College Basketball

Persons' 3-point play sends Ball State past Coppin State

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:49 p.m. ET

foxsports

LAS VEGAS (AP) Tayler Persons scored 19 points, including a game-winning 3-point play, and had 10 assists to help Ball State defeat Coppin State on Monday.

Keith Shivers' basket with 43 seconds left gave Coppin State (0-6) its only lead of the game at 77-76 before Persons converted his 3-point play with 28 seconds remaining.

Trey Moses then blocked a shot by Shivers and the Cardinals' Sean Sellers got the rebound and was fouled. However, Sellers missed two free throws giving the Eagles a final chance but Dejuan Clayton missed a contested, left-handed layup as time ran out.

All of Persons' points came in the second half. Moses pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds to go with five assists, four blocks and four points. Sellers added 16 points for Ball State (3-2).

The game was part of the MGM Grand Main Event ''middleweight division.''

Shivers scored a career-high 26 points with nine rebounds.