TWIN FALLS - The sixth-ranked College of Southern Idaho men's basketball team hit a huge 3-pointer and late free throws to beat USU Eastern saturday 83-79 in Scenic West Athletic Conference play.
The Golden Eagles trailed by as much as 13 points six minutes into the second half. CSI pulled within six but couldn't seem to close the gap any further. Then with 3:29 left in the game, Hamdi Karoui put down a thunderous dunk for USU Eastern and was called for a technical for hanging on the rim.
Tyson Smith knocked down both free throws and then hit a 3-pointer to pull the Eagles within three.
Abdoulaye Harouna stole the ball on the next possession and hit a 3-pointer to tie the game.
With 2:15 left in the game, Fredrick Edmond stole the ball and was fouled, knocking down both to give CSI the lead.
The Golden Eagles never trailed again. With eight seconds left in the game, Tyson Smith hit two free throws to give CSI its final margin.
Smith led the Eagles with 17 points and was 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. That was key as the rest of the Golden Eagles managed just 23-of-40.
CSI improves to 27-1 overall. The Golden Eagles will travel to Snow and Salt Lake next week for their final regular season games.