LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Jelani Hewitt drilled three free throws with 1.7 seconds on the clock to force an extra period as Georgia Southern erased an eight-point deficit with 3:27 left in regulation and squeaked by UALR for a 72-70 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball win in overtime Saturday night in the Jack Stephens Center.

Hewitt pump faked and got Josh Hagins to leave his feet and then went up for the 3-point try from the wing as the junior came down on top of him with 1.7 left in regulation. Hewitt calmly sank all three free throws to tie the score 64-64 after the Eagles had trailed 59-51 with 3:27 left in the second half.

"I just really wanted to knock them down for my teammates," said Hewitt. "I put a lot of work in in the gym, and I just trusted all the practice."

The Trojans' long heave as the buzzer sounded was nowhere close, and Hewitt hit a 3-pointer from the opposite wing to get things started in the extra period. A step-back jumper from the elbow by Curtis Diamond gave the Eagles a 72-68 lead with 2:00 remaining.

Hagins hit a runner for the Trojans and after a defensive stop, tried a 3-pointer that rimmed out with 42 second left. Georgia Southern ran the shot clock all the way down on its possession, and an errant pass found its way to Hagins hands. But Angel Matias was able to poke it away as the Trojans tried to break and Diamond picked it up and was fouled with four seconds left.

Diamond missed both free-throw attempts, and the Trojans got the ball to James Reid, whose 3-point try from the wing was off the mark as the buzzer sounded.

"We found a way to win, and it shows how tough our team is to come back from that much down that late," said senior forward Trent Wiedeman.

Hewitt finished with 21 points, five assists and five rebounds for the Eagles (18-5, 11-3), while Wiedeman collected 14 points and eight rebounds. Matias notched 11 points and five rebounds, while Mike Hughes scored 12 points.

Reid hit four 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 23 points for UALR (10-15, 5-10), and Hagins scored 11 points. Ben Dillard finished with 10 points.

"I'm proud of the guys – they had a chance to give in, and they wouldn't," said Georgia Southern coach Mark Byington. "I told the guys we have to be ready for adversity when it hits. We didn't handle it well at first, but our guys dug their feet in and made a stand."

The Eagles led by 11 points early in the second half, but a 19-5 run, capped by the rare 4-point play by Dillard, gave UALR a 55-46 lead. Trailing 59-51 with 3:27 to go, the Eagles went on an 8-2 run, and a 3-pointer from the wing by Ferguson made the score 61-59 with 1:25 left in regulation.

Hagins made it a four-point lead by knocking down a 17-foot jumper with Hewitt draped all over him. The Eagles got a chance to tie on their next trip down the floor. Wiedeman was fouled while making a layup, but missed the free throw and Ferguson was fouled going for the rebound. The senior missed both from the charity stripe, and the Eagles were forced to foul Reid. The junior made 1-of-2 from the line for a 64-61 lead with 18.5 left.

An 8-0 run, sparked by two buckets by Matias and a 3-pointer by Jake Allsmiller, opened an 18-11 Eagle advantage midway through the first frame. The Eagles scored seven straight points, capped by a triple by Hewitt from the top of the key, to open a 31-16 lead, and Georgia Southern would go into the break with a 35-26 advantage.

The Eagles are back in action with two home contests next week, starting on Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night Thursday against Troy. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

The win makes Georgia Southern the second team to clinch a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the Lakeside Center in New Orleans. All-session ticket books are available for $99 at the Georgia Southern Ticket Office. Call 1-800-GSU-WINS!

Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. For tickets to Georgia Southern athletics events, call 1-800-GSU-WINS or visit GSEagles.com.