PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland shot 31.3 percent from the field had a late comeback fall short in a 68-61 loss to Air Force Thursday night at the Chiles Center. Whitney Grant led four players in double-figures with 15 points for Portland (2-4), while Letricia Castillo led all scorers with 16 points for Air Force (2-3).

Portland senior forward Jamie Medley scored 11 and was a monster on the glass with a career-high 16 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Meagan Bermingham and Ashlee Orndorff added 12 and 11 points for the Pilots, respectively.

Portland, already shorthanded with the loss of guards Hanna Seltzer and Amanda Afa’ese, suffered two more injuries against Air Force. Sophomore forward Nicole Rowe sprained her right fifth finger in the first half and did not return after halftime. Orndorff suffered a mild concussion late in the game and also did not return. Precautionary x-rays will take place tomorrow on Rowe to rule out a fracture and Orndorff will also be reevaluated tomorrow morning.

Trailing by 14 with seven minutes remaining, Portland went on a 12-1 run capped by a Bermingham three-pointer, closing the margin to 64-61 with just under two minutes left in regulation. Falcon reserve center Ellen Jaeschke scored a lay-up at the other end and the Pilots missed their final five shots to finish the game. Jaeschke finished with 14 points.

Air Force shot 46.7 percent from the field and had a 46-37 rebounding advantage. Portland countered by converting six more free-throws and turning 17 Falcon turnovers into 17 points. Air Force’s bench, led by Jaeschke and Pamela Findlay’s nine points, outscored Portland’s reserves 25-6.

Alecia Steele chipped in 13 points for the Falcons, as hot shooting in the first half carried them to a 38-28 edge at the break. Air Force used a 16-2 run midway through the period and knocked down 6-of-9 three-pointers during one stretch as Lauren Henderson’s long-range basket extended the lead to a game-high 16 points with just over four minutes left in the half. Portland cut the deficit to 10 with a pair of threes from Ashlee Orndorff and Meagan Bermingham, but the Pilots were a cold 3-for-14 from beyond the arc in the period.

A positive for the Pilots was a season-low 12 turnovers after entering the game averaging over 23 per outing.

Portland now embarks on a five-game road trip beginning at Montana on Sunday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. The Pilots will then take on Montana State on Dec. 7, Eastern Washington on Dec. 11, UC Davis on Dec. 18 and conclude the expedition at Tulane on Dec. 21.