Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Junior guard Laiken Dollente became the 18th player in University of Portland women’s basketball history to score 1,000 points, but the Pilots dropped a 72-56 decision to cross town rival Portland State Wednesday evening at the Stott Center. The Pilots drop to 2-4 on the season, while the Vikings improve to 3-1.
Dollente finished with nine points of 3-of-8 shooting. She entered the contest needing just four points to join the exclusive club after averaging 20.8 points per game through the team’s first four contests. It took her only 66 games to reach the 1,000-point plateau, marking the second quickest ascent to the landmark in Portland’s at the Division I level. Amy Claboe (1993-95) reached the mark in her first 59 career games on The Bluff.
Senior guard Jennifer Wassom led the Pilots with 14 points in the loss, while sophomore guard Tara Cronin added 13 points and nine rebounds.
Kelsey Kahle led all scorers with 22 points for the Vikings on 8-of-10 shooting from the field. Kelli Valentine added 16 points and seven rebounds, while junior point guard Claire Foucher filled the stat sheet with 10 points, nine assists, six rebounds and six steals.
The first half action was back-and-forth as PSU pulled out to courtesy of six straight points by Valentine. The lead went to double digits on a jumper by Courtney Cremer to give the Vikings an 18-8 lead, but the Pilots cut the gap to six on three straight hoops. After a Foucher three gave the Viks a 25-16 lead, Portland used a 12-4 run capped by a Tara Cronin jumper with 12 seconds left in the half to make it 29-28. PSU would take a 31-28 lead into the half as Cremer buried another jumper just before the buzzer.
The Vikings came out of the locker room on fire as Kahle scored 10 straight points to push the home team’s margin into the double figures. A basket by Portland senior Andrea Wujek made it 54-45 with 9:32 left in regulation, but the host Vikings used an 11-0 run to put the game out of reach.
Turnovers were the difference as the Pilots committed 25 and the Vikings had just 16. Portland State racked up a 27-9 edge in points off of turnovers. Portland gained a 35-28 advantage in rebounds, but shot just 42 percent from the field and made only 1-of-5 three-point attempts.
The Vikings shot 46 percent and made 6-of-16 three-pointers. PSU had 14 steals and 17 assists on 25 made baskets.
After six games on the road to open the season, the Pilots will finally return to the Chiles Center for their home-opener on Sunday at 2 p.m. against the Sacramento State Hornets.
