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Top 10 Stories of 2017-18: Persons Beats Buzzer to Stun Top-10 Notre Dame
June 12, 2018 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Another athletic year is in the books for the Cardinals. Ball State student-athletes, coaches and teams accomplished several notable feats in 2017-18.
Through much discussion, BallStateSports.com has identified the top 10 storylines of the year. We are revealing the storylines one-by-one each week over a period of 10 weeks.
The stories are being revealed in chronological order, beginning with the fall season and running through the spring. We continue this week with a look back at a buzzer-beating win for the men's basketball team over a top-10 opponent.
Persons Beats Buzzer to Stun Top-10 Notre Dame
The Ball State men's basketball program made national headlines at the 2001 Maui Invitational by beating No. 4 Kansas and No. 3 UCLA on back-to-back days. But in the 16 years that followed, no MAC team posted a win over an AP top-10 opponent.
Then the Cardinals ventured to South Bend this season for a Dec. 5 matchup with ninth-ranked Notre Dame (the Irish were one spot better in the coaches poll). Not only did BSU end the MAC's 16-year drought, but the Cardinals also registered their first-ever true road win over a top-10 foe … and did so in dramatic fashion.
After leading for more than two-thirds of the game, Ball State found itself tied at 77 after Notre Dame's Matt Farrell drained a 3-pointer with 21 seconds to play. Head coach James Whitford did not call a timeout, instead allowing his point guard Tayler Persons to create.
As the clock ticked down, Persons dribbled around a screen from Trey Moses and fired a 3-pointer from just left of the top of the key. It found nothing but net with 1.7 seconds to play.
All Notre Dame could manage on its last look was All-American Bonzie Colson's long-distance heave. It was off the mark as the Cardinals stormed the Joyce Center court to celebrate.
As exciting as that win was, it turned out to be just the first chapter in the 2017-18 story penned by Persons. The junior would repeat the feat twice more (both at home) … from virtually the same spot on the floor.
Four days later, this time with Ball State trailing Valparaiso by two, Persons buried a trey with 3.3 seconds remaining for a 71-70 win. Then during the conference schedule, in a tie game with Bowling Green, he hit from just slightly deeper to lift the Cardinals to a 59-56 victory.
Persons demonstrated a clutch gene all season long. A remarkable six times throughout the year, he scored go-ahead or game-tying points in the final 20 seconds.
Previous Storylines
June 6: Soccer's MAC West Three-Peat
Through much discussion, BallStateSports.com has identified the top 10 storylines of the year. We are revealing the storylines one-by-one each week over a period of 10 weeks.
The stories are being revealed in chronological order, beginning with the fall season and running through the spring. We continue this week with a look back at a buzzer-beating win for the men's basketball team over a top-10 opponent.
Persons Beats Buzzer to Stun Top-10 Notre Dame
The Ball State men's basketball program made national headlines at the 2001 Maui Invitational by beating No. 4 Kansas and No. 3 UCLA on back-to-back days. But in the 16 years that followed, no MAC team posted a win over an AP top-10 opponent.
Then the Cardinals ventured to South Bend this season for a Dec. 5 matchup with ninth-ranked Notre Dame (the Irish were one spot better in the coaches poll). Not only did BSU end the MAC's 16-year drought, but the Cardinals also registered their first-ever true road win over a top-10 foe … and did so in dramatic fashion.
After leading for more than two-thirds of the game, Ball State found itself tied at 77 after Notre Dame's Matt Farrell drained a 3-pointer with 21 seconds to play. Head coach James Whitford did not call a timeout, instead allowing his point guard Tayler Persons to create.
As the clock ticked down, Persons dribbled around a screen from Trey Moses and fired a 3-pointer from just left of the top of the key. It found nothing but net with 1.7 seconds to play.
All Notre Dame could manage on its last look was All-American Bonzie Colson's long-distance heave. It was off the mark as the Cardinals stormed the Joyce Center court to celebrate.
As exciting as that win was, it turned out to be just the first chapter in the 2017-18 story penned by Persons. The junior would repeat the feat twice more (both at home) … from virtually the same spot on the floor.
Four days later, this time with Ball State trailing Valparaiso by two, Persons buried a trey with 3.3 seconds remaining for a 71-70 win. Then during the conference schedule, in a tie game with Bowling Green, he hit from just slightly deeper to lift the Cardinals to a 59-56 victory.
Persons demonstrated a clutch gene all season long. A remarkable six times throughout the year, he scored go-ahead or game-tying points in the final 20 seconds.
[VIDEO] @TaylerPersons did it again! @BallStateMBB takes down its second Top 100 team this week, 71-70, beating Valpo! #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/1OuEhXMfkC
— Ball State Sports (@BallStateSports) December 9, 2017
Wow. @TaylerPersons8 does it again. Ball. Game. @BallStateMBB #MACtion #ChirpChirp pic.twitter.com/ayXasL1dVE
— Ball State Sports (@BallStateSports) February 7, 2018
Previous Storylines
June 6: Soccer's MAC West Three-Peat
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