The Ball State Cardinals take on the Tennessee State Tigers in the first round of the CIT tournament at Gentry Center. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 15.
The Tigers lost a winnable game to Austin Peay 74-72 in the 2 of the Ohio Valley tournament. Despite the loss, Wayne Martin earned his 10th double-double this season with 15 points and 13 rebounds. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the close 49-47 loss to Miami (OH) in the 1 of the Mid-American tournament. Franko House had a team-high 15 points.
House has been on fire over the last five games for the Cardinals, averaging 17.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 0.6 steals.
The Tigers are looking to build on their records of 20-10 Straight Up (SU) and 14-7-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Tigers have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 47th in the country with a .413 opponent field-goal percentage.
Over on the other bench, the Cardinals have 19-13 SU and 11-15 ATS records.
This game marks the first time Tennessee State and Ball State have played one another in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – TennSt, ATS Winner – TennSt
Notes
“Tennessee State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Tennessee State is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tennessee State’s last 7 games at home”.
“Tennessee State is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games “.
“Tennessee State is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games “.
The Ball State Cardinals have a defensive rating of 99.9 (ranked 63rd), while the Tennessee State Tigers have an offensive rating of 106.2 (ranked 171st).
The Tennessee State Tigers average 69.0 possessions and 1.062 points per possession in games this season. The Ball State Cardinals average fewer possessions with 66.7, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.054.
The Tennessee State Tigers average an effective field goal percentage of 50.4% this season. The Ball State Cardinals have a subpar record of 1-8 when opponents have an eFG% of 50.4% or greater.
On average, the Tennessee State Tigers attempt 16.0 three point field goals per game and the Ball State Cardinals attempt 23.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Tennessee State has a 4-3 record and Ball State has a 13-10 record.
Tennessee State ranks 126th in offensive rebounds, while Ball State ranks 76th in defensive rebounds.
Tennessee State is among the best in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TO% of 21.7% (ranked 14th). Ball State has a 6-4 record SU when its TO% reaches 21.7% or greater.
