GREENWOOD, S.C. – The GRU Augusta men's basketball team outlasted the nationally-ranked Lander Bearcats and won a 97-88 overtime Peach Belt Conference game on the road Saturday afternoon in Horne Arena.

The Jaguars improved to 11-4 and 3-3 in the PBC, while No. 22 Lander moved to 13-1 and 5-1 in the league. GRU beat Lander, who entered the day as one of only six unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II.

In a game that featured 19 ties and 17 lead changes, GRU's Keshun Sherrill scored 25 of his 29 points in the second half and overtime, making 10 of 17 shots from the floor. It was Sherrill's driving layup with two seconds left that sent the game into overtime. Devon Wright-Nelson added 25 points and a team-high eight rebounds, making 10 of 14 shots from the floor for the Jaguars.

Devonte Thomas added 15 points for GRU while D'Angelo Boyce added eight points and a game-high nine assists. The Jaguars hit 34 of 56 shots from the field (61 percent), 24 of 37 free throws (65 percent) and five of 13 from behind the arc (39 percent) while holding a 37-36 edge on the boards.

Tobiasz Hose led Lander with 26 points and nine rebounds. Kiair Crouch added 16 points and led Lander with seven assists.

Mike Lee added 13 points, Scott Elder and Ricardo Martin 11 points apiece, and JR Washington 10 points. Elder made five of seven shots from the floor before fouling out. Lander made 27 of 65 shots from the floor (42 percent), 28 of 38 free throws (74 percent) and six of 22 from 3-point range (27 percent).

Washington's trey gave Lander a 6-0 lead, Elder's first 3 of the season put the Bearcats up 11-8, and Crouch's three pointer upped the advantage to 22-15 with 11:43 left. GRU scored seven unanswered points to tie the game at 22-all with 9:12 to go on McCarthy's two free throws.

Lee converted a three-point play and Washington made another 3, giving the Bearcats a 28-23 lead at the 7:36 mark. But Thomas and Boyce made 3s to pull GRU closer, and the Jaguars tied it at 32 with 4:34 left on Vlad Cobzaru's free throw. Wright-Nelson gave GRU its first lead of the game at 36-34 with 2:16 to go. There were five lead changes and two ties in the final two minutes of the first half with Hose scoring at the buzzer, handing the Bearcats a 41-40 lead at the break.

The lead changed hands five times in the first two minutes of the second half, then Thomas's trey gave the Jaguars a little breathing room with a 49-45 lead with 17:38 to go.

Lander used a 7-0 run including a pair of baskets by Hose to move back ahead 52-49 at the 14-minute mark.

GRU's Sherrill and the Bearcats' Lee exchanged treys, leaving the game tied at 56 with 10:50 left. But Wright-Nelson scored to give the Jaguars their biggest lead of the game at 62-57 with 9:28 to go.

Lee's three-point play tied the game at 64 at the eight-minute mark. The Jags answered with Wright-Nelson's three-point play and Thomas's three gave GRU a 72-66 lead, its largest of the game, with 6:35 left.

But Martin hit a jumper from the left baseline and Washington nailed a three from the top of the key, bringing the Bearcats within 72-71 with 4:20 to go. After Wright-Nelson hit one of two free throws, Hose drove in for a layup to tie the game at 73 with 3:33 left.

After GRU's Boyce made one of two free throws, Crouch hit two free throws giving Lander a 75-74 lead with 3:05 to go. Crouch came up with another big play, stealing the ball from Boyce as the Bearcats were on the verge of forcing a 35-second violation, was fouled, and made one of two free throws for a 76-74 advantage with 2:28 left.

Thomas made two free throws to tie the game at 76 with 2:05 left. Lander wound the shot clock down and while Martin missed a jumper, Hose tapped it in from the left side of the basket to put the Bearcats back on top 78-76 with 1:41 to go.

Martin's defensive rebound returned the ball to Lander with the lead and the clock winding down under a minute. But the Bearcats were called for an offensive foul, returning the ball to GRU. Sherrill drove down the lane for a game-tying shot and was fouled with 39 seconds left, and he made one of two free throws to pull the visitors within 78-77.

Crouch hit two big free throws, extending Lander's lead to 80-77 with 28 seconds left.

Sherrill quickly took the ball to the basket for a layup, pulling the Jaguars within 80-79 with 19 seconds to go.

Three times, the Jaguars took two-point leads in overtime including a pair of baskets by Wright-Nelson. But the Bearcats came back to tie all three times, with Martin's two free throws tying it at 83, Hose's basket at 85, and Crouch's jumper at 87 with 2:52 left.

Sherrill made one of two free throws, putting GRU back on top at 88-87 with 2:15 left. After Lander missed a pair of potential go-ahead shots, the Jaguars got the ball back and Sherrill was fouled again. This time, he made both free throws for a 90-87 advantage with 1:45 to go.

After Hose missed a shot, GRU got the rebound and wound some clock, then Wright-Nelson scored to give the Jaguars a 92-87 lead at the one-minute mark.

Lander's Sergio Smith and GRU's Thomas exchanged free throws, leaving the Jaguars up 93-88 with 39 seconds left. Then Thomas and Sherrill each made two free throws to put the game away.

The Jags host Armstrong Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Christenberry Fieldhouse.

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