Pearson scores 21 in Ball State's 77-76 win over Southern Miss

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — Mickey Pearson Jr. scored 21 points as Ball State beat Southern Miss 77-76 on Saturday.

Pearson also contributed five rebounds for the Cardinals (11-12, 4-6 Mid-American Conference). Payton Sparks added 13 points while shooting 4 of 8 from the field and 5 for 5 from the line while they also had 12 rebounds. Ethan Brittain-Watts had 10 points and shot 4 for 9, including 2 for 4 from beyond the arc.

Denijay Harris led the Golden Eagles (10-15, 5-7 Sun Belt Conference) in scoring, finishing with 23 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Deantoni Gordon added 14 points for Southern Miss. Christian Watson also had 13 points.

Ball State plays Tuesday against Eastern Michigan at home, and Southern Miss visits Arkansas State on Wednesday.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.