By: Connor Onion | @Conion22
Play-by-play voice on SL Radio on WCRD
Member of Ball State Sports Link
Ball State welcomes Kent State Tuesday for a matchup of Mid-American Conference division leaders. The Cardinals are tied atop the MAC West Division at 3-1 in league play, while Kent State shares the MAC East Division lead with the same 3-1 record.
The game can be heard on Sports Link Radio/WCRD 91.3 FM. It’s also available on ESPN 3.
Here’s what to watch for:
Ball State Defending Jimmy Hall
The Hofstra transfer has spurred the Kent State Golden Flashes to a 12-5 start and a 3-1 Mid-American Conference record, good for first in the East Division. Hall currently ranks ninth in the conference in both rebounding and scoring, notching double figure points in 16 of the Flashes 17 games. A low post threat, the 6-foot-8 junior forward is a Cardinal killer as he scored 32 points the last time these two teams met in Muncie a season ago.
Flashes’ Series Domination
Ball State is in familiar territory in this game. After defeating Miami on Saturday afternoon, the Cardinals snapped a skid in which they lost 13 of 15 games to the RedHawks. On Tuesday night, Ball State will once again try to stop the bleeding against a team who has owned them in recent years. Kent State has taken 11 straight from the Cardinals, dating back to 2006. To put that into perspective, none of the last three coaches for Ball State – James Whitford, Billy Taylor and Ronny Thompson – ever beat Kent State.
Ball State’s Defensive Clamps
With few exceptions, Ball State has been masterful on the defensive end all season long. Despite shooting 36% from the field and turning the ball over 17 times against Miami on Saturday, Ball State had its stingiest defensive performance of the season. The RedHawks only made five field goals in the second half and finished the game with a season low 46 points.
