GAME NOTES - PREGAME
Ball State:
-Cards got on track by thumping Ohio 65-54 on Sat.
-Heavily dependent on the 3. Rank in the 300’s in 2pt Attempt %.
-Cards looking for revenge after losing at home to Kent State in OT last season.
-Taj Teague has scored 14+ Points in each of his last seven contests. He is the reigning MAC West Player of the Week. He averaged 21 points and 9.5 rebounds over the two games.
-Ball State’s win over Ohio happened despite only hitting 7-29 from deep.
-First of two road games this week before ending with five of seven at Home.
Kent State:
-On an impressive 3-game winning streak (@Buff, @Tol, Akron)
-14th nationally in Blocked Shot %
-10th nationally in Steals %
-Allowing too many 2nd chance opportunities (Ranked #304 in NCAA)
-Kent State is back in the thick of the MAC title chase after beating rivals Akron on Friday. They trail by two games in the loss column behind Bowling Green, but host the Falcons on March 3rd.
-Danny Pippen was awarded the MAC East Player of the Week. Pippen sparked a 21-point comeback in the win at Toledo by scoring 16 points and adding 10 rebounds. Then he went for 24 and 8 in the big Akron vicotry.
GAME ACTION
Ball State wins the opening tip and immediately to gets it to one of their top scoring options, Kyle Mallers, who connects on a trey. Ball State went ahead 5-2 after a few more possessions. But it was Kent State who closed this sequence strongly. Philip Whittington connected on consecutive jumpers and Danny Pippen had a wide open dunk.
1st Media Timeout: Kent State 8, Ball State 5
The Golden Flashes picked up right where they left off, stretching the lead all the way to 17-5. Ball State had to burn a timeout despite the fact that the next whistle meant they would have a media break. Troy Simons had a key three, and Whittington had a layup.
2nd Media Timeout: Kent State 17, Ball State 5
Mallers stops the bleeding for the Cards with a layup. But KSU answers back quickly with a bucket by Antonio Williams. Ball State’s Miryne Thomas has checked in and it’s a bit of a surprise, he has only logged five total minutes of MAC minutes and has not made a 3-pointer all season long. Sure enough, Thomas hits not one but two 3-pointers during the sequence! Thomas was a scorer back in 2018 at Maryland Eastern Shore of the MEAC Conference, but has not found a regular role for the Cardinals this season. Thomas sat the 2019 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
3rd Media Timeout: Kent State 24, Ball State 15
Ball State got things rolling here and have narrowed this down to a four point margin. Jarron Coleman hit a three pointer and Ishmael El-Amin (son of Khalid), had a dunk. El-Amin demonstrated some serious leaping ability there.
4th Media Timeout: Kent State 27, Ball State 23
Wild game of runs here at the MACC. Ball State ended the half on a 26-6 run. In the final seconds, Taj Teague swished a three. Earlier, Jarron Coleman added another three. Whittington of Kent State, leads all scorers with 12. Teague has seven points and seven boards at the break.
Halftime: Ball State 35, Kent State 27
2nd Half
Mallers once again begins the Half with a three-ball. Ball State has built their largest lead of the game, by 12, after yet another Mallers three. Whittington and Pippen helped weather the storm for the Golden Flashes by responding with back-to-back buckets.
1st Media Timeout: Ball State 44, Kent State 35
A pair of Antonio Williams eventually trimmed the Cardinals lead down to six, but Ball State’s Josh Thompson connected on a three to stretch the lead back to nine. Williams would later score again on a layup after Teague made one out of two at the line. Kent State trying to get a run together, its been a game of runs thus far.
2nd Media Timeout: Ball State 49, Kent State 41
Big moment here, Troy Simons of Kent State was charged with a technical foul, his third personal foul. And Antonio Williams got dinged with his fourth. Mallers made both technical free throws and the Cardinals got the ball to Teague on the ensuing possession for a layup. Kent State had cut the lead to five, that brought it back up to nine. Each team exchanged a few free throws and Anthony Roberts connected on a jumper for the Golden Flashes. This is far from over.
3rd Media Timeout: Ball State 54, Kent State 46
Cardinals responded to a CJ Williamson layup, by getting the rock to Jarron Coleman. Coleman penetrated the lane beautifully for his own layup. The next Ball State possession the Cardinals moved the ball well and ultimately got it to El-Amin for a big three. Lead is now 11. Danny Pippen eventually was able to get a layup to go down for Kent State.
4th Media Timeout: Ball State 59, Kent State 50
Anthony Roberts wont allow Ball State to get out of here that easily. Roberts connects on back-to-back possessions with made jumpers. Cards lead is now down to five. Kent State regains possession and Roberts appeared to be foul, but no call from the officials much to the disappointment of the home fans and KSU Head Coach Rob Senderoff. Teague took the ball coast to coast and was fouled. Teague made one of two at the line to push the lead to six. CJ Williamson gets called for a travel for KSU, wasted opportunity there for the Golden Flashes. We are now inside one minute remaining. Teague returns the favor by travelling himself. Williamson missed a three and Brachen Hazen gets fouled for the Cards. Hazen hit both. KSU misses again, and that’s going to wrap it up. The Kent State story tonight? 1-20 from three. Good night from Kent.
FINAL: Ball State 62, Kent State 54.
HIGHLIGHTS
Courtesy: GoldenFlashesTV
PRESS CONFERENCE
Head Coach Rob Senderoff and Philip Whittington
Kent State HC Rob Senderoff:
On 1-20 Shooting from three and poor shooting overall:
-Seemed pretty surprised especially given the fast start (led 17-5) and
-Gave Ball State credit for defending them well and denying a few things they wanted to do
-Overall chalked it up to “Just having one of those nights” where guys aren’t hitting.
On the trying to stop Tajai Teague:
-Immediately gave credit to Teague being one of the best players in the MAC and all teams struggle to defend him.
-Mentioned that they had a hard time keeping him off the glass, Teague had 17 rebounds.
On rest of season:
-Said everything is about gearing up for the MAC Tournament. These losses teaches the team important lessons they can carry forward to Cleveland next month.
-Mental, Physical, and Emotional Fatigue sets in around now in the season. Key point in the season is now to handle the adversity