EDINBERG, Texas - The University of North Dakota men's basketball team overcame a seven-point deficit in the final minute of regulation and outscored Texas-Pan American 10-6 in the second overtime to post a 78-74 victory on Thursday in Great West play. It was the second win on the road for UND (4-16, 2-2 GWC) in league play as the Sioux dealt the Broncs (3-19, 2-1 GWC) their first loss in conference action.

Senior Travis Bledsoe (Minneapolis, Minn.) scored a game-high 24 points and classmate Travis Mertens (Devils Lake, N.D.) scored 17 points and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds to post his fourth double-double of the season.

"Where can you start?," UND head coach Brian Jones said. "It starts with our seniors and you saw all three of them make major contributions to this win. Our guys never quit and even though we missed some free throws, we knocked some down when it really counted to pull out this victory."

Mertens made one of two free throws with 1.2 seconds on the clock to put the game into overtime and opened the second overtime with a lay-up that sparked an 8-0 run by UND that was too much of a deficit for the Broncs to overcome. There were 14 lead changes in the contest and 12 ties in a game that had a little bit of everything for the fans at the UTPA Fieldhouse.

The Sioux overcame a pair of seven-point deficits in the second half and one in the first half to force their first double-overtime game since the 2004-05 season.

Mertens scored the first points of the game on a short jumper in the lane, but the Broncs answered with a 10-1 run to build a seven-point advantage four minutes into the contest.

The Sioux rallied back to tie it at 14-14 on a 3-pointer by redshirt freshman Spencer Goodman (Jackson, Mo.) with just over 10 minutes on the clock and three minutes later Goodman gave UND the lead back with his second trifecta of the game.

The lead would change seven more times over the final seven minutes. Bledsoe scored all 10 of his first-half points during that stretch as he connected on a pair of 3-pointers.

However, the final lead of the half would belong to the Broncs after a 3-point play by senior Luis Valera with 2:12 left on the clock put the home team ahead 30-28.

Valera led the Broncs with 13 points and Urbanus added 10 points as that duo went 10-for-10 from the free throw line in the opening 20 minutes. Bledsoe and Goodman led a 5-for-10 effort from beyond the arc, while the Broncs struggled, making just 1-of-11 from deep.

The Sioux opened the second half on a 10-4 run to regain the lead and build what was their largest lead of the game til that spurt in the second overtime that led the visitors to the win.

The Broncs answered with a 13-2 run to take the lead right back and extend it out to a 47-40 margin. UND responded with a 9-2 spurt to tie at 49-49 with 4:01 to play.

UND went on an 8-0 flurry in just over a minute of play after the Broncs had reeled off seven straight points, taking the lead at 57-56 on a Mertens floater in the lane with 27 seconds to play.

The Sioux fouled Matt Mierzycki, who sank two free throws with nine seconds to play, but the Broncs returned the favor and sent Mertens to the line with just one tick on the clock. Mertens sank one of those to send the game into overtime at 58-58.

UTPA scored the first five points of the extra session, but UND showed its will again and scored the next four to make the final two minutes interesting. The Sioux pulled to within a point on three different occasions down the stretch.

After Julius Hearn made one of two free throws to put the Broncs up 68-66 with 19 seconds to go, Bledsoe's 3-pointer rimmed out, but Mertens corralled the loose ball and put it back in with 1.2 to play and send the game into double overtime.

UND opened the second extra session with an 8-0 run as they held the Broncs scoreless for the opening 3:40 of the period. Mertens made a lay-up and Nick Haugen (Rockford, Minn.) and Bledsoe made four straight free throws to build UND's largest lead of the game.

UTPA tried to stage a late rally, scoring six straight in the final 1:20, but senior Dustin Monsebroten (Newfolden, Minn.) made two free throws to seal the victory.

Valera led the Broncs with 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the floor and a 5-for-5 effort from the line. Jared Maree and Matt Mierzycki each added 13 points for UTPA.

Bledsoe went 12-for-14 from the foul line to lead the Sioux, while Haugen made all four of his attempts in the extra sessions. Goodman was the third Sioux to reach double figures, scoring 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor. Mertens' career-high on the glass led UND to a 43-35 advantage.

The Sioux remain in the Lone Star State for one more contest when they travel north to Houston to face Houston Baptist on Saturday at 7:35 p.m.