Louisiana Tech pulls away from Charlotte 49ers 83-82 in OT

Louisiana Tech outlasted the Charlotte 49ers 83-82 in overtime in a Conference USA game Thursday at Halton Arena.

The league-leading Bulldogs (21-6, 12-2) got 29 points from guard Alex Hamilton in the victory.

Charlotte (4-9, 11-15) had five players in double figures, led by guard Braxton Ogbueze’s 16 points.

The Bulldogs led 33-29 at halftime, largely on the strength of Hamilton’s 13 points. Hamilton scored Louisiana Tech’s final 11 points of the half.

The 49ers had taken a 73-71 lead with 13.5 seconds left in regulation. But Louisiana Tech’s Kenneth Smith went the length of the court for a layup to tie it with eight seconds remaining. The 49ers’ Willie Clayton couldn’t convert as the buzzer sounded at the other end.

The Bulldogs never trailed in overtime – although Charlotte’s Keyshawn Woods missed a 3-pointer with 15 seconds that would have tied it. Raheem Appleby’s two free throws with 4.3 seconds left sealed it for Louisiana Tech.

This story was originally published February 19, 2015 at 9:54 PM with the headline "Louisiana Tech pulls away from Charlotte 49ers 83-82 in OT."