Laiken Dollente

Freshman point guard Laiken Dollente leads Portland with 10 points as the Ducks top the Pilots 73-46

EUGENE, Ore. --- The Oregon Ducks built a 23-point half-time lead en route to a 73-46 win over the Portland Pilots in a non-conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at McArthur Court. Freshman point guard Laiken Dollente led the Pilots with 10 points.

Portland drops to 4-3 on the season, while Oregon improves to 4-1.

Dollente, who entered the game averaging 16.2 points per game to rank fourth in the West Coast Conference, has scored in double figures every game this season and has led Portland in scoring four times. She added four assists against the Ducks.

Portland was as frigid as the weather from the field, shooting a season-low 30 percent (18 for 61). The Pilots hit three three-pointers and were seven for 11 from the line. Oregon shot 30 free throws and made 21.

Junior center Rachel Warren scored eight points, while sophomore wing Jennifer Wassom netted seven. Sophomore forward Allyson Sievers was UP’s top rebounder with six boards. Sophomore forward Carly Koebel and freshman forward Laura Thomas each finished with five rebounds.

Three Ducks scored in double figures, led by Eleanor Haring with 15 points. Tamika Nurse and Jamie Hawkins each scored 11 points for Oregon. The Ducks shot 51 percent (24 for 47) from the field and hit four three-pointers.

Jessie Shetters pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds for the Ducks, who outrebounded the Pilots 39-32. Oregon turned the ball over 14 times, while Portland committed a season-low 15.

Dollente hit the game’s first shot to give Portland the only lead they would enjoy at 2-0. Shetters then gave the Ducks a ten-point advantage with a jumper to make it 20-10 with 9:40 left in the first half. From there, Oregon finished the half on a 22-9 outburst to enter the locker room with a 42-19 advantage.

A little more than four minutes into the second half, UP sophomore forward Anne Graner nailed a three-pointer to pull the Pilots within 18 points at 49-31. It’s as close as Portland would get the rest of the way.

Oregon finished with a 28-18 points advantage in the paint and a 30-16 edge in points off of the bench.

The Pilots next travel to Montana for a pair of road games. The Montana Grizzlies host Portland on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. (PST) in Missoula, Mont. The Pilots then travel to Bozeman, Mont. for a game Monday night against the Montana State Bobcats, also at 6:00 p.m.