PORTLAND, Ore.- The University of Portland men’s basketball team led for the majority of the game and when it got close, the Pilots kept their composure to grind out a 65-59 win at the Chiles Center tonight. With the win, the Pilots hold a perfect 3-0 record over the 49ers and improve to 2-1 on the season, while Long Beach State falls to 0-2.

The Pilots opened the game on a trey by Eugene “Pooh” Jeter for a 3-0 Portland lead. The Pilots broke out for a 21-8 lead with 9:34 left to go in the first half which was sparked by a disciplined game plan played out by all five players on the floor. Long Beach State went on a 9-3 run to make it interesting and closed the gap to within seven points, but the Pilots went into the break leading 24-17.

After the break, Andreas Gahlmann started the Pilot scoring with a bank shot in the paint. Donald Wilson recorded two back-to-back dunks at the 17 minute mark, he had five crams on the night. Long Beach State wouldn’t submit without a fight and chipped away at the Pilot lead. The 49ers took a one-point lead on a trey by Jibril Hodges, making it 33-32 LBSU. Adam Quick responded with a 12-foot jumper of his own at the 12:01 mark. Dustin Geddis battled on the boards and tipped the ball in off one of his three offensive rebounds of the night, for a 37-36 Pilot lead.

Long Beach State was able to slow the tempo of the game, aiding to their style of play, but the Pilots stayed within their own system and came out top. There were four tied scores in the game and six lead changes, but close to the four minute mark, Portland began to pull ahead. After LBSU’s Hodges tied the score at 50-50 on a trey, Adam Quick answered with one of his own for a 53-50 Pilot advantage.

Coming out of a media timeout, Holton set up the perfect momentum play for Portland. With 3:32 left in the game, Patrick Galos set a hearty pick off the left block opening up daylight for another Donald Wilson cram, and a 55-52 Portland lead. Portland extended the lead to 62-57 off two free throws by Pooh Jeter. It was not the plan the LBSU coaching staff called for as they erupted off the bench when Hodges committed the foul.

After two more missed chances by the 49ers, Hodges fouled Adam Quick with 24 seconds left. Quick converts both frees and opens the lead to seven. With nine seconds left, Long Beach State’s Antoine Jackson committed an intentional foul, sending Jeter to the line to seal the deal for a 65-59 win.

Portland racked up 21 points off LBSU turnovers, 26 points in the paint and 13 second chance points for the game.

Donald Wilson led the Pilots with 18 points on 8-12 shooting from the field. Pooh Jeter contributed 16 points, a season-best six assists and made 6-of-8 from the free-throw line tonight. Adam Quick chipped in 12 points, making 4-9 from the field. Wilson and Dustin Geddis led the team on the boards with four each. As a team, the Pilots shot 64 percent from the charity stripe (9-14), 44 percent from the three-point line (8-18) and 46 percent from the field (24-52).

“I was concerned with our emotional status, considering we were coming off such a high from the Oregon State win, but we played mature, we stayed poised and we kept our composure under pressure,” said Pilot head coach Michael Holton.

Hodges led the 49ers with 18 points, making 6-9 from the field, 5-7 from beyond the arc and 1-2 from the free-throw line. Antoine Jackson tallied 12 points, while Kevin Roberts added 11 points. Cody Pearson led all players with 11 boards. LBSU ended the game shooting 50 percent (23-46) from the field, 47 percent (7-15) from three-point range and 50 percent (6-12) from the free-throw line. The 49ers edged Portland on the boards, 29-24.

“It was an ugly game, but we got it done,” said Holton. “We struggled to play with defensive energy near the end of the game, but we came away with some key plays down the stretch for the win.”

Portland heads to Albuquerque, N.M. to face the New Mexico Lobos on Mon., Dec. 1 at 7:00 p.m. (MST).