Ball State placed four players in double figures, led by Dis Agustsdottir’s 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting, including four 3-pointers. During the three-game losing streak, Dis Agustsdottir never got into double figures but said she played with more determination against the Broncos.
The Cardinals victory earned them a season sweep against the Falcons, as Ball State won the first meeting 81-80 Jan. 1.
In its three losses, Ball State has lost by a combined 11 points. As the MAC Tournament picture takes shape, head coach Brady Sallee said the Cardinals are not capitalizing during final possessions.
The Owls were paced by junior forward Carter Fisher, who scored a team-high 17 points and gathered five rebounds. McKibben and junior guard Colin McBride each scored 10 points. McBride also contributed seven rebounds and five assists. Sophomore center Asher Donahue tallied 11 points and nine rebounds.
These all sound like top headlines for an amazing and interesting season. Yet, the 2021-22 NBA season has felt like anything but that. Why is that?
More Black people who are passionate about sports need to look into becoming a journalist because we need more people of color to tell our stories. We need to influence the next generation into believing there are other options with sports that don’t involve playing.
The Bulls drew 20 fouls and finished 18-for-23 from the free-throw line. Graduate transfer Chyna Latimer finished with a team-high 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the charity stripe. Latimer said the continuous fouls prevented the Cardinals from playing their offensive style.
Ball State is a half game ahead of No. 7 Central Michigan, a game and a half ahead of No. 8 Miami (Ohio), and two games ahead of No. 9 Bowling Green. Head Coach James Whitford said Ball State controls its destiny.
Buckets were hard to come by in Ball State Men’s Basketball’s 64-58 loss to Northern Illinois, as Ball State went scoreless for seven straight minutes in the first half.
Redshirt sophomore guard Tyler Cochran contributed 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Cochran also totaled a team-high six steals and defended Buffalo forwards because of foul trouble. Whitford said Cochran did an excellent job adjusting and doing what the coaching staff asked of him.
Since their 54-51 loss against Kent State Jan. 9, the Cardinals had won six of their last eight and five straight. Sallee said Ball State has the opportunity to improve from this loss by emphasizing toughness and understanding its benefit when shots are not falling.
The Owls have not defeated the Tigers since the 2015-16 season, and Yorktown continued its streak with a 71-64 overtime win against Muncie Burris Feb. 10.
As fans stand up and cheer, Ball State public address announcer Tom Simpson welcomes the Cardinals’ starting lineup. Simpson, sitting at the scorer’s table, is about to give himself a vocal workout for the next two hours, announcing everything from scores to fouls to promotional reads.
Freshman center Payton Sparks finished with his fourth consecutive double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, but accumulated five personal fouls. Sparks said Central Michigan forced him to defend guards along the perimeter, but said he was prepared and knows he will improve defending opposing guards.
In Ball State’s 93-83 victory against Toledo, the Cardinals shot 14-for-29 from the 3-point line and totaled 17 assists. Bumbalough said the offense opened up because they emphasized sharing the ball.
In each of the last three wins, freshman Ally Becki has set a new career-high for points. Becki scored 27 points against the Bobcats and tallied eight assists and six rebounds. Sallee believes Becki, like the rest of the Cardinals, is discovering her identity with more experience.
Ball State (10-10, 5-4 MAC) defeated Western Michigan (4-16, 0-9 MAC) 83-72 Jan. 29, and head coach James Whitford said the consecutive charges from Sparks and Thomas represented the Cardinals toughness.
Junior guard Malik Hasani scored eight points but was held scoreless in the second half. Junior forward Antonio Gore also scored eight points while grabbing seven rebounds. Junior guard Daniel Harris added five points, but no Bearcat other than Hasani, Gore and Harris scored more than two points.
For the Owls, junior guards Colin McBride and Bryce Karnes combined for 36 of their 50 points. McBride scored a team-high 21 points while contributing four assists. Karnes scored 15 points and finished with seven rebounds.
It’s an evolution, not a revolution, as the Cardinals turn to a “five-out” offense this season and do not label players by their positions. No more guards, forwards or centers. Instead, the Cardinals go by “crashers, backs and keys.”
