SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State and the rest of the Sun Belt Conference take a break from league action on Saturday for the second game of the inaugural MAC-SBC Challenge. The Bobcats (10-14, 4-8 Sun Belt) will host Ball State (12-11, 4-7 MAC) from Strahan Arena with tip set for 4 p.m.
 
Fans can catch the action on ESPN+ and on the Varsity Sports Network with Clint Shields on the call. Live stats will also be available to follow.
 
About Texas State
Entering the game, TXST is on a three-game winning streak after defeating Sun Belt leaders App State on Wednesday. IT was the team's first victory over the league leader this late into a season since Feb. 13, 2020 when the Bobcats defeated Little Rock at home. Texas State won its first game of the MAC-SBC Challenge 74-65 at Miami (OH) back on Nov. 11, 2023.
 
Jordan Mason continues to lead the team at 12.7 points per game while making a team best 78.1% of his free throws. The sophomore is second on the team with 53 assists and 23 steals. Brandon Love enters the game averaging 11.0 ppg and grabbing a team-high 6.0 rebounds a contest. He has blocked 42 shots, which ranks fourth in the Sun Belt and is tied for the fifth most by a TXST player in a season.
 
Davion Sykes has been a spark for the team since entering the starting lineup three games ago. In that span, the sophomore forward is putting up 15.7 ppg and 10.0 rpg while shooting 61.8% (21-of-34) from the field. His performance has increased his season marks to 10.1 ppg and 6.5 rpg.
 
About Ball State
The Cardinals are coming off an 84-79 overtime loss at home to Ohio on Tuesday. Since the calendar turned to 2024, six of their seven conference setbacks have been by single digits with the lone exception being the opener at Kent State on Jan. 2 when BSU fell 82-69. The Cardinals also won their November MAC-SBC contest by beating Old Dominion 73-68.
 
Four players are playing over 31 minutes a contest and all of them come in scoring at least 11 points a game. Leading the way is Basheer Jihad at 19.3 ppg. He is also the team leader in field goal percentage (48.3), free throws made (126), free throws attempted (171), rebounds (7.6) and blocks (24).
 
Jalin Anderson is netting 15.7 ppg behind 39 made three-pointers while leading the squad with 101 assists and 40 steals. Mickey Pearson, Jr. comes in averaging 12.0 ppg with 32 made treys and a team-best 87.8% at the charity stripe. Davion Bailey has seen 44 of his 78 made shots come from beyond the arc as he is putting up 11.7 ppg.
 
All-Time Series vs. Cardinals
Saturday will be just the second-ever meeting between the two programs. Ball State won the only previous meeting 75-59 that took place in Muncie, Indiana on Dec. 28, 1988. The Cardinals will be the first MAC team that the Bobcats have faced multiple times.
 
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