Though both will go down as losses in the record book, Ball State's 79-74 defeat suffered at Bowling Green on Saturday compares favorably to when the teams played Jan. 7.
The Cardinals (12-7, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) fell behind by 15 points in the first half but didn't lay down. They hung tight until a failed out-of-bounds play with nine seconds to play stunted their comeback.
This snaps a three-game winning streak, during which Ball State had averaged 91 points per game. The Cardinals were on a roll — which, of course, started after that Jan. 7 loss that drew frustration from coach James Whitford.