COMMERCE – The East Texas A&M University men's basketball team suffered its first defeat of the season, losing to FDU 80-76 in overtime Wednesday afternoon on the Hunt Regional Healthcare Court at the Field House, after FDU moved ahead with 1:21 left in overtime.
ET made a 2026-27 season-high 12 3-pointers and recorded 17 assists, while FDU finished with a 46-36 rebounding edge. Wednesday was Education Day presented by Signature Solar, with a crowd of 2,184 at hand in the Field House.
The loss drops the Lions to 2-1 on the season, while the Knights are 2-2. The two teams split the season series over the past two seasons, with each team winning on the road. Coming into the game, the Lions were receiving a vote in the Associated Press poll and ranked No. 13 by College Insider in the Mid Major Top 25.
The Lions opened the first half with
Mohamed Diakite (Politiers, France) scoring the first eight points, including two 3-pointers, and built a 17-7 lead as
Maxime Carrio (Nantes, France) and
Alonzo Dodd (St. Paul, Minn.) added shots from deep. FDU trimmed the margin to 25-22, but ET answered with transition and second-chance scoring from
Bo Aldridge (Topeka, Kan.),
Jaxson Ford (Prosper) and
Thomas Duchamp (Le Havre, France) before Dodd's late 3-pointer helped send the home team into halftime ahead 37-31. ET made seven 3-pointers in the half and scored 17 points off turnovers.
Diakite made two free throws with 42 seconds left to pull ET even at 70 after Bol Agu's tip-in had put FDU ahead. Earlier, ET used an 8-0 run to turn a 49-47 deficit into a 55-49 lead, with Carrio scoring five of those points around a 3-pointer from Gasper Skorjanc (Olimje, Slovenia). The teams finished the second half tied 70-70.
ET created enough second chances to tie it in overtime, with Skorjanc scoring off Dodd's assist for a 76-76 score with 1:51 left after Skorjanc grabbed three offensive rebounds on the possession. Skorjanc grabbed a season-high five offensive rebounds. FDU went back in front on Agu's jumper with 1:21 remaining, and ET missed its final three 3-point attempts in an 80-76 loss. ET finished overtime two of 10 from the field and zero of seven from 3-point range despite five offensive rebounds.
Dodd scored a team-high, career-high 25 points, surpassing his previous best of 20, made five 3-pointers and added eight rebounds and five assists. His five 3-pointers were above his career average of 0.69. Aldridge finished with nine points, a season-high six assists and six rebounds. Carrio added a season-high 14 points with four 3-pointers. Diakite recorded 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Diakite has recorded at least 10 points in three consecutive games.
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The Lions head on a three-game west coast road trip, playing at Portland on Friday at 9 p.m. central.
-ETAMU-
