Ball State

[Dayton Daily News]

www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/1127arch.html

Tom Archdeacon: Raiders toss up clunker
By Tom Archdeacon

Dayton Daily News

FAIRBORN | Thanksgiving is over but Wright State still served up a big turkey Saturday night.

In one of their worst performances over the past three seasons, the Raiders were dominated by Ball State, 71-50, at the Nutter Center. They shot just 24.5 percent from the field, were out-rebounded, had more turnovers than field goals and saw Ball State center Charles Bass block seven of their shots.

"It felt like a nightmare playing out there," said WSU guard DaShaun Wood, who was averaging 21 points, but made just two of 13 shots against the Cardinals. "When you can't score and the other team just keeps scoring on you, it feels like someone's beating you up and you're on the ground and just can't get up."

The Raiders are 0-3 and right now things couldn't look worse.

They lost to no-name Belmont down in Nashville in the season opener. Although they played better in a defeat at Toledo, they were poor in every facet of the game Saturday night.

"The thing that's so disappointing is that the stage was set for us," said co-captain Drew Burleson. "We had a big crowd and we should have fed off it."

It was "Jam the Gym Night," and fans got in free thanks to the WSU alumni association that bought out the Nutter Center. The intent was to showcase the program, but no one who showed up could have been very impressed by what they saw.

Along with opening 0-3, there's the suspension of two players — Robert Eldridge and Tyrone Scott — who have been charged with stealing several DVDs from a local store. And then there's the NCAA probe of Ohio State basketball that has ensnared Raiders coach Paul Biancardi, a former Bucks assistant under Jim O'Brien, who was fired by OSU.

That likely will come to a head early next month when O'Brien and Biancardi appear at an NCAA hearing in Indianapolis. Biancardi proclaims total innocence, but an NCAA report given to the press Wenesday claims evidence otherwise.

The coach won't discuss his NCAA dealings, but he did talk about the future of his team after Saturday's loss:

"If this were football you'd have concern about 0-3, but this is basketball and I don't have that concern. It's November. There's a lot of practice time left, a lot of games left. There's a lot of growing up to do, a lot of maturing. A team is like a piece of clay. You've got to mold that clay. Right now we're in a tailspin offensively — and in the second half our defense wasn't good either — but we're going to get better."

Actually, one of his players had a great game.

Unfortunately, it was the 6-foot-9 Bass, who made 7 of 10 field goal attempts for Ball State and finished with 15 points to go along with his seven swats.

Bass played for OSU four seasons ago when Biancardi was there.

"Coach Biancardi recruited me to Ohio State," Bass said. "I think the world of him. Tonight on one of my baskets he teased me, yelled that I'd been lucky and I banked it in. When I ran past, I winked at him but I don't think he saw it. He was too busy watching his team ... and he wasn't smiling."

How could he?

Thanksgiving was past and he was stuck with leftovers — nothing but turkey.

[BallStateSports]

www.ballstatesports.com/article/0,1382,38315-6-team,00.html

Men's Basketball Blocks Wright State, Cardinals Win 71-50

Charles Bass blocked seven shots and scored 15 points in BSU's decisive win at Wright State.

DAYTON, Ohio -- Skip Mills scored a game-high 19 points to lead four Cardinals in double figures as the Ball State men's basketball team improved to 2-0 on the season with a dominating 71-50 victory Saturday at Wright State.

Charles Bass recorded 15 points and rejected seven shots -- the most since BSU and the Mid-American Conference's all-time blocks leader Lonnie Jones blocked seven against Buffalo in February of 2002.

The Cardinals extended a 32-25 halftime lead to double figures just minutes into the second half following a basket from Mills. The lead reached 15 points four and half minutes into the second stanza on a pair of free throws from Peyton Stovall.

"The first five minutes of the second half are always a key to us," Bass said. "This was a motivation game for us because everyone knows we didn't play well last week. We wanted to come out and execute on both ends of the floor."

Another score from Stovall with 12:46 pushed the lead to over 20 points at 52-31, while an offensive rebounds and putback from Bass with 2:46 remaining gave BSU a game-high lead of 24 points at 67-43.

Ball State's defense limited the Raiders to just five second-half field goals and a dismal 24 percent shooting for the game. The Cardinals shot 50 percent from the floor for the contest, including 52 percent in the final 20 minutes.

"We ran good offense, especially in transition," said BSU head coach Tim Buckley. "We feel like we have a team that can push the pace of a game. We played good basketball tonight."

Mills scored 19, Bass added 15 points, D'Andre Peyton scored 14 and Stovall finished with 14. Mills led the rebounding effort with a game-high nine rebounds.

Behind the 11 first-half points of Mills and five blocked shots from Bass, Ball State owned a 32-25 halftime lead. The Cardinals built an early lead midway through the first half, but WSU's Drew Burleson tied the score at 21-21 with 5:42 on the clock.

