MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Over the years the team to beat in the Mid-American Conference, especially on the road, has notably been Central Michigan.
So the last thing ninth-year head coach Brady Sallee wrote on the board prior to the start of Wednesday's contest was "Points in the Paint." That stat would go a long way toward determining the winner of this game.
Well, Ball State won that category, 34-28, earning the Cardinals (9-5, 7-3 MAC) a 69-66 victory over the Chippewas (10-4, 8-4 MAC) in McGuirk Arena.
Defense played a big factor as well, especially late in the third quarter of play.