Ball State men’s basketball (12-12, 5-6) came out on top of a battle of teams tied for sixth place in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Cardinals welcomed Eastern Michigan (11-13, 4-7) to Worthen Arena Tuesday night.

The Cardinals came out on top 86-84 in a tightly contested overtime matchup.

Here are three takeaways from the Ball State win.

Paint play prevalent throughout the night

Both squads played inside-out basketball tonight and were able to stretch the floor. The Cardinals made space and tried to find the big man inside on most of its possessions.

Their offense looked smoother and more productive when the Cardinals could play through senior center Payton Sparks. Sparks finished with 19 points and three rebounds.

Ball State was not the only side with productive paint play though. Eastern Michigan scored 48 paint points and controlled the blocks for most of the game. Eastern Michigan had 20 first-half paint points while the Cardinals had 18.

The paint battle was a close contest, but the Eagles were able to come out on top in that battle despite dropping the game.

Ball State led the charge in second-chance points with nine compared to Eastern Michigan’s five. When the Cardinals have been successful this season, they are playing well on the block.

Ball State has a dominant paint presence with the big bodies of Sparks and Hendriks, it is just a matter of whether or not they decide to play through them. Getting the ball inside stretches the floor and allows the shooters to make buckets.

Cardinals tap into sixth gear for the win

It took extra time for the Cardinals to add another game to the win column. The energy was high on the court and in Worthen Arena.

Ball State has shown signs of being able to hang late in gritty contests, but tonight was a true testament to that ability.

The Cardinals controlled overtime, leading in nearly every statistical category. They outscored Eastern Michigan 11-to-9, shot 66.7% from the field and were 87.5% from the free throw line.

Eastern Michigan led for most of the overtime period though, but the Cardinals were able to hold on due to the energy on both ends of the floor.

The Cardinals have shown potential, and certainly have the talent, to be one of the better teams in the MAC. When Ball State plays a gritty, physical brand of basketball, they are one of the toughest teams in the conference.

Look for the Cardinals to keep the momentum going down the stretch and be a team to give higher-seeded opponents some fits in Cleveland.

Jermahri Hill continues to shine

Junior guard Jermahri Hill has been the mainstay for Ball State men’s basketball this season. Hill has led the Cardinals in points per game (16.3) and assists (43) in MAC play.

Hill has been Ball State’s most consistent player and has dipped below double-digit points in just three games this season, all being non-conference. Hill has been productive over the last four MAC contests, scoring 19, 18, 19, and 21 points tonight.

Hill was dishing the ball out as well with seven assists. He has not been totaling as many assists over the same stretch, with three and twice four.

Hill had eight boards tonight and shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe en route to leading Ball State scorers with 21.

Hill had a game-saving block on the defensive end and came down the floor to throw one down over an Eastern Michigan defender to win the game.

Hill has been the most electric player for the Cardinals this season with two SportsCenter Top 10 dunks, one over Dayton and another tonight against Eastern Michigan.

Contact Logan Connor via email at logan.connor@bsu.edu or via X @_loganconnor

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