Ball State Men’s Hoops on the Road for Saturday Game at Toledo
Free Press Report
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MUNCIE, IN - The Ball State men’s basketball team visits Toledo for a 2 p.m. tipoff Saturday in Mid-American Conference West Division action at Savage Arena.
The Cardinals (12-14, 5-8 MAC), coming off a 95-90 home victory over Central Michigan, have won four of their past five games and three of their past four road contests. Toledo (13-12, 8-5 MAC), the second-place team in the MAC West, lost for just the second time in its past nine games Saturday at Western Michigan.
The Matchup
Ball State trails 43-39 in the all-time series with Toledo, but the Cardinals are 6-4 against the Rockets over the past 10 meetings.
Toledo has won the past two meetings after the Cardinals had won the previous three.
The Rockets hold a 27-11 lead in games played in Toledo, although Ball State has won its past two visits to Savage Arena -- Jan. 22, 2011 (70-60) and Jan. 10, 2012 (70-68).
The teams met earlier this season in Muncie on Jan. 30 with Toledo earning an 85-78 victory. Jauwan Scaife scored 23 points in the game for Ball State, while Rian Pearson had 24 for Toledo.
A Quick Look at the Cardinals
Ball State won for the fourth time in its past five games Wednesday with 95-90 victory in a shootout against Central Michigan. The Cardinals are 12-14 overall and sit in fourth place in the MAC West at 5-8 in league play.
Senior guard Jauwan Scaife scored a career-high 34 points in the win over Central Michigan -- the most points by a MAC player this season -- to help the Cardinals to their highest point total in a conference game in eight years.
Chris Bond and Jesse Berry each scored 15 points, while Majok Majok added 10 to go along with a game-high nine rebounds.
Scaife is averaging 23.0 points per game over the past eight contests, and his 19.4 scoring average in MAC play ranks third in the league. Scaife leads Ball State for the season at 15.5 points per game, followed by junior guard Jesse Berry at 12.3 per game and junior forward Majok Majok at 11.0.
Majok, who leads the MAC and ranks 16th nationally in rebounding, is one of 15 players in the country averaging a double-double at 11.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Scouting Toledo
Toledo has won seven of its past nine games with losses only to Buffalo and MAC West leader Western Michigan. The Rockets dropped a 65-62 decision Wednesday to the Broncos and enter Saturday’s game at 13-12 overall with an 8-5 MAC record that puts them second in the West race.
Toledo’s Rian Pearson leads the league in scoring for the season at 18.2 points per game, while Julius Brown ranks among the top 10 in both scoring average (13.2) and assists per game (5.7).
Toledo leads the MAC in team free throw shooting percentage at 76.8 percent and ranks second in average turnover margin (+1.8).
Live Coverage
- • Radio (Flagship): Ball State Radio Network (104.1 FM WLBC); Play-by-play: Joel Godett; Analyst: David Eha
- • Internet: Live audio at ballstatesports.com; live video at mac-sports.com; live stats at utrockets.com
See more at Ball State Sports