By: Connor Onion | @Conion22
Play-by-play voice on SL Radio on WCRD
Member of Ball State Sports Link
Ball State (18-9, 9-5) travels to Toledo (16-11, 7-7) Tuesday night at 8:00pm ET in search of its fourth straight win.
The game can be heard on Sports Link Radio on 91.3 WCRD FM.
Ball State visits Toledo for the second meeting between the teams this season. The Cardinals have won five of their past six games overall and five of their past six on the road. BSU defeated Toledo 87-69 in Muncie Jan. 6 in the Mid-American Conference opener.
Rematch
Jan. 6 seems like an eternity ago for both teams. Ball State trounced Toledo in the Mid-American Conference opener, 87-69.
The score line pointed to a lopsided affair, but Ball State Head Coach James Whitford was very cautious in analyzing the win.
“We weren’t as good as the score. We just hit shots.”
The Cardinals were sizzling from the field, connecting on 48% of their shots and making 13 triples.
As the second youngest team in the MAC, Toledo sought its identity early in the year. After four straight years of first and second-place finishes in the MAC West, Toledo had to learn to play with out Julius Brown, JD Weatherspoon and Justin Drummond.
A sluggish 3-5 start in league play casted doubts, but Toledo won four straight to claw its way back into the MAC West race. They currently sit in second place, two games behind Ball State.
“Boards and Buckets”
After his fourth straight double-double against NIU last Friday, Ball State senior forward Bo Calhoun joked with the media.
“They call me B&B around here.”
What’s that stand for Bo?
“Boards and buckets.”
Different testimonies have been given from players on whether or not the nickname was self-given. Regardless, “boards and buckets” accurately summarizes what Calhoun has contributed to Ball State recently.
Over the last four games, Calhoun is averaging 14 points and 12 rebounds per outing, including a 22-point, 14-rebound performance vs. Central Michigan.
Tonight, the big man from South Bend returns to an arena where he is very comfortable as he scored a career-high 30 points last year at Toledo.
Playing For Seeding
Ball State controls its own destiny in the MAC West. With four games remaining — all against MAC West foes — Ball State can clinch its first outright West title since 2002 if they can hold on to the two-game cushion.
If the MAC Tournament started today, Ball State would get an automatic bid to the quarterfinals in Cleveland as the No. 4 seed.
