Kramer Knutson |
Portland, playing without leading scorer Nik Raivio, led by eight in the first half
PORTLAND, Ore. --- The shorthanded Portland Pilots gave the 24th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs a scare Monday night at the Chiles Center. The Pilots, playing without leading scorer Nik Raivio, led by eight late in the first half before the Bulldogs pulled away down the stretch for a 73-51 victory before a crowd of 4,527.
Senior David Pendergraft and junior Jeremy Pargo led Gonzaga with 13 points each, while sophomore Robin Smeulders paced the Pilots (8-20, 2-10) with 12 points off the bench. Taishi Ito and Walter Thompson added 10 each for Portland.
Raivio, whose brother Derek was the West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year last season for Gonzaga, suffered a right knee contusion in practice over the weekend and did not suit up for the game. Despite losing their only double figure scorer, Portland came out blazing and led for nearly the entire first half. At the three minute mark, a pair of free throws by Robin Smeulders gave Portland a 27-19 lead, the largest Gonzaga deficit in WCC play this year.
The Bulldogs (22-6, 11-1 WCC) turned to junior point guard Jeremy Pargo late in the period and his three runners in the lane brought the halftime deficit to 29-27.
The teams went back and forth most of the second half and Portland took their final lead of the contest on a pair of free throws by senior Sherrard Watson, making it 40-39 with 11:27 remaining. Gonzaga retook the lead and pushed the margin to 50-42 on a three by Micah Downs with 8:01 remaining.
After a layup by Pilot freshman Kramer Knutson, the Bulldogs went on an 11-2 run to take a 15-point lead and put the game out of reach.
Gonzaga outrebounded the Pilots by a 23-10 margin in the second half and shot 56 percent from the field after the break.
“Our main focus was to limit their transition offense and prevent second chance opportunities,” Portland head coach Eric Reveno said. “We did a good job of that for the most part, but they wore us down on the glass as the game went on. Their athleticism and length provided difficult matchups.”
Portland shot just 37 percent in the game compared to 50 percent by Gonzaga. The Bulldogs gained a 38-24 edge in the paint and 14-6 margin in second chance points.
Thompson provided the Pilots with a big offensive boost off the bench in the first half, scoring eight of his 10 points in the period.
“They are a very good team and we’re trying to keep getting better,” Reveno added. “I was please that we played them tougher tonight, but am still disappointed with our lack of consistency.”
The Pilots will conclude the regular season at home this weekend. Santa Clara visits on Saturday at 7 p.m., while No. 23 Saint Mary’s comes to town Monday at 7 p.m. Both games will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet.
