Ohio (10-8 overall, 4-2 Mid-American Conference) will be staying on the road for its next MAC battle, this one against Ball State (4-13 overall, 0-5 MAC).
The Bobcats are playing their second straight road game after falling on Tuesday night against Toledo. That game was a momentum killer for Ohio, which came into Savage Arena undefeated in the MAC, having won nine of its last 10 games.
That game was a true tale of two halves for the Bobcats, who scored 50 points on 60.6% shooting from the floor in the first half. They were red-hot from deep in the first half as well, with guys like Jesse Burris and Aidan Hadaway drilling threes to lead the team to a 8-14 mark from behind the arc in the first half.
Ohio entered the half down by two to Toledo, who also shot the ball at a near 60% clip in the first half. The script completely flipped for Ohio, which shot just 1-9 from deep in the second half while Toledo maintained the above 60% shooting number.
The upcoming game against Ball State should be an opportunity to get back on track. The Cardinals have struggled this season, starting conference play winless with a tough schedule against teams like Miami, Buffalo and Akron.
Third-year head coach Michael Lewis will need to start stacking wins for his job's sake, and the Cardinals will certainly be looking to get a big win at home on Friday.
Now, let’s take a deeper dive into Ball State.
Game Information
Opponent: Ball State Cardinals
Location: Worthern Arena (Muncie, Indiana)
Time: Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Where to watch: ESPN+
Follow live stats here
Meet the Opponent:
Head coach: Michael Lewis (3rd season)
Projected Starters:
#01 Elmore James IV
#05 Armoni Zeigler
#13 Devon Barnes
#24 Mason Jones
#34 Preston Copeland
Statistical leaders:
Points: Zeigler, Davion Wilson (11.8 per game)
Assists: Zeigler (2.8 per game)
Rebounds: Zeigler (4.8 per game)
Steals: Jones (1.7 per game)
Blocks: Cam Denson (1.4 per game)
FG%: Copeland (62.7%)
3-point percentage: Hill (37.7%)
Toledo players to watch: Armoni Zeigler, Elmore James
Zeigler has been the main guy for the Cardinals all year, tying with Davion Hill for the team lead in points per game with 11.8. The junior guard has also been doing everything for Ball State since transferring from Saint Peter’s, leading the team in assists and rebounds per game, as well.
He had his best game of the year in the team’s last game against Akron, a 10-point loss to the Zips. Zeigler dropped a staggering 30 points with five rebounds while shooting 11-18 from the floor.
Bobcat fans will be very familiar with James. The now senior guard had spent his first three years of college basketball wearing the green and white for Ohio, having transferred away in the most recent offseason.
He has been solid at his new home in Muncie, scoring 8.8 points per game on 40% shooting from the floor.
