IRVINE, Calif. – Jamel White hit his second game-winning jump shot of the year Thursday to help Concordia University Irvine earn a 59-57 win over Antelope Valley.

White banked home an off-balance attempt from just inside the three-point arc to beat the buzzer and stun the Pioneers, who had just tied the game with 4.5 seconds on a free throw by Kamal Holden. Holden was fouled on a drive to the basket with the Eagles clinging to a 57-56 lead and made the second freebie after missing the first.

"After they missed the (first) free throw, I kind of knew it was my time to come up (the court)," said White. "I had a bad shooting game but I knew it would go down to the last shot and I had to get a shot up and bank it in."

VIDEO: Click here to hear the call by CUI's Danny Jasperson of White's game-winning buzzer beater

As the red light went off on the backboard and the horn sounded, the Eagles entire team raced over to White and mobbed him to celebrate.

"It was exactly like how we played against San Marcos, everyone tossing me around," added White. "It was just meant for me to shoot that and we were all just full of joy."

The game was tied 29-29 at intermission and the Pioneers came out strong in the second half. Antelope Valley led by as many as a dozen points but the Eagles scrapped their way back into it by getting defensive stops.

One key sequence that helped turn the tide for CUI was when a defensive stand led to a breakaway layup by Robert Taylor. The senior was fouled on the drive to the hoop and converted the three-point play to tie the game up at 53. Taylor finished with a game-high +15 and Darius Lee was also a +11.

Jalen Sanders led the CUI offense with 14 points and eight rebounds and also hit a critical field goal to tie the game at 56. Lee then followed that up by going 1-for-2 at the charity stripe to push the Eagles ahead by one and set up the late heroics by White.

"Regardless of whether or not Jamel hits that shot, we took a step in the right direction," said CUI head coach Ken Ammann. "We were struggling to find a rhythm and when things aren't going your way, it gets harder and harder and the only answer is just turning the momentum yourself and we did that tonight. We still have a lot of work to do but that was a huge step for us. We showed a ton of fight and things were really hard tonight. That's a good team."

VIDEO: Click here to see another angle of White's game-winning shot vs. Antelope Valley

It was not the best shooting night for either squad from behind the arc, but Austin Clarke did help the cause by sinking both of his three-point attempts and Kyle Gray added a trey off the bench as well. Both Gray and Clarke contributed eight points and the Eagles bench outscored the Pioneers 33-12.

"The way we play, we have to have good energy all the time," added Ammann. "We can't let offensive struggles affect our energy. I thought guys that were out and then kept coming in, it seemed like we kept getting an energy boost and that was huge for us."

The Eagles will continue their seven-game homestand on Monday, Nov. 25 when Trevecca Nazarene comes to town. That non-conference affair is slated to start at 5 p.m. at CU Arena.

For the full CUI men's basketball schedule, click here.