====== February 24, 2026 - UMass at Ball State ======
  * Season: [[season_2025-26|2025-26]]
  * Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026
  * Opponent: [[opponent_ball_state|Ball State]]
  * Start Time: 7:00 PM ET
  * Site: [[wp>Worthen Arena]], Muncie IN
  * Event: [[MAC]] game
  * Television: none
  * Stream: [[https://plus.espn.com/|ESPN+]]
  * Radio: [[https://www.audacy.com/stations/weei-1055fmspringfield|WEEI 105.5 FM]], [[https://wcrnradio.com/|WCRN 830 AM]], [[https://thevarsitynetwork.com/audioapplink/source/oas-1218/content/umass:allaccess-Live-5156|Varsity]] (stream)
  * Spread: UMass -4½((per Covers.com))
  * UM personnel report: [[Daniel Hankins-Sanford]] out with an unspecified injury.  [[Josh Engel]] was not dressed, no official report as to why.

[{{ ::20260224_win_probability.jpg?direct&400|ESPN's Win Probability graph, showing our 98.8% chance of winning when we took a 53-35 lead with 12:12 remaining.}}]
  * **Result: Ball State 74, UMass 73 (OT)**
  * Attendance: 2396

^  Previous Game  ^  Next Game  ^
|  [[game20260221_buffalo|Buffalo (2/21)]]  |  [[game20260228_bowling_green|at Bowling Green (2/28)]]  |

===== Previews =====
  * Game notes: [[https://umassathletics.com/news/2026/2/23/mens-basketball-umass-heads-to-ball-state-for-tuesday-tilt|UM]], [[https://ballstatesports.com/news/2026/2/23/mens-basketball-home-for-a-tuesday-night-game-vs-umass|BSU]]
  * Minuteman Command: [[https://open.substack.com/pub/minutemancommand/p/umass-looks-to-get-back-on-track?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web|UMass Looks To Get Back On Track At Ball State]]

Note: Ball State came into the game having lost 6 of their last 7 overall, 6 straight MAC games, having a 3-11 MAC record, and being ranked 323 in the NET.

===== Game Thread =====
See [[https://www.umasshoops.com/newboard/viewtopic.php?t=17480|the UMassHoops.com Message Board thread]] for pre-game and post-game discussion.\\
Also check out [[https://overthepylon.boards.net/thread/6175/dumass|what they're saying on Over The Pylon]].

===== Recaps =====
  * UM: [[https://umassathletics.com/news/2026/2/24/mens-basketball-ball-state-comes-back-to-beat-minutemen|Ball State Comes Back to Beat Minutemen]]
  * BSU: [[https://ballstatesports.com/news/2026/2/24/mens-basketball-cardinals-complete-18-point-comeback-in-74-73-overtime-win-over-umass|Cardinals Complete 18-Point Comeback in 74-73 Overtime Win over UMass]]
  * Mass. Daily Collegian: [[https://dailycollegian.com/2026/02/minutemen-suffer-second-straight-overtime-loss-to-ball-state/|Minutemen suffer second straight overtime loss to Ball State]]
  * MDC: [[https://dailycollegian.com/2026/02/leonardo-bettiols-foul-trouble-dooms-umass-against-ball-state/|Leonardo Bettiol’s foul trouble dooms UMass against Ball State]]
  * Minuteman Command: [[https://open.substack.com/pub/minutemancommand/p/umass-blows-18-point-second-half?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web|UMass Blows 18-Point Second-Half Leads, Loses At Ball St. In OT]]
  * sMACk Talk: [[https://open.substack.com/pub/smacktalk/p/cardinals-outscore-minutemen-in-final?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web|Cardinals Outscore Minutemen in Final Seven Minutes of Regulation to Force Overtime]]

==== Notes ====
  * [[kjei_parker|K'Jei Parker]] hit a FG to put UMass ahead, 53-35, with 12:12 remaining.
  * UMass proceeded to give up a 26-5 run, with only 1 FG in that span (2-pointer by [[Marcus Banks]] at the 7:50 remaining mark.)  In that same span, UMass missed 13 FGs and turned it over 5 times.
  * UM's next field goal came on [[isaiah_placide|Isaiah Placide's]] three with :25 remaining.

===== Other content =====
  * [[https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/video/_/gameId/401814582|Highlights and clips from ESPN]]
  * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRDN4KukgS8|Highlights from the MAC]]
  * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0DTLsxJp2I|Condended (9:46) game]]
  * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q8g7-oztKI|Just Being Frank 3.19]] discusses the game

===== Box score =====
[[https://umassathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2025-26/ball-state/boxscore/16372|Standard]], [[https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=610650|StatBroadcast]], [[https://dxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net/sidearm.nextgen.sites/umassathletics.com/stats/mbball/2025/pdf/20260224082550-2724648.pdf|PDF]]

{{pdfjs 500px > :PDFs:20260224_box_score_at_ball_state.pdf}}

{{tag>"2025-26 season" "Ball State" "Overtime game"}}