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EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — D.J. Ballentine scored 32 points on 10-of-18 shooting on Sunday and Evansville held off a second-half surge by Coppin State to win 85-80.
Egidijus Mockevicius scored 15 and grabbed 10 rebounds, Blake Simmons added 13 points, and Mislav Brzoja had 10 boards for the Purple Aces (10-2).
Coppin State opened with three straight 3-pointers to lead 9-8, but Evansville ripped an 11-4 run to lead 19-13. Ballentine hit back-to-back 3-pointers amid a 14-4 run and the Purple Aces pulled to a 42-30 halftime lead.
Coppin State rallied in the second half, gaining ground on a 15-2 run, then taking a 73-72 lead on a 3-pointer by Sterling Smith with 2:17 left. Evansville pulled ahead on a 9-2 run and Ballentine hit four free throws in the final seven seconds.
Smith led Coppin State (1-12) with 22 points, Arnold Fripp scored 13 with 11 rebounds, Daquan Brickhouse added 12 points, and Christian Kessee 11.
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