Ball State then converted on free throws from Mills and D'Andre Peyton, before Bass scored on BSU's final two possessions of the first half. The final score came on a no-look pass from Maurice Acker as time expired for the 32-25 score.

The Cardinals return to action Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. when Butler visits Worthen Arena for one of college basketball's classic rivalries. Tickets are available online or by calling the BSU Ticket Office at 1.888.BSU.TICKETS.

Saturday's game will also be "The Nest" Appreciation Night in honor of Ball State's student section and its national award from last season as the Best Student Promotion in the Nation.

[The Star Press]

www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051127/SPORTS/511270358/1006

BSU leader goes down late in win

By DOUG ZALESKI
[e-mail]


DAYTON, Ohio -- Ball State's basketball season might have taken a gloomy turn Saturday.

Point guard Peyton Stovall fell hard to the court late in a game against Wright State and appeared to injure his left knee, the same one in which he suffered a torn anterior-cruciate ligament during a game last March 7

The injury cast a pall on Ball State's 71-50 victory over Wright State in Nutter Center.

Cardinals coach Tim Buckley had nothing to report after the game on the severity of the injury to his star player. He said Stovall would undergo a thorough examination of the knee.

"All our thoughts and prayers are going in the right direction," Buckley said.

Stovall drove from the right wing down the lane with 1:59 left in the game. He stumbled and fell hard to the floor. After he tumbled to a stop under the basket, he clutched his left knee while yelling "Ow, ow."

After several minutes, Stovall walked to the Ball State bench and sat down. He placed a towel over his head and shed tears as teammate Darren Yates hugged and consoled him.

Stovall walked gingerly, but seemingly with no great pain, from the bench to the Cardinals' locker room after the game.

"I don't know exactly what happened with his knee, but he was walking, so that's a good sign," said Ball State guard Skip Mills, who also comforted his good friend on the bench. "I'm just going to keep (what was said on the bench) between us."

Stovall scored 14 points to help the Cardinals (2-0) claim the victory. Mills had team highs of 19 points and nine rebounds, narrowly missing his second straight double-double.

The real boost came from frontcourt players Charles Bass and D'Andre Peyton.

Bass, a 6-foot-9 center, blocked seven shots to help the Cardinals limit Wright State to 24.5-percent shooting.

"I just tried to be active and mentally be ready to play," Bass said. "I take great pride in just trying to be active with that and being an anchor on defense. The blocks are something that just happened."

Bass also scored 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.

Peyton, a 6-7 power forward, made 6-of-10 shots and added 14 points. He also had six rebounds.

Ball State held a 38-30 edge on the boards, limiting Wright State to three offensive rebounds after yielding eight in the first half.

Bass and Peyton helped Ball State score on their first 11 possessions of the second half, expanding a six-point halftime lead to 52-31 with 12:41 remaining in the game.

Bass scored score three inside baskets and made a free throw in the Cardinals' 20-6 run to start the second half. Peyton scored twice in the paint to help fuel the run.

"We always talk about the first five minutes of the second half, really getting after it," Bass said. "I was just trying to be active and take it up another notch from the first half."

The Cardinals' defense dug in after that. Ball State held Wright State (0-3) to 20.8-percent shooting in the second half.

Ball State shot well, hitting 50 percent on the road for just the third time in its past 13 away games.

"We ran good offense, and we were good in transition," Buckley said of the high percentage. "We pushed the ball to get easy baskets, and fatigue (by Wright State) played a role at the end."

[The Star Press]

www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051128/SPORTS/511280325/1006

BSU guard set for more tests today

By DOUG ZALESKI

[e-mail]


DAYTON, Ohio -- The status of Peyton Stovall was undetermined Sunday as the Ball State guard underwent treatment after injuring his left knee in Saturday's basketball game at Wright State.

School officials said Stovall was receiving treatment on the knee, and he would have more tests on it today, after which his availability to play in future games should be known.

Stovall fell hard to the floor while driving the lane with 1:59 to play in a game the Cardinals won 71-50. He grabbed his left knee in pain after rolling to a stop under the basket.

Stovall walked to the bench under his own power, and he walked to the locker room after the game without showing a limp. He also didn't appear to be in great pain after the game but was clearly anguished on the Cardinals' bench in the final 1:59.

The injury was to the same knee that Stovall suffered an anterior-cruciate ligament tear during the final game last season. He returned to practice this year after a six-month rehabilitation.

Zone stumps Raiders
Ball State switched from man-to-man defense late in the first half to 2-3 zone, and the move resulted in Wright State going 0-6 from the field and committing three turnovers in the final four minutes.

The Cardinals played a significant portion of the second half in the 2-3 zone, and Wright State shot just 20.8 percent from the field after halftime.

"Once they went to the zone, we kind of staggered around," said Raiders guard DaShaun Wood, who shot 2-for-13 from the floor after scoring 42 points in his first two games. "We passed around the zone instead of attacking it."

