PORTLAND – An inadvertent whistle at the end of regulation cost the Pacific men's basketball program an opportunity to shoot for a win in a tie game, and Portland prevailed 84-81 overtime Thursday at the Chiles Center.
 
With 33 seconds left, Portland (6-13, 1-5 WCC) held for the last shot in regulation when the Tigers (6-15, 1-6 WCC) got a stop defensively as the shot clock expired. Pacific came down the rebound, but an inadvertent whistle when the shot clock buzzer sounded awarded the Pilots the ball based on the alternating possession arrow. Pacific made a second stop to send the game to overtime.
 
Portland drew fouls and converted at the free throw line in overtime to end on top. For the game, the Pilots shot more than twice as many free throws as the Tigers and posted a .840 clip from the charity stripe.
 
The match-up featured 12 ties and nine lead changes.
 
The game was a homecoming for junior Lamar Washington, a Portland native and the reigning West Coast Conference Player of the Week winner. He came one rebound shy of the first triple-double in school history with 14 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. It was the second time this year he logged 45 minutes.
 
A big night came from senior Elias Ralph who registered 26 points and 11 rebounds. He was 9-of-18 from the field and played 42:51 minutes.
 
Sophomore Elijah Fisher registered 18 points and four steals, while freshman Carter Benton nailed a trio of three-pointers for a career-high nine points. Senior Petar Krivokapic played 45 minutes and drilled a pair of threes.
 
Portland was led by Bol Dengdit's 21 points and 13 rebounds.
 
The Tigers trailed 22-19 when Ralph connected on a three and followed it up with a pair of free throws to lead 24-22 at the 10:13 mark. After Portland tied it 26-26, Pacific went on an 8-0 run which included three-point plays by Fisher and Ralph to go up 34-26 with 4:39 remaining.
 
Portland trimmed the deficit to 37-35 late in the half, but a three by freshman Carter Benton on Pacific's final possession gave the Tigers a 40-35 edge at the intermission.
 

C. Benton drills a three on Pacific's final possession of the half.

Tigers lead 40-35 at Portland.#PacificProud pic.twitter.com/HwAhiXI5yP

— Pacific Men's Basketball (@PacificMensBB) January 17, 2025

Another three by Benton gave Pacific it's largest lead of the night 57-49 with 12:29 to go in the second half. A lay-up by Fisher kept the Tigers in front 60-53 with 10:24 left.
 
Though, the Pilots responded with a 9-0 spurt to grab a 62-60 lead with 7:36 remaining. A seesaw battle took place for the rest of regulation with the game tied 71-71 at the 1:32 mark. Portland went up 73-71 on a lay-in by Dengdit, the Tigers evened it again 73-73 on a dunk by Ralph with 33 seconds left.
 
The Tigers struck first in overtime with a three by Ralph, but the Pilots answered with a 7-0 run to go up 80-76 with 1:13 to go. Pacific trailed by three when it got the ball back with an opportunity to tie it in the end, but a pair of threes were off the mark in the closing seconds and Portland was able to hang on.
 
It was the only game of the week for the Tigers, who return home Thursday, Jan. 23 to host LMU at 7 p.m. at the Alex G. Spanos Center. Pacific is 807-458 all-time at home and 344-225 in the Spanos Center.
 
NOTES
- Pacific is now 29-18 all-time against Portland.
 
- The Tigers are 1-1 in overtime this year after beating Washington State 95-94 on the road last week.
 
- Pacific made a season-high 14 threes in the game. Six different student-athletes drained at least a pair of long range shots. The Tigers also shot a season-high .483 clip from beyond the arc.
 
- It marked the second time Pacific garnered two double-doubles in a single game after Ralph and Washington did it in an 80-67 victory against San Jose State.
 
- Ralph tallied his seventh double-double of the year and his fifth 20-plus scoring performance. He's scored in double-figures in 20 of 21 games on the season. Ralph entered the night ranked top-five in offensive rebounding with 2.5 per game and secured five.
 
- Washington notched his second double-double of the season. It was his 13th double-figure scoring game of the year and third time he's dished out at least 10 assists. Washington began the night ranked top-20 in the nation in assists per game with 6.0.
 
- Fisher has reached double-figures in scoring in 20 of 21 games on the year. His four steals were a career-high.
 
- Benton surpassed his previous career-high of eight points against Idaho on Dec. 21, 2024. He's hit a three in four consecutive outings.
 
Tigers Tickets
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the PacificTigers.com tickets tab, or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474.  Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.
 
Stay Social
For all the latest on Pacific Men's Basketball, be sure to follow the team on X (@PacificMensBB), Instagram (@PacificMensBB) and "like" the team's official Facebook page (Pacific Men's Basketball).
 
#PacificProud