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Cedarville, Ohio - Lewis University junior guard Ryan Jackson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) drained a three-pointer with 19 seconds left in overtime, as the visiting Flyers remained perfect on the season with the 83-81 (OT) regional victory over the host Yellow Jackets at the Callan Athletic Center on Saturday (Dec. 7) evening.

Jackson and Jeff Jarosz (Lyons, Ill./Morton) combined for 42 of the Flyer points and eight three-pointers. Jackson finished with a game-high 23 points on 7-for-16 shooting from the field and 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Jarosz posted a career-high 19 points, including a career-high four three-pointers.

As a team, Lewis knocked down a season-high 12 trifectas. That was the most by a Flyer squad since they drained 12 against Olivet Nazarene almost a year to the day on December 6, 2012.

Junior forward Julian Lewis (Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) posted his second double-double in as many games, scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Sophomore center Kyle Nelson (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) hauled in 10 rebounds, while senior guard Nick Valla (Tinley Park, Ill./Marist) dished out a career-high nine assists. Valla's nine assists were the most by a Flyer since Dennis Thomas, Jr. had nine helpers against Trinity Christian on December 30, 2010.

"We gutted out a win," Lewis head men's basketball coach Scott Trost said. "Give Cedarville credit because they zoned us for 45 minutes and I thought we did a decent job against it. Jackson and Jarosz both hit some big three-pointers for us tonight. It's a good win for us."

With the win, Lewis improves to 6-0 on the season, marking their best start since the 1988-89 campaign when they had 13-straight wins to open the year. Cedarville falls to 1-8 on the campaign.

Cedarville guard Jason Cuffee topped the Yellow Jackets with 21 points, while backcourt mates Marcus Reineke (13 points) and Austin Pickett (10 points) both scored in double-figures.

Neither team ever had firm control on the contest, as the game featured 23 lead changes and 12 ties.

Cedarville seemed to be in control at the end of both regulation and the overtime. The Yellow Jackets had a three-point advantage in both the second half with 1:47 remaining and in overtime with 1:36 left in the contest.

The Flyers had the answer each time.

In regulation, Cedarville held a 73-70 advantage following a Reineke jumper at the 1:47 mark. Lewis keyed a 4-0 run over the next 70 seconds as he scored four points and grabbed two boards to push the Flyers to the 74-73 lead with 37 ticks left.

The Yellow Jackets were fouled on their ensuing possession and Cuffee split his charity shots to tie the game up at 74 with 23 seconds remaining.

The Flyers had a chance to win the game in regulation, but were unable to convert three attempts in the waning seconds as the game went to overtime.

The extra session was much of the same, as Cedarville held a 79-76 lead with 1:36 left in overtime.

The lead was cut to 79-78 following a pair of Lewis free throws at the 1:15 mark.

Cedarville had the ball and Pickett was unable to convert a three-point attempt, but teammate Easton Bazzoli hauled in the offensive board with 45 seconds left. Reineke, however, was whistled for an offensive foul which awarded the ball to the Flyers and set the stage for Jackson's heroics.

Jackson took a feed from Valla for his fourth and final three-pointer to give Lewis the 81-79 lead with 19 seconds left in OT.

Cedarville drew a foul on their next possession, but Pickett split his free throws, allowing the Flyers to keep an 81-80 advantage with six seconds left in the game.

Forced to foul, Cedarville sent Valla to the line for a pair of free throws with five seconds left in the game that secured the win for the Flyers. Those were the only points of the game for Valla.

Lewis will be off for two weeks before they return to action for a road contest against Malone on December 21st. Tip-off is set for 1 PM ET.