Halftime Report
Ball State is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have jumped out to a quick 47-42 lead against Bellarmine.
If Ball State keeps playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 4-6 in no time. On the other hand, Bellarmine will have to make due with a 3-8 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Ball State Cardinals @ Bellarmine Knights
Current Records: Ball State 3-6, Bellarmine 3-7
How To Watch
What to Know
Bellarmine will be in front of their home fans on Saturday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They will host the Ball State Cardinals at 3:00 p.m. ET at Knights Hall. The Knights are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they’ve averaged 75.4 points per game this season.
Last Saturday, everything came up roses for Bellarmine against Brescia as the team secured a 94-66 victory.
Bellarmine was working as a unit and finished the game with 26 assists. That’s the most assists they’ve posted since back in December of 2023.
Meanwhile, Ball State couldn’t handle SIUE on Sunday and fell 82-69. The Cardinals got off to an early lead (up 15 with 6:15 left in the first quarter), but sadly they weren’t able to maintain that momentum.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Juanse Gorosito, who earned 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ben Hendriks, who made all 5 shots he took racking up 13 points plus six rebounds.
Bellarmine’s win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 3-7. As for Ball State, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 3-6.
Keep an eye on the arc in Saturday’s contest: Bellarmine has been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 37.4% of their threes per game. It’s a different story for Ball State, though, as they’ve only made 30.4% of their threes this season. Given Bellarmine’s sizable advantage in that area, Ball State will need to find a way to close that gap.
Bellarmine came up short against Ball State in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 67-58. Will Bellarmine have more luck at home instead of on the road?
Odds
Ball State is a slight 1.5-point favorite against Bellarmine, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 1.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 144.5 points.
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Series History
Ball State won the only game these two teams have played in the last year.
- Dec 02, 2023 – Ball State 67 vs. Bellarmine 58
