BALTIMORE – For the fourth time in as many games, the Loyola University Maryland men's basketball came up on the losing end by two or fewer points. On Sunday night, American University's Jamir Harris made a 3-pointer from more than 27 feet with one second left to lift the Eagles to an 81-79 three-overtime victory in Reitz Arena.
 
Jaylin Andrews had given the Greyhounds (0-4 overall, 0-2 Patriot League South) a 79-78 lead with a runner in the lane with six seconds to play, but the Eagles had one possession left. Harris took the inbound pass and dribbled into the front-court where he made a deep three with a defender's hand in his face.
 
Loyola had one second remaining in the third overtime to inbound the ball, but a half-court shot hit off the backboard and sealed the American (2-2, 2-2) win.
 
The Greyhounds, who are without their top three returning scoring guards due to injuries, have now played four games that have all been decided by two or fewer points. Last weekend, Lafayette College won two games by two points each, and yesterday, the Eagles had a 71-70 win in Washington, D.C.
 
It marks the first time in school history that four-straight games have been decided, regardless of outcome, by two or fewer points.
 
American led by as many as 13 early in the second half, and the Eagles were up 45-36 after another Harris three with 11:50 to play, but Loyola scored 12 of the next 15 points and tied the game at 48-48 on a Golden Dike layup with 4:54 left in regulation.
 
Andrews converted in the paint 1:28 later, and Loyola had its first lead since the game's first two minutes.
 
Harris, however made a three and was fouled with 2:18 left on the clock, hitting the free throw to make it 52-50 Eagles. Loyola misfired on its next possession, but Dike came up with a steal, and Luke Johnson scored in the paint to tie the game with 1:22 left. It would stay 52-52 heading into overtime.
 
American built a 60-56 lead in the first overtime on a Josh Alexander basket with 1:35 on the clock, but baskets by Dike and Santi Aldama tied it at 60-60 with 44 ticks left.
 
Alexander again converted in the paint with 23 seconds left, but Andrews scored off the drive with 14 seconds showing, and it was 62-62. A Harris 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, and the game headed for a second overtime.
 
American again built a four-point lead, 69-65, after a Connor Nelson steal and transition basket, but Aldama scored at 1:19, and Andrews assisted on an emphatic Dike dunk with 67 seconds left to knot the game for the eighth time.
 
Johnny O'Neil tallied a pair of points with 39 seconds left to put American back in front, but Andrews was fouled and made two free throws with 23 seconds on the clock to tie it at 71-71. An American jumper with four ticks on the second-overtime clock went wide, and the game headed for more.
 
This time, it was Loyola's turn to built a four-point lead as Aldama made two free throws and then scored in the paint with 2:16 on the clock, but a Harris three just over 20 seconds later cut the American deficit to one.
 
O'Neil hit a jumper with 1:10 left that put American up by one, and both teams came up empty on their next possessions.
 
After American's missed shot from inside of five feet, Andrews tested the lane at the top of the perimeter, drew contact and muscled in a layup with six seconds left to put Loyola in front 79-78 before Harris' game-winning three.
 
Andrews scored a season-high 22 points – three shy of his career-high – and Aldama had his second-straight double-double and game with 20 or more points, logging 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots.
 
Andrews also had four steals, six rebounds and three assists. Dike chipped in with 16 points and six rebounds, while Johnson made his first career start and had eight to go with three steals.
 
Harris scored a game-high 33 points, while Alexander added 13 for the Eagles.
 
Loyola returns to action next weekend when it plays a pair of games against the U.S. Naval Academy. First up will be a 12-noon tip-off in Annapolis, Maryland on Saturday, followed by a 6 p.m. contest on Sunday in Baltimore.