During their Mid-American Conference debuts, the final 10 minutes sealed both Ball State and Ohio's fates.
The Cardinals (10-4) flourished, running away from a favored Toledo team to pick up an 87-69 win, while the Bobcats (9-4) wilted en route to an 80-69 loss to Northern Illinois.
The two teams will meet on Saturday in Athens and efficient play down the stretch will make all the difference, because there is not much to separate Ohio and Ball State on paper.
Ohio holds advantages in points per game (79-71), field goal percentage (47-43), and free throw percentage (78-69) while Ball State tops Ohio in 3-point shooting percentage (36.