn’t want a repeat performance of what we had the other night [against Buffalo],” head coach Brady Sallee said.
• Cardinals are 0-10 on the road. *• This game has the Cardinals’ lowest scoring output since scoring 50 points Dec.
Even when scoring lacks, a physical competitor takes the floor. First-year head coach James Whitford has utilized the play of senior center Majok Majok in his new-look offense.
Four games in, the Ball State men’s basketball team is still looking for its first conference win, this time against Buffalo. The Bulls are a team well-known for stretching out defenses and shooting the ball without much hesitation, things Ball State struggled with in its previous loss to Miami. “We got done with the Miami game and watched the game as a team on Sunday,” head coach James Whitford said.
Saturday’s 52-64 loss to Miami highlighted a key flaw in the Ball State men’s basketball team: a lack of shooting. As a team, Ball State shot 33.3 percent from the field against Miami, down from its 40.5 percent season average. “We are just going to have to get back in the gym and shoot,” freshman point guard Zavier Turner said.
Final Score: Ball State – 79 Ohio – 63 *Ball State improved to 8-8 overall and 3-2 in the Mid-American Conference. *Ball State had its best shooting performance of the season. *Ohio never led in the game. The Ball State women’s basketball team shot 58.7 percent from the floor in a win over Ohio Saturday. Nathalie Fontaine led the team with 20 points, shooting 8-for-11.
