By: Ball State Athletics
The meme is all over the internet nowadays. Michael Jordan from ESPN's The Last Dance exasperated in a chair, with the caption "And I took that personally." Ishmael El-Amin referenced that in his postgame interview on Tuesday at Bowling Green, and he took his feelings out on the opponent.
Last Saturday at Buffalo, El-Amin sat and watched a close game slip away from Ball State as he was held out of the second half due to health cautions. While safety is always paramount, the always-competitive senior guard wanted to play even though the smart decision was to be safe.
"Regardless if it's a win or loss, I wasn't able to be out there with my teammates to grind it out with them," El-Amin said Tuesday night. "So I took that one personally, man. I came out here tonight to show that I can play like this every night."
So El-Amin made the most of his return to the court, hitting a 3-pointer on the first possession of the game and scoring eight points in the first 5:06 to help Ball State get off to a good start against league leader Bowling Green. El-Amin finished the night with 20 points on an efficient 7-for-15 shooting and added a career-high five steals as the Cardinals cruised to an 88-64 win at Bowling Green.
El-Amin and the Cardinals want to bring that momentum into a home game Saturday against Northern Illinois. Ball State already owns a victory over NIU and is shooting for its first conference home game win of the season.
Cardinals Can Make Standings Move Saturday
After an impressive win at Bowling Green on Tuesday, the Ball State men's basketball team can keep pace with the first group of the MAC by winning Saturday at home vs. Northern Illinois. Ball State has already beaten NIU this season, a 79-70 overtime win on December 8. Another victory over the MAC's last-place team would make Ball State 4-2 in conference play and potentially in the top 3 of the standings.
The Starting 5 - The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
1. CARDS AND HUSKIES - THE SERIES
Saturday is the 97th meeting between Ball State and Northern Illinois and the second one this season. BSU is 57-39 against NIU all-time, including a 34-12 mark in Muncie. The Cardinals have won seven of the last nine over NIU, with the last three wins coming by an average margin of 11.3 points. In addition to an overtime win at NIU in December, the Cardinals won 75-54 in DeKalb last year to secure first place in the MAC West division.
2. BSU GOING FOR SEASON SWEEP
A victory Saturday gives Ball State a 2-0 sweep over Northern Illinois. It would be the second straight year and third in the last five in which Ball State won both home and away against Northern. In the win over Northern on December 8, Ishmael El-Amin and K.J. Walton each scored 18 points and Ball State blitzed Northern in overtime. Ball State scored the first 10 points of overtime to take command after trailing by double figures early in the game.
3. CARDINALS RIDING HIGH THIS WEEK
The Cardinals enter this game after a dominant 88-64 win at league leader Bowling Green in what was easily the team's best performance of the season. Ishmael El-Amin scored 20 to lead six different Cards in double figures and Ball State controlled most of the game, making 12 3-pointers and shooting a season-best .554 from the floor. The 88 points was the most points in a road game in three years for Ball State and the loss was the most lopsided at home for Bowling Green in also three years. The Cardinals were also +15 on the glass and grabbed 87% of their defensive rebounds, a season high.
4. K.J. LIKES IT WHEN EVERYONE SHINES
In a recent video interview, K.J. Walton said his favorite part of basketball is when everyone plays well and has fun. That was certainly the case Tuesday at Bowling Green. Not only did six players scored 10+ points, but Teemu Suokas scored a career-high 11 points, Kani Acree had his best game of the season with 10 points and six rebounds. Miryne Thomas returned to the floor after missing a game and Ishmael El-Amin (5 steals) and Luke Bumbalough (6 rebounds) also had career highs.
5. WHAT A WIN SATURDAY DOES FOR BALL STATE
A Ball State win on Saturday lifts the Cardinals to 4-2 in conference play and allows them to keep pace with the top group of the league. Ball State could potentially be third in the standings at 4-2 depending on Friday's BG-Buffalo result. A win would also give the Cards their first conference win at home, as each of the team's first three league wins have come on the road (NIU,WMU, BG).
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January 15, 2021 at 10:03PM
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Cardinals Can Make Standings Move Saturday - BallStateSports.com
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