Box Score

MALIBU, Calif. --- Jasmine Wooton scored a game-high 16 points, Cassandra Thompson had 10 rebounds and the Portland held Pepperdine to just 18 percent shooting as the Pilots cruised to a 73-34 win over the Waves in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game played at Firestone Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon. It’s the fourth win in the past five games for the Pilots, who improve to 10-14 overall and to 5-6 in the WCC.
 
The Waves, who managed just 11 field goals on the afternoon, drop to 4-17 overall and to 1-9 in the conference.
 
Portland was active on defense all day long and the Pilots held the Waves to just two points during the game’s first 10 minutes en route to building a 13-2 lead. Pepperdine climbed within six points after that, but UP was able to take a 26-15 lead into the halftime locker room.
 
The Pilots continued their stifling defense in the second half, while the offense exploded for 47 points after the break. After maintaining an 11-point lead three minutes in, the Pilots went on a 10-1 run to push their advantage to 20 points. Freshman Ellen Nurmi hit a three during the spurt, and fellow freshman Annika Holopainen hit a lay-up to give the Pilots their biggest lead (42-22) of the game to that point.
 
The Portland lead would soon swell to 33 points before Portland’s reserves took over and nearly pushed the lead to 40. 11 of Portland’s 12 available players scored, and the Pilots combined to hit 11 three-pointers and shoot 44.1 percent overall.
 
Wooton was seven of 13 from the field, Kari Luttinen hit three of five from behind the three-point arc to finish with 15 points, and Alexis Byrd continued her solid play of late with 13 points, six assists and five rebounds. Byrd was five of seven from the floor.
 
Holopainen was active on the glass, grabbing a career-best eight rebounds to help the Pilots to a 48-41 edge overall.
 
Kelsey Brockway and Bria Richardson each scored six points to pace the Waves, who missed a total of 51 shots against the Pilots. Pepperdine was also just 1-for-18 on three-pointers.
 
The Pilots next return home for a pair of WCC games at the Chiles Center. On Thursday night the San Francisco Dons visit a 7 p.m. in a game that could go a long way in determining seeding for next month’s WCC Tournament.
 
Portland then hosts Saint Mary’s on Saturday night at 7 p.m. The Gaels edged the Pilots last Thursday in Moraga, Calif.