CONWAY — Senior forward Jarvis Garner tied a career-high with 38 points as Central Arkansas held off McNeese State 103-98 in triple overtime at the Farris Center.
Garner, who also had 15 rebounds, hit game-tying three pointers with 0.4 seconds left in regulation and 3.2 seconds left in the first overtime. He finished 14 of 19 from the floor and 6 of 9 from three-point range.
“Jarvis lives for the moment,” UCA Coach Corliss Williamson said. “He wants the ball. That first one, it was a prayer. It was amazing to see Jarvis knock those shots down for us.”
The Bears (7-11, 2-5 Southland Conference), who have won two consecutive, trailed 97-96 with 2:51 left in the third overtime when junior guard DeShone Mc-Clure gave them a 98-97 lead on a slam dunk. After a defensive stop, Garner’s layup rolled in for a 100-97 advantage with 1:07 remaining.
Kevin Hardy made 1 of 2 free throws to pull McNeese State (8-9, 2-5) within 100-98, but the Bears sealed the victory at the free-throw line by making 3 of 4.
Junior guard LaQuentin Miles had 25 points and senior center Anthony Borden added 14 points and eight rebounds.
Sports, Pages 20 on 01/25/2013