A must-win game featuring two overtimes, an unlikely hero sinking a half-court buzzer beater and an injury leading to a game-winning sub.

Saturday’s Texas A&M International men’s basketball game really did have a bit of everything.

In a double-overtime thriller, the Dustdevils outlasted the Heartland Conference’s co-leader in Arkansas-Fort Smith for a critical 61-60 victory at home on Saturday.

“We played really hard. Our goal was to hold Arkansas-Fort Smith to 60 points after regulation, but I didn’t know we would hold them to 60 after two overtimes,” said TAMIU coach Bryan Weakley, who let out a sigh of relief coming out of the locker room. “Everyone stepped up today and that’s all a coach can ask for.”

The Dustdevils trailed 60-58 with 13.8 seconds remaining before junior Johnel Gray hit a 3-pointer with five seconds left. Fort Smith argued for a foul during its next possession after driving as the ball went out of bounds, but had to settle with the referees awarding them possession with 0.4 seconds after looking at the monitors and saying the ball was out with time remaining. Forward Jayvin Reynolds deflected the pass attempt in and sealed the victory.

“We are just going to keep competing,” Weakley said. “I hope this team comes out and learned from this game that they can compete with any team in the league if they defend. I’m just proud of them.”

Gray’s heroics were only made possible by a spectacular finish in regulation. After TAMIU led 45-40 with 4:10 left, the Lions scored eight unanswered to pull ahead with under a minute to go. Guard Felipe Vezaro missed a 3-point attempt with time running out and Fort Smith went to the line ahead 50-47 with just five seconds remaining to seal the victory.

UAFS’ Djordje Stojanovic — just under a 70 percent free-throw shooter — missed the front end of the one-and-one and Louis Ilton grabbed the rebound, ran to just beyond mid-court and sank a game-tying 3 at the buzzer. The 3 was just Ilton’s first of the season and third of the redshirt-junior’s four-year career.

“Louis Ilton has been here since my first year and has worked hard and hasn’t seen any playing time up until this year,” Weakley said. “He’s been in the gym every day since the first day he got here. He came in not a good basketball player and he has waited his time and has been patient and all of his hard work is paying off. I love that kid.”

Ilton’s 3 wasn’t the only domino that needed to fall to lead to Gray’s game-winner. Gray — TAMIU’s leading scorer in 2013 at 12.7 points per game — had been sat down because of his defense for most of the game. He checked out with 15:10 left in the second half and didn’t play the remainder of regulation or through either overtime until checking in with 2:17 in the second overtime after Matthew Culliver Jr. went down with a leg cramp. Gray was on the bench a total of 22:53 after halftime before getting the call late leading to his big 3.

“With Johnel, obviously I was disappointed with him the last couple games defensively,” Weakley said. “He didn’t hang his head, he was encouraging his teammates. He had his opportunity and made the most of it.”

The Dustdevils just kept winning, following the game after Texas of the Permian Basin (9-10, 5-5 Heartland) was upset, 55-54, by the league’s only winless team in conference play — Oklahoma Panhandle State (5-18, 1-9). TAMIU was a half-game back of the Falcons coming into the night but took back sole possession of the fourth and final spot in the race for the league’s postseason tournament with the win.

Reynolds led the Dustdevils with 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting with five rebounds while Culliver had 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Gray and Clark also scored in double-figures with 12 and 10, respectively.

TAMIU will look to keep its momentum going on the road Thursday at McMurry in a game that will not count towards either teams conference records due to the War Hawks still on probation from their move to Division II.