By Chris Whitaker, The Americus Times-Recorder

HARROGATE, Tenn. - Anthony Sargent scored 12 of his game-high 34 points in overtime as Georgia Southwestern outlasted Lincoln Memorial, 83-76 on Saturday.

GSW (3-1) led by as many as 13 in the game before the Railsplitters (4-2) rallied behind the play of Desmond Johnson and Wadner Joseph to tie the game at 68 to send it into overtime.

LMU had two chances to win the game in the final seconds, but came up short.

It was all Sargent in overtime. He scored all but three points in the extra session, and his third 3-pointer of the game put GSW on top for good at 77-75 with 32 seconds remaining.

After falling down and losing the ball on an inbounds play, Sargent had the key defensive rebound, two free throws, a steal and layup all in the final seven seconds of overtime.

"I just put it in my mind that I was not about to let us lose that game," said Sargent. "I thought back to my high school days and my coach always telling me it's a game of runs. We knew they'd make a run. and we were able to withstand it.

"This is a real big win. It showed that even when three to four people foul out, everybody stuck together."

Marcus Scott, Rick Russell and Evan Mobley all fouled out in overtime. He finished 11 of 19 from the floor, made all nine free-throw attempts had eight rebounds. Coach Mike Leeder said Sargent's go-ahead three came with two people draped on him.

"He nailed it," said Leeder. "It was fantastic. It came at the right time. He's an elite level player, and he willed us to the win."

Scott had 15 points, and in his first game back since the opener because of an injured hamstring, Chris Rawls had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Neither team shot well with GSW making 39.7 of its shots and holding LMU to 38.5 percent. GSW made 25 of 32 free throws, and it held the Railsplitters without a field goal for the final 1:03.

Desmond Johnson led LMU with 28 points and 12 rebounds; Wadner Joseph had 18 points and11 rebounds.

"We played really well defensively the first 30 minutes," said Leeder. "They started pounding it into (Johnson), and we struggled rebounding the ball the last 10 minutes of the game. We've got to be better than that Monday night against Valdosta State."

The Hurricanes were down early 8-4 when they went on a 28-11 run to take a 32-19 lead in the first half. LMU started the game 2-for-12 from the floor before it closed the gap to 35-27 at the half.

GSW led by 62-49 with eight minutes left in regulation, and that's when LMU began its run to tie the game. Ryan Whitaker's layup at the 1:27 mark tied the game at 66, and the two teams swapped baskets over the next 30 seconds.

"Anytime you go on the road and win, you'll take it," said Leeder. "We have still have a lot of improvement. We haven't shot the ball well the last tow games, but I'm glad to go on the road and pick one up."

The Hurricanes are at Valdosta State on Monday.

PICTURED: Anthony Sargent

PHOTO BY: Chris Fenn