ESTERO, Fla. (AP) Mislav Brzoja made four free throws in the final 30 seconds and had 17 points to lead Evansville past Fresno State 58-52 on Monday in the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Brzoja converted 12 of 13 from the line as Evansville attempted 11 more free throws than Fresno State.
D.J. Balentine had 13 for Evansville (3-0) and Egidijus Mockevicius added 10 and 10 rebounds.
Karachi Edo scored 17 points for Fresno State (1-3), Paul Watson had 13 and Julien Lewis added 11.
Watson's three-point play gave Fresno State a 40-38 lead midway through the second half, but the Bulldogs didn't score again for over six minutes.
Evansville's Duane Gibson scored with 50 seconds left for a 53-46 lead. Fresno State's Darnell Taylor responded with a 3-pointer, but Brzoja and Balentine combined to make 5 of 6 free throws to seal it.
Evansville will play Green Bay in the semifinals on Tuesday.