Coach on hot seat
Wright State coach Paul Biancardi will appear at an NCAA hearing in Indianapolis Dec. 9-10 to discuss NCAA rule violations committed by Ohio State when he was an assistant coach with the Buckeyes under Jim O'Brien.

A report issued by the NCAA claims Biancardi misrepresented facts and was less than candid in providing full and accurate information during the investigation.

Biancardi was under consideration for Ball State's head coaching position when Tim Buckley was hired to replace Ray McCallum in 2000. Former Ball State athletic director Andi Seger talked to Biancardi but did not bring him to campus for a formal interview.

Cardinal clatter

Biancardi was at Ohio State in 2002-03 when Ball State center Charles Bass was a freshman for the Buckeyes. Bass had 15 points, seven blocks and six rebounds against Wright State. "He had a good, solid performance, and he helped them tremendously with seven blocks," Biancardi said. "That's 14 points we didn't have a chance at."

Ball State guard Skip Mills was 9-for-9 at the free-throw line a game after going 6-for-14 in the season-opener. "I had a long talk with my dad about it ... and he told me I probably wasn't flicking my wrist," Mills said. "I just made sure I followed through on my free throws."

Buckley lifted the indefinite suspension on swingman Anthony Newell. The redshirt freshman was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team for the season-opener on Nov. 19. He had no points and two rebounds while playing five minutes against Wright State.

Contact sports writer Doug Zaleski at 213-5813.

[Associated Press]

msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/5130858

Stovall out for season with knee injury

Associated Press

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - Ball State guard Peyton Stovall, the Mid-American Conference's top returning scorer, will undergo knee surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Stovall injured his left knee during Ball State's victory against Wright State on Saturday. An MRI exam showed that he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, the school said Thursday.
Stovall, a junior, is expected to have surgery this month. Coach Tim Buckley said he was hopeful Stovall could return next season.

Stovall injured the same knee in March during the MAC tournament. He averaged 16.7 points last season and averaged 15 points in the Cardinals' first two games this year.

[The Star Press]

www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051212/SPORTS/512120329/1006

BSU player upbeat despite injury

By DOUG ZALESKI
[e-mail]


MUNCIE -- Peyton Stovall didn't need a medical diagnosis to tell him he had torn the anterior cruciate-ligament in his left knee on Nov. 26 at Wright State. The Ball State basketball player knew immediately that the injury was serious.

Unfortunately for Stovall, he had traveled that road before. Last March 7, the Cardinals' starting point guard tore the same ligament during the final game of the season against Bowling Green.

"The pain wasn't as severe as the first time, but it didn't trick me," Stovall said last week in his first interview since suffering the injury. "I knew deep down inside that's what it was. Even that night it was hard for me to get some sleep."

A few days later, an MRI confirmed Stovall's suspicion. He indeed had a torn ACL that will sideline him the rest of the season. Surgery is scheduled Dec. 27, and Stovall will face months of rehabilitation to get ready for the 2006-07 season.

Despite the devastation of tearing the ligament a second time in nine months -- "It's rare to tear the ACL graft, but it has happened to people," Ball State team physician Jay Matchett said -- Stovall refuses to take a woe-is-me attitude.

Instead, he sees the injury as a sign from a higher power.

"It wasn't a fluke," Stovall said. "I think God definitely has a plan for me to not play this year. He's testing me to see if I can help my teammates off the floor instead of on the floor this year.

"That will be hard for me to do, but I have the faith to do that and do my best to help the guys see what they don't see on the floor."

Stovall's comeback from the first ACL tear was a rapid one. Many athletes need a year to fully recover. He began practicing with his teammates on Oct. 15, less than seven months after his March 30 operation.

Cardinals coach Tim Buckley said Stovall's work ethic in his rehab allowed such a fast recovery.

"Part of it is, I think he's a freak of nature, as far as his athletic abilities," Buckley said in October.

Stovall doesn't question whether he came back too soon. He was convinced he was 100 percent recovered, and the tests he underwent showed the knee was as strong as it was before the injury.

Yet there was a mental obstacle that Stovall hadn't conquered.

"You know your leg is strong, but when you get out on the court, everything is more up-tempo, and you're not sure you can stay with that tempo," he said. "That Bowling Green game (last season) was in my head for a long time."

Ball State backup center Tom Howland, who has experienced a similar tentativeness after having multiple knee surgeries, sensed that Stovall was struggling with his confidence during preseason practices.

"With Stovall, that's the hardest part he's having," Howland said in November. "You can tell when he's going to the basket that he's thinking about landing wrong, and that's what he was doing when he got hurt (last March)."

Stovall will seek and most likely receive a medical redshirt this season, giving him two more years of eligibility. He has the belief that he'll return next year as good as ever.

"I think the rehabilitation will go smoother because he knows what to expect, having been through it before," Buckley said. "He has a great foundation at home, and his teammates will help him every step of the way."

Contact sports writer Doug Zaleski at 213-5813.


Originally published December 12, 2005