MEN'S BASKETBALL: Cardinals look to end MAC skid
By Conor Hockett / January 23, 2013Success often comes with expectations, and it’s a combination Ball State hasn’t proved it can handle throughout the past couple of seasons.
Success often comes with expectations, and it’s a combination Ball State hasn’t proved it can handle throughout the past couple of seasons.
During Ball State’s two-game losing streak, the team could at least take pride in its energy to stay in contention against two of the top teams in Mid-American Conference’s East Division.
While two-game losing streaks are often characterized by poor play, Ball State’s recent performances have been anything but.
When Brady Sallee came to Ball State, he brought with him a new style of play.
Ball State came into Saturday’s game knowing they needed to limit Kent State’s Tamzin Barroilhet, who was leading the Golden Flashes in scoring with 10.4 points per game.
Eleven years ago, Brady Sallee was an assistant coach at Kent State, trying to help the Golden Flashes beat MAC opponents.
After adding six new players to next season’s roster through a freshman class, most thought Ball State women’s basketball coach Brady Sallee was finished adding players for the future.
After an improbable Mid-American Conference opening win Thursday, Ball State will face Northern Illinois on the road today, in an attempt to go 2-0 in the conference for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
In what seemed like the first time all game, Kent State’s Chris Evans got a clean look.
After losing to IUPUI on Dec. 23, it seemed Ball State was headed toward a Mid-American Conference season with a record under .500, a stat that hasn’t translated to success in league play.
Ball State had a one-point lead when Brittany Carter went up for a shot at the top of the key with just 22 seconds left, and everybody in Worthen Arena believed Carter was going to attempt her tenth three-pointer.
Almost two weeks after being outrebounded by 20 against Valparaiso, Ball State played with increased intensity in their 62-59 win over Miami (OH).
Pacers big second half fuels win
Jesse Berry stood near the bench, peeking his head in at the video monitor to see if the shot counted.
Nonconference records don’t mean much for Mid-American Conference teams that rarely get at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament, but success, or lack of it, in the first half of the schedule is often indicative of what to expect in league play.
It was an afternoon of firsts for Ball State.
Heading into their game Saturday at Valparaiso, Ball State’s women’s basketball team has won just one game on the road this season, compiling a 1-5 record away from Worthen Arena.
The team’s game plan was not executed. The team’s focus was elsewhere. The team’s effort was questioned.
After blowing a chance to knock of Purdue in West Lafayette on Tuesday, Ball State gets another chance at an in-state rival on Sunday.
