HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Ball State Cardinals travel to the Henderson Center for a pivotal conference showdown with the Thundering Herd Tuesday evening.

Ball State enters Tuesday’s crucial Mid-American Conference contest with a 10-13 overall record, 7-7 in the league. Dennis Trammell, a 6’3 junior guard, leads the Cardinals in scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game. Senior forwards Cameron Echols and Robert Echols each add 11 points per contest for Ball State. BSU has lost three out of their last four games, all at Worthen Arena. Their lone win during that time was at Northern Illinois (67-62). Ball State sits one game ahead of Marshall in the overall conference standings.

The Herd currently post a 9-14 overall record, 6-8 in the Mid-American Conference. Marshall has won two of their last three conference games, both coming at the Henderson Center (Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan).

In Marshall's most recent game, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers defeated MU, 87-66, Saturday at the Henderson Center in an ESPN Bracket Buster matchup. Marshall had no answer for WKU’s senior center Nigel Dixon, who put together a monstrous double-double with 29 points and 16 rebounds. WKU shot a blistering 59.6% from the floor, the Herd’s second-worst defensive performance of the year. Junior point guard A.W. Hamilton led the Marshall scoring effort with 16 points, his fourth consecutive game scoring in double-figures. Marvin Black added 13 points, while junior guard Enoch Bunch pitched in 11 points off the Herd bench.

The Cardinals lead the all-time series over the Thundering Herd, 5-4. Last year at Worthen Arena, Ball State upended Marshall, 96-75. In the two teams’ last meeting at the Henderson Center, the Thundering Herd won a two overtime affair, 98-95, on January 29th, 2002. All-time in the Henderson Center Marshall is 3-1; the lone defeat came in 1997-98, when Ball State came away with an 86-78 win.

The Herd will be honoring former standout tight end Mike Bartrum at the half of Tuesday night's game with the prestigious M-Club blanket. Bartrum, a 10-year NFL veteran and a current member of the Philadelphia Eagles, will also be signing autographs in the Robert C. Hartley Room of the Henderson Center for all fans starting at 6 p.m.

Tip-off for the Ball State-Marshall game is set for a 7 p.m. start.