Box Score

STOCKTON, Calif. --- Junior ReZina TecleMariam scored a career-high 20 points and Portland got another solid performance from its bench as the Pilots defeated the Pacific Tigers 86-73 in a non-conference women’s basketball game at the Spanos Center on Sunday afternoon. 18 of TecleMariam’s points came during the second half.

 

The Pilots improve to 9-3 overall, which matches the second best start after 12 games in program history. Portland also begins the season 6-0 on the road for the first time ever. 
 

After netting just a pair of points during the first half, TecleMariam came alive after the intermission. She scored the first five points of the second half, on a lay-up and a three-pointer, to help Portland match its biggest lead of 19 at 45-26.

 

The lead would remain in double digits until the Tigers (3-8) made a little run with 8:36 remaining. Trailing 66-51, the Tigers scored seven of the game’s next eight points to pull within nine.

 

That’s when the Pilots responded with nine unanswered points, pushing the lead back to 18 with 5:13 left to play. Freshman Alexis Byrd began the UP run with a tough lay-up across the lane. Junior Natalie Day then sandwiched a TecleMariam three-pointer with a pair of jumpers, giving Portland a 76-58 lead. Pacific never got within single digits the rest of the way.

 

TecleMariam hit seven of ten from the field overall and was 3-for-4 on three-pointers. Her previous career high in scoring was 18 points, which she accomplished twice before. TecleMariam, who entered the game 14th in the nation in assists per game (5.9), also dished a game-high five assists.

 

Day scored 16, while junior Alexis Gannis added 12 points off the bench. Day and Gannis’ efforts helped the Pilots’ bench outscore that of Pacific 48-16.

 

Byrd and fellow freshman Cassandra Brown each finished with nine points. Byrd hit five free throws, helping UP go 22-for-28 at the line.

 

Portland, which shot better than 50 percent for most of the game, finished 29 of 61 (47.5 percent) from the field and six of 13 on three-pointers. Pacific shot 44.6 percent (29-for-65), went 5 of 19 on three’s and was 10-for-21 from the foul line.

 

Freshman Danielle Peacon led the Tigers with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Peacon helped Pacific to a slim 40-39 edge in rebounds over the Pilots, who were led by Gannis with six boards.

 

The Pilots were able to turn 24 Pacific turnovers into 28 points, while the Tigers countered with 19 points on 17 UP miscues.

 

After Pacific scored the game’s first two points, the Pilots responded with nine straight to take an early seven-point lead. Moments later, the lead reached double digits for the first time after junior Nakeisha Brown hit a pull-up jumper and Byrd converted a pair of free throws to make it 18-8.

The first-half lead would stretch to 19, before the Pilots settled for a 40-24 lead at the break. Senior Tara Cronin, who hit a pair of three’s during the first 20 minutes, and Gannis led the Pilots with eight points each at the break. UP shot an even 50 percent (14-for-28) during the first stanza.

 

The Pilots next head south for a non-conference game against the UC Irvine Anteaters on Tuesday. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. at the Bren Center in Irvine, Calif.