Cardinals rusty, trying out new strategies
By SCOTT SWAIN

     Muncie, IN -- Ball State head coach Tim Buckley and his young Cardinal squad could only sigh in relief after Wednesday night's overtime win over Marathon Oil.
 
     The Cardinals struggled throughout the game before regaining composure in the final moments of regulation to force overtime and eventually defeat Marathon 86-82.
 
     Ball State was looking to try out new lineups and strategies in the exhibition game. The Cardinals had to do so without starting veterans Cedric Moodie (out with broken foot) and center Lonnie Jones, who sprained his ankle early in the week during practice.

     The Cardinals at times displayed brilliance, but also lacked the shiny aspect at times. On several occassins Buckley substituted five new players in due to lack of defensive recovery.
 
     All in all, the Cardinals looked solid for the season ahead of them. Sophomore forward Theron Smith took over the inside game for the Cardinals late in the second half and gave Ball State fans a glimpse of the future. Smith had bulked up over the summer and took on the appearnace of the Incredible Hulk. He put in nine points, all of which came from the inside. Smith had two free throw attempts with 1.8 seconds remaining in the game and only managed to hit one, forcing the overtime session.
 
     Also looking impressive was junior Josh Murray, who displayed ball control and a keen knack for rebounding, he hauled in 13 boards and was running up and down the floor steadily. Not to mention a more focused look from the charity stripe, where he was 5-10. Murray ended the night with 22 points.
 
     Corey Harris also showed signs of improvement on the offensive end, scoring five points, he managed to get some good looks. Patrick Jackson was still the same player, shooting the ball at moments he should have remembered he was at the point. He did a fair job of stepping up.
 
     Rob Robbins has improved over the summer, he earned more playing time in the game than he had seen all of last year. Brian Burns got the nod at center and looked as if he had lost some wieght since last year. Mark Farris also showed some promise, he was on the boards and got some easy looks inside off offensive rebounds.
 
     Newcomers, Rawle Marshall, Michael Bennett and Robbie Owens keep the Cardinals alive with their hustle and youthfulness. The three youngsters made some fantastic hustle plays and looked very athletic. Bennett finished with two points, Owens with six and Marshall with two points respectively.
 
     So here we are, one down and many more to go. After the Cardinals get the offense squared away and the defense set we ought to be well on our way to the NCAA Tournament, or at least the MAC championship.
 
     Some team stats for the Cardinals after the Marathon Oil game: Rebounds as a team 56 (Murray leader with 13; assists 14 (Jackson leader with 5); steals 10 (Farris leader with 5); blocks 4 (Farris leader again with 3); 3-pt FG 4-17; FG's 32-70; FT's 18-29.

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