Box Score I Photos
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland overcame a big second-half deficit to pull within one point of Gonzaga, but the Bulldogs would hold on and eventually prevail 60-49 in the women’s basketball West Coast Conference opener for both teams. UP junior guard Laiken Dollente, who helped fuel Portland’s comeback, finished with a team-high 15 points.
Trailing by eight at the half, the Pilots (7-8, 0-1 WCC) watched Gonzaga (13-4, 1-0 WCC) open the second stanza with a 13-7 outburst to claim a 43-27 lead with 15:20 left in the game. But Portland refused to falter and responded on both ends of the court.
Dollente began the run with a mid-range jumper. Sophomore Tara Cronin then turned a steal by senior Karlie Burris into a fast-break lay-up that made it a 12-point game. Following a lay-up by Gonzaga’s Heather Bowman at the other end, Dollente drilled the first of three-three pointers by the Pilots during the spurt.
Sophomore Lauren Angel then got into the action with a lay-up, which was followed by long-range shots from Dollente and Burris that pulled the Pilots within 45-44 with 9:30 showing on the clock. Burris’ three capped a 17-2 run during which GU went 1-for-7 from the field and turned the ball over twice.
Gonzaga still couldn’t find the mark after Portland’s run, but neither could the Pilots. The game remained at 45-44 until GU’s Courtney Vandersloot’s lay-up three minutes later. From there, a tired Pilots team could only muster five more points as Gonzaga would finish the game on an 15-5 run.
Dollente, Portland’s leading scorer on the season with a 16.8 points per game average, scored eight points during UP’s second-half run. She also finished with four steals as neither team took very good care of the ball.
Cronin played a solid all-around game and finished with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. Burris was in GU’s passing lanes all day and swiped a career-high six steals. She also added seven points and four assists.
Portland freshman Alexis Gannis had one of her better outings of the season as she scored six points, while grabbing a career-high six rebounds.
Vandersloot led all scorers with 19 points and nearly recorded a triple double. The guard had nine assists and seven rebounds. Bowman, the reigning WCC Player of the Week/Month/Year, finished with 15 points. Vivian Frieson ripped down a game-high 13 boards.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well, but Gonzaga would hit just enough shots to pick up the win. The Bulldogs shot 38.6 percent (22-for-57) overall, went four of 10 from behind the three-point line and was 12 of 14 from the Line. Portland countered with 33.9 percent (19-for-56) shooting, 4-for-17 on three-pointers and 7-for-13 at the line.
Both teams finished with 23 turnovers, which led to 22 GU points and 15 UP points. Gonzaga won the battle of the boards 40-33. Angel was Portland’s leading rebounder with eight.
GU also held a 14-4 advantage in fast-break points.
The Pilots next hit the road for a pair of conference games next week. On Thursday, Portland is set to travel to San Francisco, Calif., for a 7:00 p.m. against the San Francisco Dons. Then it’s on to Santa Clara for a 2:00 p.m. tilt against the Broncos at 2:00 p.m.
