STATS I TOUR BLOG

LEICESTER, England – The Portland Pilots defeated a team of top youth players primarily affiliated with the Leicester Riders Wednesday night by a 86-49 margin at the Leicester Arena. The win followed Tuesday night's win at the buzzer as the Pilots improved to 2-0 on the four-game foreign tour.

Freshman guard JoJo Walker recorded 12 points, eight assists and three steals in 22 minutes to lead  four Pilots in double figures.

Freshman guard Marcus Shaver Jr. finished with a team-high 15 points for Portland, while adding three rebounds and three assists.

Junior guard Rashad Jackson had 11 points and four rebounds, while junior forward Austin Stone chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds.

Freshman guard Brian Smith made his first appearance and dished out six assists to go with three points in 14 minutes of action.

All 11 Pilots that took the court scored as the team finished at 52 percent shooting for the game while holding the opponent to 27 percent overall.

Walker led the charge early by scoring eight of his 10 points in the first three minutes. He dished out five first quarter assists as well as the Pilots led 14-11. Portland would blow the game open by outscoring the select team by a 52-25 margin in the second and third quarters.

The most challenging test of the trip is scheduled for Thursday when the Pilots play the host Leicester Riders. The Riders won both the regular season and BBL tournament title last season and will feature a mixed roster of returners, new professional signees, and development players as they prepare for their championship defense. Portland's final game will be at Barking Abbey Basketball Academy on Saturday in London.

Fans can follow the Pilots on the foreign tour by visiting PortlandPilots.com/LondonTour.