Box Score I Photos I Video Highlights
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Nik Raivio scored a game-high 18 points and led five Portland players in double figures as the Pilots defeated the Yale Bulldogs 77-58 Friday night before 1,596 at the Chiles Center. Portland (2-1) shot 60 percent from the field for the game and limited the visiting Bulldogs (0-3) to 35 percent.
Last year in New Haven, Conn., it was Yale that bullied Portland in an 88-70 rout in which the host Bulldogs shot 63 percent from the field. The tables turned this season as the Pilots led by as much as 17 points in the first period and maintained a double digit lead all the way through the second half.
All five Portland starters reached double figures for the second time in three games, matching the feat which was accomplished in an 80-74 season-opening victory over the Washington Huskies.
Sophomore center Kramer Knutson made all six of his shot attempts from the field and finished with a career-high 14 points. Junior forwards Robin Smeulders and Ethan Niedermeyer had 12 and 10 points, respectively, as each have reached double figures in all three games this year. Junior point guard T.J. Campbell added 11 points and five assists.
Raivio, who entered the contest averaging 19.0 points per game, finished 7-for-14 from the field and was one rebound shy of his first career double-double.
Portland had a 37-25 edge in rebounding and outscored the Bulldogs 40-24 in the paint.
Junior Alex Zampier led Yale with 15 points, but made just 4-of-13 field goal attempts. Ross Morin added 10 points for the Bulldogs.
“It was good to get the win,” Portland head coach Eric Reveno said. “They are a good team that is well-coached and well-prepared for us. They didn’t let us do what we wanted in the first few possessions and it became a game of adjustments.”
An 11-0 run early in the first half capped by a Raivio three gave the Pilots a 19-7 lead. Yale was held scoreless for a five-minute stretch in the period as a pair of free throws by Smeulders gave Portland its biggest lead of the half at 29-12. The Pilots would take a 37-25 halftime lead.
Portland was in control throughout the second half and grabbed an 18-point lead at 55-37 on freshman Nemanja Mitrovic’s first career field goal with 11:00 remaining. A three-pointer by Zampier pulled the Bulldogs within 11 at 59-48, but that would be as close as they would get.
“Our defensive energy was great in first half,” said Reveno,”but then we turned it over way too much and played a little careless in the second half. We only gave up two offensive rebounds in the first half and then seven after halftime. We also probably gave up more dunks in the first half than the first two games combined. I’m not trying to be overly critical, but as a coach you want to be perfect all of the time. We still have lots of stuff to work on and plenty of room for improvement.”
Portland will quickly hit the road and travel to UC Davis for a 2 p.m. tip-off this Sunday. It will be the Pilots fourth game in eight days to start the season. The game will be on the radio live on AM 970 and simulcast online at portlandpilots.com.
