Bama outlasts Georgia in OT

ATHENS, Ga. — Kira Lewis Jr. scored a career-high 37 points, including two free throws in overtime to give Alabama a lead that would stand, and the Crimson Tide beat Georgia 105-102 on Saturday night to end a three-game losing streak.

Alabama (13-10, 5-5 Southeastern Conference) rallied after trailing by 12 points early in the second half.

Georgia (12-11, 2-8) has lost six of its last seven games and has lost double-digit leads in its last three losses. Sahvir Wheeler scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Bulldogs. Rayshaun Hammonds had 20 points.

Lewis sank two free throws with 2:21 remaining in overtime to give Alabama a 98-96 lead. Georgia made only one of its last eight shots from the field in the extra period.

Tye Fagan’s layup for Georgia with 30 seconds remaining in regulation cut Alabama’s lead to 91-90. After Lewis made one of two free throws, Hammonds sank a tying jumper with 21 seconds remaining. Georgia’s Jordan Harris missed a long jumper to force the overtime period.

Alabama led 45-41 at halftime before Georgia, led by Wheeler, opened strong in the second half. Wheeler sank two 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the half, including one in a 9-0 run that gave the Bulldogs a 65-53 lead.

Lewis helped Alabama recover midway through the second half to reclaim the lead.

Georgia’s Anthony Edwards, who leads the nation’s freshmen in scoring, had only 14 points, but his short jumper inside the freethrow line tied the game at 83-all.

› South Carolina 74, Texas A&M 54

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jermaine Couisnard scored 19 points and AJ Lawson 18 as South Carolina used a big first-half run to put away Texas A&M.

Couisnard and Lawson combined for six of the Gamecocks’ eight 3-pointers to win their fourth straight over the Aggies (11-11, 5-5).

South Carolina (14-9, 6-4) has won six of its past eight league games after starting SEC play at 0-2. And this time, the Gamecocks did it with a first-half charge as they went from trailing by nine points to up 41-23 at halftime.

Couisnard and Lawson led the surge with their outside shooting. Lawson hit a 3-pointer after South Carolina had fallen behind 9-0 the first three minutes.

Couisnard, a freshman, put the Gamecocks up for good, 19-18, with nine minutes left in the opening half.

He capped the half with a long, buzzer-beating 3-pointer that got the crowd to its feet and put South Carolina ahead by 18 points at the break.

› Ole Miss 68, Florida 51

OXFORD, Miss. — Breein Tyree scored 23 points and sparked Mississippi to what proved to be an insurmountable early lead as the Rebels defeated Florida.

Devontae Shuler and KJ Buffen scored 14 points apiece as Ole Miss (12-11, 3-7) won consecutive league games for the first time and snapped a two-game winning streak by the Gators. Buffen had a team-high nine rebounds, while Shuler added a game-high five assists.

Florida (14-9, 6-4) was led by Keyontae Johnson and Kerry Blackshear Jr. with 16 and 11 points, respectively.

› Missouri 83, Arkansas 79, OT

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Xavier Pinson scored a career-high 24 points to lead Missouri over Arkansas.

Pinson, a sophomore guard, went 12-of-13 from the free-throw line in a foul-plagued game in which the teams combined to shoot 83 free throws. Javon Pickett scored 14 points and Reed Nikko finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Tigers (11-12, 3-7).

Mason Jones and Reggie Chaney scored 17 points each for the Razorbacks (16-7, 4-6).