MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State couldn’t have drawn up a better way to start Mid-American Conference play if it wanted to.
The Cardinals led wire-to-wire at Toledo, the supposed second-best team in the MAC, and won in dominating fashion 79-64. It was a statement to the rest of the league that Ball State, though it is short-handed, isn’t going anywhere. The Cardinals are for real.
Tayler Persons, who is playing at a MAC Player of the Year-type level, paced Ball State with 21 points on 10 of 17 shooting. And Tahjai Teague continued his remarkable season, routinely bailing out the Cardinals at the end of the shot clock to finish with 20 points and 12 rebounds.