Seniors Pooh Jeter, Donald Wilson and Darren Cooper combine for 47 points in the win
MORAGA, Calif – Senior Donald Wilson tipped in the game winning basket in overtime to lift the Portland Pilots to a 74-72 victory over the Saint Mary’s Gaels Monday night at McKeon Pavilion.
The Pilots (7-9, 1-1 West Coast Conference) trailed for nearly all of regulation before a forcing the game into overtime and picking up a huge league win on the road. The Gaels (7-7, 0-2 WCC) fall to 0-2 in conference play after dropping a 68-60 decision to Gonzaga on Saturday.
Portland gained possession with the game tied at 72-72 and less than 15 seconds remaining in overtime after senior point guard Pooh Jeter drew an offensive foul call on SMC guard John Winston. The Pilots called timeout and senior guard Darren Cooper worked the clock down and hoisted a step-back, 18-foot jumper. The shot went off the rim and Wilson elevated over everybody and tapped home the shot as time expired.
“The coaches told everyone to go to the glass after a shot,” Wilson said of the final sequence. “Coop always calls his misses as ‘off left’ or ‘off right,’ and I saw his shot was kind of flat. I saw it going off the front rim and just put it in.”
Jeter led the Pilots with 17 points, Wilson added a season-high 16 and Cooper contributed 14. The senior trio combined for 32 points after halftime.
All three made clutch plays down the stretch and in overtime. Wilson drew a pair of offensive foul calls in the extra period; Jeter hit back-to-back threes in the closing minutes to give Portland its first lead since the opening tip; Cooper made a critical three-point play with less than two minutes left in regulation to give Portland a huge lift.
The Pilots overcame a 44-29 rebounding disadvantage by connecting on 7 of 8 three-point attempts, making all seven free throw attempts, and getting key defensive stops late in the game. Portland also managed 52 percent shooting after halftime against the WCC’s leading defensive team.
“I was so proud of our guys’ composure tonight,” Portland head coach Michael Holton said. “This is always a tough place to play and this was a big road win early in the conference season. I thought everything we preached about was present today: stay together and play every second very focused. I think top to bottom we did that.”
The Pilots trailed by eight on two occasions in the second half, but never let the lead become insurmountable. Down four at the 2:59 mark, Jeter hit a trey and following a defensive stop, pulled up on the break and drained a 25-footer to give UP its first lead since a 4-2 advantage early.
An offensive rebound and lay-up by Ian O’Leary tied the game with 15 ticks remaining in regulation and Jeter’s off-balance runner at the buzzer caromed off the rim. The teams traded two baskets in overtime before Wilson’s heroics.
Saint Mary’s was led by senior Reda Rhalimi with a career-high 18 points and Todd Golden also set a career mark with 18. O’Leary finished with career-highs of 15 points and 10 boards.
The Pilots will continue WCC play this weekend at home against Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine. The Lions visit the Chiles Center on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m., while the Waves and Pilots take the floor on Monday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. on FSN Northwest.
