Boxscore

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Even when it was over, it wasn't over.  But two overtimes and 91 points later, the University of Evansville finally defeated Tennessee Tech 91-90 Tuesday night.

The game came down to the final seconds of the second overtime, and it was freshman Colt Ryan who scored the game-winner, a 12-footer with five seconds remaining that gave Evansville a 91-90 lead.  But it wasn't over yet.  Zach Bailey tipped in a shot for Tennessee Tech moments after the clock went to 0:00.  Five minutes later, after all three officials had peered at the video replay, Evansville was eventually declared the winner.  The Aces are now 3-2 going into Friday's home game against Alabama State.

Evansville trailed by 15 points twice in the first half, but after Tennessee Tech built a 26-11 lead midway through the period, baskets by Ryan, Clint Hopf and Bryan Bouchie began a comeback that eventually brought the Aces to within one at halftime, 33-32.  UE's first lead of the night came in the first minute of the second half on Ryan's runner off the glass, and the Aces upped the lead to six on Bouchie's hook shot to make it 56-50 with just under 10 minutes to play.  Right back came the Golden Eagles, who led by as many as six in the final three minutes of regulation thanks to the three-point shooting of Frank Davis, who buried four in the second half.

With Evansville still down by four in the final minute of regulation, Kavon Lacey hit a 10-footer to make it 72-70, and after a Tech free throw, Ryan made his first three-pointer of the game with 13 seconds remaining to tie the game at 73 and send it into overtime after the Eagles missed in the final seconds.  Evansville trailed through most of the first overtime before Ned Cox made a three-point play with 35 seconds remaining to send it into overtime number two at 81-81.

Bailey's layup in the final 13 seconds of the back and forth second OT put the Eagles up 90-89, leading to Ryan's game-winner in the final five seconds.

"This was all about the effort of our players," said UE Coach Marty Simmons.  "They didn't play well early, but to come back from 15 points down on the road shows the kind of determination they had.  It was nice to see a happy locker room after a road game."

Cox, who had scored only four points total in his last three games, went 4-for-6 from three-point range and led all scorers with 22. Ryan added 19, James Haarsma scored 17 and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Bouchie added 16 points.