GAME NOTES: Worthen Arena is the site of a Mid-American Conference clash, as the Ball State Cardinals host the Western Michigan Broncos. The Broncos had a small two-game winning streak snapped with an 81-71 loss to Eastern Michigan this past Saturday. It was the sixth loss in the last nine games for WMU, which opened its season with a 4-2 ledger. WMU has struggled on the road this season, as six of the team's eight losses have come away from home. As for the Cardinals, they opened their campaign with 11 consecutive setbacks, but since then the team has grabbed two wins in its last three matchups. The last time Ball State was on the court, the team posted an 82-71 victory over Central Michigan. Ball State is now 1-1 in league play and will continue its conference schedule this Saturday at home against Eastern Michigan. Western Michigan has won the last four matchups against Ball State, but the Cardinals still hold a slim, 53-52 edge over the Broncos in the all-time series.

The Broncos have been a tad inconsistent offensively this season, and head into this matchup averaging 69.8 ppg, while shooting a mediocre 42.5 percent from the floor. Joe Reitz has been the top player for this squad, as the center is netting 14.3 ppg, while also leading the team with 7.5 rpg. David Kool and Derek Drews have also made solid contributions, as Kool is netting 13.5 ppg, while Drews is posting 10.3 ppg. The Broncos' offensive struggles continued this past weekend, as the team suffered a 10-point loss to Eastern Michigan. In the setback, WMU shot a mere 38.6 percent from the field and made only 6-of-21 attempts from behind the arc. Kool paced the team with 16 points, while Reitz posted a double-double, netting 14 points to go along with 12 rebounds.

The return of Anthony Newell has been a tremendous lift for Ball State, which has won two of its three games since his return from injury. In the recent 11- point win over Central Michigan, the Cardinals were actually led by Newell, who posted a double-double, netting 19 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Peyton Stovall and Melvin Goins added 17 points apiece in the win, while Brandon Lampley tallied 11 points. Stovall was the main scoring option for BSU, while Newell was on the sideline, averaging 14.8 ppg, while also pulling down 6.2 rpg. Despite the impressive offensive performance, the Cardinals have still struggled on the year, producing just 56.9 ppg, while shooting a mere 40.7 percent from the field.

The Cardinals are obviously much better with Newell on the court, but even with the big forward, Ball State should struggled against a very tough Western Michigan squad.