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CHICAGO – Senior Devin McDonald scored 18 points and sophomore Willie Cruz converted four clutch free throws down the stretch as the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team defeated Indiana State, 64-59, in overtime on Sunday afternoon in the Colonels’ final game of the Nick Kladis Classic.

In a game that featured 16 lead changes and 11 ties, junior Joshua Jones hit a driving layup with 29 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 52-52 and send it into overtime. Jones then hit a three-pointer just over a minute into overtime to give the Colonels a lead they would not relinquish. Cruz iced EKU’s first win of the season by calmly sinking four free throws in overtime, three of them in the final minute.

McDonald led all scorers in the game with 18 points. Fellow senior Josh Daniel matched a career high with 17 points, including a three-pointer off a steal by freshman Jeff Johnson that tied it at 49-49 with 2:24 remaining in regulation.

The Colonels (1-2) shot a season best 40 percent from field goal (18-of-45) and three-point (6-of-15) range. EKU’s stingy 1-3-1 zone defense also gave the Sycamores (1-2) fits as the Colonels forced 14 turnovers in the win.

Dwayne Lathan came off the bench to lead ISU with 16 points on the night.

ISU led for most of the first half and by as many as six late in the half; however, the Colonels reeled off a 9-2 run to close out the half – capped by a three-pointer by Johnson – and went into the locker room at the break up by one, 25-26.

After a jumper by Myles Walker put the Sycamores up by six midway through the second half, McDonald scored six straight points over the next minute to tie it up, 39-39, with 9:15 left in the game. Neither team would go up by more than three over the last nine minutes of regulation as Daniel and Jones knocked down clutch shots to send the game into overtime.

EKU returns to action in its home opener against SIU Edwardsville on Wednesday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m.