COLUMBIA, S.C. – Benedict's Justin Peeples swished three game-winning free throws with 0.8 seconds left in overtime Tuesday night and the Tigers rallied past GRU Augusta for a 72-70 non-conference in Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena.

The setback dropped the Jaguars to 3-2 on the young season, while Benedict improved to 3-1.

In a contest that featured 11 ties and 16 lead changes, GRU senior forward KJ Sherrill tallied a career-best 25 points. His 3-point play on a jumper and free throw with 38 seconds left in overtime put the Jags ahead for the first time in the extra period at 68-67. BC's Brennan Reynard nailed two from the charity stripe with 28 ticks remaining before Sherrill drained another jumper with 13 seconds left put the Jags on top, 70-69.

After a BC timeout with 9.1 to play, the Tigers held for the last shot. With :0.8 remaining in the game, Jaguar senior guard Ryan Weems was whistled for a foul and Peeples, who had lost control of the ball, connected on all three attempts at the charity stripe for a 72-70 Tiger lead and the final margin.

Junior guard Devonte Thomas had 10 points off the bench for the Jags, who shot a season-low 39.3 percent from the field and connected on only 2-of-16 from 3-point range. Deonte Johnson led four Tigers in double figures with 14 points and Peeples added 13. BC shot 51.0 percent from the field (25-of-49) and hit 9-of-20 3-point attempts (45.0 percent). The Tigers were an impressive 13-of-16 (81.3 percent) at the charity stripe, compared to just 20-of-29 (69.0 percent) for GRU.

The Jags jumped out to a 7-2 advantage before BC answered with eight in a row. The Tigers led by as much as nine at the 25-16 before a pair of Weems' free throws at the 6:38 mark and a Thomas long 3-pointer. A Weems' steal and dish to Thomas for a layup pulled to the Jags to within 29-24 with 3:25 to play in the half. Another Weems steal and a D'Angelo Boyce layup pulled GRU within three at 29-26. BC's Alex Brailsford stemmed the tide with a 3-point play at the 2:09 mark. Two Thomas makes from the charity stripe pulled the Jags as close as 32-30 with 1:14 left, and neither teams scored again before the half.

Just 15 ticks into the second half, Sherrill forged a 32-all tie with a short jumper in the lane. A minute later, Sherrill canned another jumper to give GRU a 34-32 advantage, its first lead since the 13:33 mark of the first half. A pair of Boyce free throws put the Jags in front 44-43 midway through the second half and a Sherrill free throw knotted the contest at 9:15. A baseline jumper from Sherrill off an assist from Boyce put GRU in front 50-47 with 7:40 remaining and Doby made it a 52-47 lead with a jumper. Sherrill and Devon Wright-Nelson connected on short jumpers in between a Benedict turnover for a 56-50 advantage at the 5:20 mark.

The Jags led 58-53 at the 3:01 mark following a pair of Weems' free throws. BC's Crawford drained a long trey to forge a 58-all tie with only 51 seconds remaining. After Weems misfired on the front end of a 1-and-1 with 29.5 seconds left, the Tigers called a timeout to hold for the last shot. Reynard dribbled the ball off his foot on the right sideline to give the Jags one last shot in regulation. Boyce's driving layup and Doby's tipin effort were both off the mark, sending the contest to overtime.

Benedict's Andrew Crawford knocked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key to start overtime before Sherrill's 3-point play tied the game at 61 just 1:04 into the extra period. Sherrill canned another jumper to get the Jags within 65-64. After a Tiger free throw, Devon Wright-Nelson made a free throw to pull the Jags within 66-65. A Crawford free throw put BC up 67-65 with 1:00 left. Sherrill connected on a jumper and was fouled, and his free throw at the :38 mark put the Jags in front for the first time in overtime, 68-67.

The Jags return home for the first time in three weeks when they play host to Paine on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m., in Christenberry Fieldhouse.