Box Score

CONWAY, Ark. – George Kimble III scored a career-high 33 points and Cyril Martynov pulled down a career-best 12 rebounds to lead Eastern Kentucky University to an 89-83 double overtime victory at Central Arkansas.
 
Devontae Blanton's fadeaway jumper to start the second overtime broke the final tie of the game.  Jackson Holt followed with a 3-pointer from the left corner for a 5-point lead, 84-79.  Layne Taylor's jumper with 2:33 left in the second extra period closed the gap to one, 84-83, but the Bears didn't score again.
 
EKU's final five points came at the free throw line, the final three of which from Martynov.
 
Kimble made 10-of-20 attempts from the field, including 4-of-10 from 3-point range, to surpass his previous scoring best of 31 points set last season as a freshman at Eckerd College.  He also had nine rebounds, five assists and four steals.
 
Martynov was 3-for-5 on the night and made 3-of-4 at the free throw line.  His previous career-high for rebounds was seven last season against Hampton while he was playing at Eastern Michigan.
 
The Colonels (7-7, 1-0 ASUN) trailed by 10 points early in the game, but took a 10-point lead with 5:24 left in regulation on a jumper from Blanton.  Jordan Crawford's layup and free throw kept the margin at 10, 67-57, with 4:24 to go in the second half.  From that point, Taylor took over the game as Central Arkansas rallied.
 
The Bears (4-10, 0-1 ASUN) scored seven points in five seconds to immediately close the gap to three, and nine points in 46 seconds to get within one.  Taylor hit a jumper after an offensive rebound and then a 3-pointer after stealing the ball to make it 67-64 with 3:26 on the clock.  His layup at the 2:45 mark, after an EKU turnover, capped the 9-0 run and drew his squad within one, 67-66. 
 
The Colonels pulled back in front by four after three free throws, the final one coming with 1:27 to go, but Taylor scored the final four points of regulation – sinking a jumper with 1:18 left and a layup with 23.9 seconds on the clock.
 
The freshman scored the Bears' final 11 points of regulation and their first three points in the first overtime.  Blanton's corner three with 14.6 seconds left in the first extra period gave EKU a 2-point lead, 79-77, but Ben Fox hit two free throws with 1.7 seconds remaining to send it to a second OT.
 
Taylor had 27 points on 11-of-23 shooting from the field and 5-of-13 from behind the arc.  He also dished out 10 assists.
 
After getting out-rebounded by six in the first half, the Colonels out-rebounded UCA 35-24 the rest of the game.  In addition to the 12 and nine rebound totals for Martynov and Kimble, Blanton and Montavious Myrick finished with eight each.  Blanton added 16 points and eight assists to his totals.
 
EKU will conclude its 2-game ASUN road trip at North Alabama on Saturday.  The game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. ET and air live on ESPN+.