The University of Portland women’s basketball team recorded its 400th overall win with an 84-77 victory over the Saint Mary’s Gaels on Thurs., Jan. 16 at the Chiles Center in Portland, OR . With the win, the Pilots end a three-game losing streak. Portland improves to 7-9 on the season, 1-2 in the WCC, while Saint Mary’s falls to 7-8 overall, 0-2 in WCC play.

Portland jumped out to a 6-0 lead with just over 18 minutes to play in the first half as the Pilots controlled the tempo of the game from early on. Freshman Michaela Dalgleish racked up 12 of her 17 points in the first half, shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line on the night. The Gaels out-rebounded Portland, 19-13 before the break, but turned the ball over 13 times. The Pilots racked up 18 points off Gael turnovers and 20 points in the paint in the first half.

In the second half, Portland continued to hit shots down the stretch. The Pilots opened as much as a 13 point lead (66-53) with just 9:16 left in the game. Saint Mary’s went on a 9-1 run with just :57 seconds left, cutting Portland’s lead to just four points (79-75). The Pilots kept their composure, scoring five more points down the stretch for an 84-77 win.

For the game, four Pilots players racked up double-figures. Junior Khalila O’Rielly-Williams led all scorers with 23 points, seven rebounds, four steals, three assists and one blocked shot. O’Rielly-Williams shot 11 of -18 from the floor and was a perfect 1-of-1 from the free-throw line. Whitney Grant and Michaela Dalgleish each tallied 17 points, while Ashlee Giles chipped in 11 points. Jaime Medley totaled nine points and seven boards. On the night, the Pilots shot 52 percent (33-64) from the field, 47 percent (7-15) from three-point range and 73 percent (11-15) from the free-throw line.

“The kids played hard and we shot the ball well tonight,” said Head Coach Jim Sollars. “Saint Mary’s is a talented team and I felt our kids played very well against them tonight. We pushed the ball and just did an excellent job of executing.”

Triola Jackson led Saint Mary’s with 19 points and 16 rebounds. Savannah Williams totaled 14 points, while Julie Morris added 10 points. As a team, the Gaels shot 44 percent (28-64) from the field, 47 percent (8-17) from beyond the arc and 68 percent (13-19) from the free-throw line.

UP NEXT: On Fri., Jan. 18, the Pilots take on San Francisco at 7:00 p.m. in Portland, OR. Portland will travel to Spokane, WA to match-up with Gonzaga on Sat., Jan. 25 at 3:00 p.m. On Thurs., Jan. 30, the Pilots will face Santa Clara on the road at 7:00 p.m.