LANGSTON, Okla. – Eastern Oregon University Men's Basketball opened the NAIA National Tournament, presented by Ballogy, with a dramatic upset, defeating No. 5 seed LSU-Alexandria 89–78 in overtime as the No. 12 seed to advance to the Second Round.
The first half was a tightly contested battle. Eastern Oregon trailed by six points but capitalized on 10 points off turnovers and nine second-chance points to stay within striking distance. The Mountaineers kept pace with the Generals, exchanging baskets throughout the opening half. LSUA briefly extended its lead to five with about 14 minutes remaining, but Eastern responded immediately, cutting the deficit to two. A three-pointer from
Keilan Torkornoo knotted the game at 16–16, only for the Generals to push ahead with a pair of three-pointers and a jumper, creating an eight-point cushion.
Isaiah Jones closed the half for the Mountaineers with a layup in the final seconds, sending Eastern into halftime trailing 36–30.
The second half opened with another three from LSUA, but
Logan Orchard answered with his own from deep.
Eamon Monahan added points in the paint, and Torkornoo sank another three to tie the game at 39–39. The teams battled back and forth, neither stringing together more than a four-point run. With under two minutes remaining, the Mountaineers were down by three. Orchard converted a two-pointer and a free throw to tie the game at 67–67 with 48 seconds left. Neither team could score in the closing seconds, forcing an overtime period.
In overtime, Eastern Oregon seized control. Torkornoo opened the extra period with a five-point surge, setting the tone. The Generals converted three free throws to make it 74–70, but the Mountaineers responded with a 9–0 run, taking advantage of LSUA fouls at the line. Continued pressure allowed Eastern to convert four of six free throws, while
James Bodily capped the scoring with a clutch two-pointer in the final seconds to stretch the lead to 14. A late three from LSUA proved too little, too late, as Eastern Oregon celebrated a stunning upset over the fifth seed.
Bodily led the Mountaineers with a dominant performance, scoring 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including four triples and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, while adding a block and a steal. Torkornoo recorded a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds, adding three blocks and a steal to anchor both ends of the court.
For LSU-Alexandria, Jordan Decuir scored a team-high 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting, converting all seven free throws, while EJ McQuillan added 18 points, hitting four from three-point range and six of seven from the charity stripe.
Eastern Oregon will face No. 4 seed Langston University on Saturday, March 14, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. The Lions enter the tournament with a 24–7 overall record and a 17–5 mark in the Sooner Athletic Conference, earning a national bid after finishing second in the SAC Tournament under fourth-year head coach Chris Wright. A win would send the Mountaineers to the final site in Kansas City, Missouri, for the next stage of the national tournament.
