Jaxon Olvera scored a career high 31 points during a double overtime battle on Friday, but the University of Portland men’s basketball team fell 94-88 to the East Texas A&M Lions at the Chiles Center, University of Portland Athletics reported.
The Pilots struggled to maintain momentum despite Olvera’s offensive explosion. While Olvera shot 8-for-14 from the field and converted 14-of-16 free throws, Portland’s inability to protect the ball proved decisive. The team recorded 21 turnovers, which directly led to 26 points for the Lions.
The game remained highly competitive, characterized by 13 ties and 15 lead changes. Portland’s performance was a mixture of dominant interior play and late-game struggles at the charity stripe, where they finished 26-of-36 overall.
Portland found early success by attacking the paint, scoring 18 of their first 36 points near the basket. After trailing 25-19, the Pilots utilized a 9-0 run to take a 28-25 lead, eventually heading into halftime with a 36-31 advantage.
The second half saw a series of rapid swings in scoring. East Texas A&M took a 50-42 lead following intermission, powered by Mohamed Diakite, but Portland responded with a 16-0 run to reclaim a 58-50 lead with 10:43 remaining.
The Lions answered with an 11-0 run, including four consecutive points from Diakite, to move ahead 61-58. Riley Parker hit a three-pointer to tie the game, and the contest remained deadlocked until the final seconds of regulation. Olvera’s two free throws tied the score at 69 with 1:05 left, but Portland missed two subsequent free throws and Olvera’s buzzer-beating fadeaway fell short.
In the first overtime, the Lions gained an advantage through bench depth. Marko Markovic scored the first four points of the period, and Kollin Tolbert went 4-for-4 from the floor to finish with 11 points. Tolbert’s first triple gave East Texas A&M a 76-71 lead.
Portland fought back as Olvera and Parker hit consecutive three-pointers. Olvera tied the game at 79 with 27 seconds left via a difficult finish in traffic, but a missed go-ahead free throw forced a second overtime period.
The Lions pulled away in the second overtime, led by Tolbert, who scored eight points in the first two minutes of the session. Although Olvera completed a layup to cut the deficit to 89-86 with 51 seconds remaining, the Pilots could not close the gap in the final stretch.
| Category | University of Portland | East Texas A&M |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 88 | 94 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 47% | 46% |
| Three-Point Percentage | 6-for-19 | 14-for-32 |
Beyond the scoring, Hunter Adam recorded a career high for the Davidson transfer with nine rebounds. Riley Parker contributed 18 points and four assists, shooting 6-for-10 from the field and 5-of-8 from three-point range.
The Pilots move to a 3-2 record following the loss. Their next matchup is a road game against the Colorado Buffaloes on Wednesday, November 18, at 6 p.m. PT.
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