MONROE, La. – Nika Metskhvarishvili hit the game-tying 3-pointer with five seconds to play in regulation, and Tyreese Watson banked in the game-winning 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining in overtime as ULM rallied from a 17-point deficit, and a seven-point deficit in the final minute of regulation, for an 85-82 win in overtime against Arkansas State Sunday afternoon at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
ULM (7-12 overall, 3-6 Sun Belt Conference) won its third-straight game. Arkansas State (8-13, 4-5) has lost four of its last five games.
 
A-State led Sunday's game for 41:14, which is more than the length of a 40-minute regulation game. ULM led for only 27 seconds, with 17 of those seconds coming in overtime.
 
Metskhvarishvili came off the bench to lead ULM with a career-high 24 points, while matching his career best with 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Jacob Wilson matched his career-high with 16 points (5-of-8 field goal attempts, 6-of-8 free throw attempts). Makai Willis added 12 points and eight rebounds while Watson had 10 points and a career-high six rebounds.
 
Derrian Ford had a career-game for A-State, posting career highs with 20 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double. Taryn Todd added 18 points before fouling out in overtime. Caleb Fields, who was averaging 16.0 points per game in SBC play entering the day, had five points, all at the free throw line, with 10 assists.
 
The first half was controlled by A-State. The Red Wolves used an early 11-0 run, capped on a 3-pointer by Dyondre Dominguez, to take a 14-4 lead with 14:55 left in the half. The lead ballooned to 17 for the first time at 33-16 on a 3-pointer by Noah McDavid with 5:00 to go in the half. The lead was pushed to 17 three more times, the last of which coming on Ford's second-chance layup at the 3:20 mark for a 39-22 advantage. A-State led 41-26 at the half.
 
ULM flipped the script in the second half. The Warhawks made several pushes to get the deficit under 10 points, but A-State had an answer early, extending the lead to as much as 16, 59-43, with 11:23 to play.
 
That's when the Warhawk comeback began in earnest. A 14-4 run cut the gap to six. A layup by Metskhvarishvili brought the margin to single digits for good, making it 63-55 with 6:04 left. ULM capped the run with free throws by Wilson to get within six, 63-57, with 4:57 remaining.
 
Free throws by Ford extended the A-State lead back to eight, but ULM ripped off the next five points to get within three, 65-62, on free throws by Watson with 2:35 to go in regulation.
 
A jumper by Julian Lual and free throws by LaQuill Hardnett pushed the A-State lead back to seven, 69-62, with 1:12 remaining.
 
ULM's rally hit its highest notes in the final minute of regulation. Metskhvarishvili hit the first of his two 3-pointers of the game with 51 seconds left to bring the gap to four, 69-65. After two free throws by Caleb Fields, a dunk by Willis brought the margin back to four, 71-67, with 39 seconds left. Tyreke Locure's steal on the ensuing possession led to two free throws for Locure to bring the game within one possession, 71-69, with 32 seconds to go. Todd hit just one of two free throws for A-State, leaving the door open for ULM. Metskhvarishvili hit a jumper in the lane to get within one, 72-71, with 19 seconds remaining. After two free throws by Todd, Locure drove the lane and kicked out to Metskhvarishvili, who drained his second, and final, 3-pointer of the game while on the run on the right wing, to knot the game at 74. Fields' shot in the final seconds was blocked by Willis, and Willis knocked down an inbounds pass in the lane with 0.5 seconds left to force overtime.
 
A-State reclaimed the lead early in overtime, as Ford's jumper in the lane and Todd's 3-pointer put the Red Wolves up, 79-74, with 4:03 left. However, A-State would not make another field goal. Wilson completed a traditional 3-point play off an offensive rebound with 2:16 to go to pull the Warhawks back within two, 81-79. Willis added another second-chance 3-point play with 45 seconds to play in overtime, taking an 82-81 lead and giving ULM its first lead since 4-3 with 16:20 left in the first half. Fields made one of two free throws for A-State with 38 seconds left in overtime to tie the game at 82. With the shot clock winding down, Watson took a pass on the left wing and banked in a step-back 3-pointer for the 85-82 lead with nine seconds left. A-State's last breath came on Dominguez's deep 3-point attempt from the right wing, which fell well short of the rim as ULM held on for the win.
 
ULM shot 40% (30-of-76) from the floor, 31% (4-of-13) from 3-point range and 72% (21-of-29) at the free throw line. A-State shot 33% (24-of-73) from the field, 28% (11-of-39) from the 3-point line and 82% (23-of-28) at the free throw line.
 
The Red Wolves shot 36% (13-of-36) from the field and 33% (7-of-21) from 3-point range in the first half, but hit just 29% (11-of-37) from the floor and 22% (4-of-18) from deep after halftime. ULM hit all four of its 3-pointers after halftime.
 
ULM visits Lafayette to take on the Ragin' Cajuns at 7 p.m. Wednesday.