PORTLAND, Ore.- The University of Portland women’s basketball team used hot first half shooting, and clutch baskets late to hold off the Portland State Vikings, 77-72 at the Stott Center Saturday afternoon. The Pilot frontcourt tandem of Khalila O’Rielly-Williams and Ashlee Orndorff combined for 37 points and 16 rebounds to put down the Vikings (1-5) in the first of two RiverCity Rivalry meetings between the schools this season. Portland (3-2) won their third straight game, while PSU dropped their second consecutive.

The Pilots jumped all over the Vikings with a 14-0 run to start the game, highlighted by Hanna Seltzer’s 30-foot bomb as the shot clock expired. Portland’s half-court execution was crisp as all five starters scored in the first five minutes.

UP hit their first five 3-pointers and knocked down 12-of-15 field goal attempts to start the game. PSU’s Sarah Hedgepeth ended the run with two free-throws at the 15:23 mark. Portland extended the lead to 26-10 on consecutive lay-ins by Khalila O’Rielly-Williams. Orndorff set up O’Rielly-Williams with a nifty entry pass on the right wing, then she was on the finishing end of a fast break started by Whitney Grant.

The Vikings closed the gap to 31-20 as Heidi Stuart made two-straight hoops. The Pilots went cold from the field after a blazing start, and went into the break with a 37-23 edge. Portland finished the half shooting 55.6 percent (15-for-27) from the floor, but held the Vikings to just from the 26.5 (9-for-34) percent from the field.

O’Rielly-Williams finished the half with 10 points and seven boards, while Orndorff and Grant each scored eight points in the first 20 minutes. Stuart kept the Vikings alive with eight first half points, while Hedgepath grabbed nine rebounds.

As much as the Pilots owned the first half, the Vikings dominated the second. PSU sophomore Jenna Washington’s transition lay-in and two free-throws cut the Pilot lead to 11 at 46-35, 13:49 remaining. The Vikings capitalized on Portland’s foul trouble as the Pilots were in the penalty with 13:27 to play.

"They did a nice job of adjusting after the break," said Pilot head coach Jim Sollars. "They switched from man to zone defense and it gave us some trouble."

Portland State got the lead back to single digits after consecutive jumpers in the lane by Ashley Brown and Tiffeny Ward, forcing the Pilots to take a timeout at the 10:56 mark.

PSU continued to inch closer as Washington made it a six point game with a post-move on the block, but Grant answered with another trey for the Pilots, pushing the lead back to 56-47.

After another Washington layup, PSU stole the ball and Ward converted a 3-point play making it a two-point game at 57-55 with just over seven minutes to play. Stuart’s 18-foot jumper tied the game for the first time with 6:39 remaining at 57-57.

Orndorff’s tip-in at 5:50 put the Pilots up four points, but Washington made it two with another pair of free-throws. After Vikings junior Carrie Mitchell’s 3-point play, Khalila O’Rielly-Williams made a put-back to make it 65-62 with under four minutes left.

Orndorff hit a key baseline jumper, and after a Vikings turnover, sophomore Lauren Himmelspach hit one-of-two from the stripe to give Portland a 70-64 lead with two minutes to play. Following another Mitchell lay-in, Himmelspach made a jumper in the lane and Khalila O’Rielly-Williams leaked out for an easy fast break lay-up to give Portland some breathing room with a 74-66 lead with less than a minute to play.

The Pilots shot 50 percent (29-of-58) from the field and 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from 3-point range, but managed just 50 percent (11-of-22) from the free-throw line. Khalila O’Rielly-Williams went 11-for-16 from the floor, finishing with 22 points and nine rebounds. Orndorff went for 15 points, 10 rebounds, and dished out five assists. Cecily O'Rielly-Williams chipped in 13 points, while Grant added a season-high 11.

The Vikings racked up 49 second-half points, and shot 57.6 percent (19-of-33) from the floor in the second half. They shot 41.8 percent (19-for-33) for the game, but went 0-for-8 from downtown.

Stuart paced the Vikings with 23 points, while Washington and Mitchell chipped in 14 and 11 respectively.

"We've got to play with more discipline late in the game," noted Sollars. "We let them back in the game late, but I was happy that we pulled it together and got the win. It's always nice to get a win against a rival on the road."

Portland is back in action at home against Montana State on Dec. 12, tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Chiles Center.