Preview: Massachusetts Minutemen at Ball State Cardinals MUNCIE, Ind. (Interstat) — The Massachusetts Minutemen look to snap a four-game skid when they visit the struggling Ball State Cardinals in a non-conference men’s basketball matchup organized by the Mid-American Conference on Tuesday night at Worthen Arena. Massachusetts (15-13) arrives after a heartbreaking 86-82 overtime loss to Buffalo on Saturday. The Minutemen have lost five of their last six, with the lone win in that stretch a 95-89 victory over Central Michigan on Feb. 3. Their recent games have been high-scoring affairs, with three of the last four decided by five points or fewer, including a triple-overtime defeat at Coastal Carolina on Feb. 7. The Minutemen will lean on guard Marcus Banks, who is averaging 19.1 points per game over his last seven contests. Banks is coming off a 24-point performance against Buffalo and erupted for 37 points in the win over Central Michigan earlier this month. Ball State (8-19) has lost five of its last six and is coming off a 78-65 home loss to Akron on Friday. The Cardinals have struggled to find consistency, particularly on offense, failing to reach 70 points in four of those six games. Their last win was a 73-68 victory at Louisiana-Monroe on Feb. 7. The Cardinals’ top threat is guard Davion Hill, who has scored in double figures in six of his last seven games. Hill posted 18 points against Akron and is averaging 15.3 points per game during that seven-game span. In the season’s first meeting on Jan. 10 in Amherst, Massachusetts secured a 79-71 victory. Banks led the Minutemen with 22 points in that contest. Tuesday’s game pits two teams seeking momentum as the regular season winds down. Massachusetts aims to climb back to .500 in all competitions, while Ball State hopes to halt its slide and find a spark at home. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.