SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. -- Austin Peay overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat Sacramento State, 74-71, in the final round of the SoCal Challenge Wednesday afternoon at The Pavilion on the JSerra campus.

Things looked good at halftime when Sacramento State carried a 44-35 lead into the locker room. However, the combination of the Hornets shooting 6-of-23 from the field and Austin Peay attempting 25 free throw in the second half was too much to overcome.

In reality, the game was decided at the free throw line. Both teams attempted 32 free throws in a game that featured a 46 combined fouls, but the Governors made 24 (75%) of those freebies, and the Hornets converted 21 (66%).

Austin Peay used a 9-0 run spanning 2:36 of the second half to take a 63-58 lead with 7:45 to play. Sacramento State would come back to take a 69-68 lead with 2:46 remaining after a Zee Hamoda bucket, but Austin Peay scored six of the game's final eight points. Neither team led by more than three points the final six minutes.

Trailing by a point (72-71) with under 40 seconds to play, Sacramento State forced an Austin Peay miss and had a chance to take the lead but turned the ball over with six seconds left. After a pair of Governor free throws at the four-second mark, Brandon Betson's desperation heave from about 25 feet missed at the buzzer.

The Hornets finished the game shooting 39% (20-52) from the field, 35% (10-29) from the 3-point line and 66% (21-32) from the free throw line. They also had a 15-9 advantage in second chance points. Austin Peay shot 43% (23-54) from the floor, 27% (4-15) from the arc, and 75% (24-32) from the stripe. The Governors held a 10-1 advantage in fast break points.

Three Hornets scored in double figures, led by Zee Hamoda's 19 points and seven rebounds. He shot 7-for-11 from the field, 2-of-5 from distance, and 3-for-4 from the free throw line. He continues to lead the team with an average of 15.0 points per game, and is shooting 49% from the field, 40% from 3-point, and 86% from the free throw line.

Betson finished with 13 points and a pair of assists, and Duncan Powell had 10 points, three rebounds and four assists. Powell has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, and had his streak of four straight games with double-figure rebounds snapped. Alex Kovatchev had nine points on 3-for-5 from 3-point, Jacob Holt seven points and six rebounds (three offensive), and Austin Patterson five points, two assists and two steals. Bowyn Beatty added four points (4-4 FG) and a pair of rebounds.

Austin Peay's Demarcus Sharp (33) and Sai Witt (21) combined for 54 points, including 31 of the team's 39 points in the second half.

Sacramento State returns to action for the basketball version of the Causeway Classic at UC Davis on Sunday at 5 p.m. The rivalry game, played the past five seasons at Golden1 Center, was moved back to campus sites this year.