PORTLAND, Ore. – It took 50 minutes on Friday night, but the East Texas A&M University men's basketball team remained undefeated on the road after defeating the Portland Pilots 94-88 in double overtime at the Chiles Center.
Kollin Tolbert (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored eight straight points during a second-overtime stretch that moved the Lions from a 79-79 tie to an 87-83 lead. ET finished with 23 assists and 15 steals, turning 20 Pilot turnovers into 26 points. The 94 points, 23 assists, 14 3-pointers and 15 steals are season highs in 2026-27. The Lions' 94 points are above their season average of 72.0, and they have recorded at least 14 offensive rebounds in four consecutive games.
The Lions have won their first three road games of the season for the first time since the 2017-18 season and are 3-1 for the first time in the Division I era, while improving to 2-0 all-time against the Pilots, who are 3-2 with both losses coming to teams from the DFW Metroplex.
The Lions used seven steals and 12 points off turnovers to build a 25-19 lead on a fast-break jumper from
Mohamed Diakite (Politiers, France) with 7:59 left in the first half. UP answered late and went ahead 36-27 before free throws from
Jaxson Ford (Prosper) and a steal-and-layup from
Alonzo Dodd (St. Paul, Minn.) brought the Lions within 36-31 at halftime.
After falling behind 58-50, the Lions answered with an 11-0 run, holding the Pilots without a score until the home team tied it at 61-61 with 4:50 left in the second half.
Thomas Duchamp (Le Havre, France) later hit 3-pointers at 3:42 and 1:23 to put the Lions back in front, but UP tied it on free throws with 1:05 remaining. The two 3-pointers were a season high for Duchamp. The Lions shot 7 of 14 from 3-point range in the second half, and the game was tied 69-69 at the end of regulation.
Dodd put the Lions back in front with a 3-pointer with 57 seconds left, moving the visitors ahead 79-77 after UP had gone up 77-76. The Pilots tied it on a layup with 27 seconds left, and the first overtime ended even at 79-79.
Tolbert gave the Lions the main push in the second overtime, scoring their first eight points in the segment to help move the Lions ahead 87-83 with 3:14 left.
Marko Markovic (Trebinje, Bosnia & Herzegovina) added a second-chance layup, Gasper Skorjanc (Olimje, Slovenia) came up with a late steal, and the Lions made five free throws in the final 46 seconds to finish off a 94-88 win.
Diakite scored a season-high 24 points, above his season average of 16.0, with three 3-pointers, eight rebounds and a season-high four steals. Dodd added 16 points, five assists, five rebounds and three 3-pointers. Dodd has scored at least 16 points in two consecutive games, made at least three 3-pointers in four straight games and recorded at least five assists in three consecutive games. His three made 3-pointers were above his career average of 0.75.
Tolbert finished with a season-high 14 points, going 5-for-5 from the field and 4-for-4 from 3-point range. He also collected two steals, exceeding his season average of 0.33.
Bo Aldridge (Topeka, Kan.) scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and recorded four assists. Aldridge has recorded at least four assists in four consecutive games.
Markovic recorded eight total points for the first time this season and grabbed eight rebounds for the first time this season. Skorjanc recorded a season-high three steals.
POST GAME INTERVIEW
UP NEXT
The Lions continue the west coast swing at Oregon State on Monday at 6:30 p.m. PT.
-ETAMU-
