NEW ORLEANS -- Curtis Diamond hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 1:49 left to give Georgia Southern a 44-43 win over Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday to advance to the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship game.

Diamond missed a 3 earlier in that Georgia Southern possession, but Eric Ferguson grabbed the offensive rebound and kicked it out to an open Diamond.

Georgia Southern's Jelani Hewitt missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 8.2 seconds left. ULM pushed the ball up court, but Justin Roberson missed a contested runner in the lane as time expired.

Second-seeded Georgia Southern will play No. 1 seed Georgia State on Sunday for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Trent Wiedeman and Hewitt had 11 points apiece for the Eagles (22-8). Diamond finished with 10.

ULM's Tylor Ongwae, averaging 13.9 points per game, was held scoreless on nine attempts. Jamaal Samuel and Roberson had 12 each for No. 3 seed ULM (21-12).