Ball State upsets No. 9 Notre Dame on last-second 3-pointer (Video)

Henry Bushnell
·Senior soccer reporter
Ball State’s Tayler Persons (2) drives by Notre Dame’s T.J. Gibbs (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Robert Franklin)
Ball State’s Tayler Persons (2) drives by Notre Dame’s T.J. Gibbs (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Robert Franklin)

It was just a week ago that Notre Dame’s 2017-18 season was off to a fantastic start. It was 6-0, and had already scored a victory over fifth-ranked Wichita State. Since that upset, though, things haven’t gone so well.

An ACC/Big Ten Challenge loss at No. 3 Michigan State was understandable. But a home loss to unranked, KenPom No. 138 Ball State? A bit less so.

The Fighting Irish fell behind early, came back to take a second-half lead, and entered the final possession of the game knotted at 77. Matt Farrell had tied the game at 77 with a 3-point with 24 seconds remaining.

But that meant Ball State could hold for a final shot. The Cardinals did. And Tayler Persons drilled it:

Their wild celebrations were certainly justified:

Persons finished the game with 24 points, five rebounds and three assists. He dealt Notre Dame its second loss of the young season. The Irish will almost certainly fall out of the top 10, a couple weeks after rising into it after the win over Wichita State.