College Basketball

Louisiana Tech beats North Texas 73-62 in OT

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:42 p.m. ET

foxsports

RUSTON, La. (AP) Alex Hamilton scored 19 points and passed out eight assists and Louisiana Tech beat North Texas in overtime to win 73-62 on Thursday night to keep its first-round bye hopes alive for the Conference USA tournament.

Dayon Griffin opened overtime by hitting a 3-pointer and the Bulldogs scored 10 straight points before the Mean Green got on the board with Jeremy Combs' dunk.

Merrill Holden scored 13 and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds, Griffin finished with 16 and Boykins had 14 for the Bulldogs (21-7, 10-5), who entered with a half-game lead for the conference's fourth seed.

Hamilton tied it at 59 with a layup at the end of regulation. Louisiana Tech trailed 24-23 at halftime.

Deckie Johnson scored 20 for North Texas (11-17, 6-9), who entered in a three-way tie for seventh place and two games behind sixth-place Old Dominion. Combs scored 15 and grabbed 18 rebounds, one off his career high.