WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Tayler Persons and Ball State showed well again against a ranked in-state opponent, but this time, the Cardinals fell a little short.
Purdue held off Ball State 84-75 in front of a sold-out Mackey Arena. The Cardinals led 48-47 early in the second half, but the Boilermakers went on a 19-2 run.
Persons led Ball State with 19 points, all of which came in the first half. He shot 5 of 13 from the floor against a team he nearly committed to three years ago. Persons looked to be in for another big game, like when he scored 24 points and the game-winning 3-pointer at No.