COLUMBIA, S.C. – Quayshun Hawkins sank two free throws with three seconds left in overtime to help lift the Benedict College Tigers to a 79-78 victory over the Clark Atlanta Panthers in an SIAC game on Saturday afternoon in the Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena.

Hawkins scored all eight of Benedict's points in the overtime period, hitting a pair of 3-pointers to go along with his two clinching free throws, and finished with 19 points. Brandon Morris led the Tigers with a career-high 35 points to go along with a game-high 12 rebounds.

This was a contest between the top two teams in the SIAC East Division. Benedict moves to 11-8 overall and 8-2 in the SIAC. Clark Atlanta falls to 12-8 overall and 6-3 in the SIAC.

Clark Atlanta jumped out to as much as a 15-point lead in the first half, but the Tigers chipped away at the lead and tied the game at 34 on a layup by Morris right before the end of the first half.

The Panthers took a 10-point lead in the second half, 51-41, but Benedict used a 9-2 run to cut the lead to 53-50 at the halfway point in the second half. The Panthers pushed the lead back to 10 points, 68-58, with 6:15 remaining. Benedict then scored the next 12 points, getting 3-pointers from Hawkins and Quiron Cooke, as well as working inside for three layups by Morris, to take a 70-68 lead with 1:42 remaining. A free throw by Morris gave Benedict a 71-68 lead, but the Panthers tied the game on a 3-pointer by Derek Harper, sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, Hawkins opened the extra period with a 3-pointer. Clark Atlanta took a 78-77 lead with 1:15 on the clock. A turnover by the Panthers and subsequent foul with three seconds left put Hawkins on the line and he sank both free throws. Clark Atlanta missed a shot at the buzzer.

Cooke added 11 points for the Tigers. Clark Atlanta was led by Tim Sander with 22 points, while Damien Davis added 18.

Benedict is back in action on Tuesday, hosting Claflin at 7:30 p.m.