Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. --- The Portland Pilots hung around for most of the game before the Pepperdine Waves pulled away for a 64-55 win on Thursday night at Firestone Fieldhouse. The loss is the first on the road during West Coast Conference play this season for the Pilots, who remain in second place after LMU lost to Gonzaga.
Portland, which is 15-11 overall and 8-3 in the WCC, pulled within one point twice during the second half after trailing by as much as 11 after the break. Down 40-29 with 17:19 left to play, the Pilots reeled off 10 straight points to make it a one-point deficit. Sophomore Tara Cronin hit two lay-ups during the spurt, including her patented scooping lay-up that made it 40-39.
After Pepperdine’s (14-11, 7-4 WCC) Taylor Smith drilled a three-pointer to put the Waves back up by four, UP senior Karlie Burris had the answer with a trey of her own, making it a 43-42 game with 11:52 showing on the clock.
From there, the Pilots would cool off from the field, allowing Pepperdine to build the lead back to eight points at 50-42. But Portland would respond once again. Trailing by six with less than four minutes to go, Burris hit a pair of clutch free throws to make it 57-53.
The Waves would then hold tough down the stretch, getting enough defensive stops and shooting 6-for-7 from the line to seal the win.
The loss overshadows a big game for Portland senior Allyson Sievers, who just missed a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds. Junior Laiken Dollente also flirted with a double-double, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds.
Miranda Ayim led three Waves in double figures with 15 points. She also matched Sievers for the game high in rebounds with nine.
Portland had its chances throughout, but turned the ball over a costly 25 times. Pepperdine capitalized with 20 points. Pepperdine also cleaned up on the glass, posting a 45-33 advantage in rebounds. 20 of the Waves’ boards came on the offensive end.
The Pilots did hold a 28-14 advantage in points in the paint and outshot the Waves 42.0 percent (21-for-50) to 31.8 percent (21-for-66). UP was 9-for-11 on free throws and 4-for-11 from behind the three-point arc.
Pepperdine was 17-for-22 at the charity stripe and 5-for-19 on three-pointers.
The Pilots next have to regroup in time for a game at LMU on Saturday. Second place is on the line as the third-place Lions trail UP by just one game. Portland and LMU are set to play at 2:00 p.m. at Gersten Pavilion. The Lions, who won the first meeting with Portland at the Chiles Center earlier this season, are the only WCC the Pilots have yet to defeat this year.
