Massachusetts Minutemen 73, Ball State Cardinals 74
NCAA Men's · 2026-02-24 · Winner: Ball State Cardinals
Ball State Cardinals defeated Massachusetts Minutemen 74–73 on 2026-02-24 in NCAA Men's play, a 1-point result. A 9-0 home team run ending at H2 0:45 swung win probability 17% → 80%. Below is the quarter-by-quarter linescore, a win-probability timeline, and an automated breakdown of why Massachusetts Minutemen lost.
Linescore
| H1 | H2 | OT | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Minutemen | 34 | 27 | 12 | 73 |
| Ball State Cardinals | 21 | 40 | 13 | 74 |
Win probability
Turning point — A 9-0 home team run ending at H2 0:45 swung win probability 17% → 80%.
Why Massachusetts Minutemen lost
- Lost H2 27-40 - the worst stretch of the game.
- Gave up a 9-0 run ending at H2 0:45 (win probability 17% → 80% for the home side).
- Shot 43.5% eFG vs a 53.0% season average - a cold night.
- Lost the turnover battle 14-10.
- Game was within 0 with 5:00 left - lost the closing stretch.
Scoring runs
| Team | Run | Ends | Win-prob swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Minutemen | 12–0 | H1 6:13 | 54% → 12% |
| Ball State Cardinals | 8–0 | H2 5:16 | 4% → 28% |
| Ball State Cardinals | 9–0 | H2 0:45 | 17% → 80% |