Ball State Cardinals 79, Northern Illinois Huskies 43
NCAA Men's · 2026-02-28 · Winner: Ball State Cardinals
Ball State Cardinals defeated Northern Illinois Huskies 79–43 on 2026-02-28 in NCAA Men's play, a 36-point result. A 9-0 road team run ending at H1 16:29 swung win probability 62% → 29%. Below is the quarter-by-quarter linescore, a win-probability timeline, and an automated breakdown of why Northern Illinois Huskies lost.
Linescore
| H1 | H2 | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ball State Cardinals | 36 | 43 | 79 |
| Northern Illinois Huskies | 29 | 14 | 43 |
Win probability
Turning point — A 9-0 road team run ending at H1 16:29 swung win probability 62% → 29%.
Why Northern Illinois Huskies lost
- Lost H2 14-43 - the worst stretch of the game.
- Gave up a 21-0 run ending at H2 13:19 (win probability 25% → 0% for the home side).
- Shot 30.2% eFG vs a 48.6% season average - a cold night.
- Lost the turnover battle 12-7.
Scoring runs
| Team | Run | Ends | Win-prob swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ball State Cardinals | 9–0 | H1 16:29 | 62% → 29% |
| Ball State Cardinals | 21–0 | H2 13:19 | 25% → 0% |
| Ball State Cardinals | 9–0 | H2 9:59 | 0% → 0% |
| Ball State Cardinals | 9–0 | H2 6:01 | 0% → 0% |