Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. --- Spokane native Tara Cronin recorded a double-double and came up with a huge three-point play late in the game to help lift the Portland Pilots to a 70-67 win over the league-leading Gonzaga Bulldogs in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game at the McCarthey Center on Sunday afternoon. Cronin had career highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds and hit three free throws down the stretch to help preserve the win.
The Bulldogs had a chance to tie the game at the end of regulation, but Janelle Bekkering’s three-pointer at the buzzer was long.
The win is Portland’s first over Gonzaga since 2002, a string of 16 straight GU wins. The win also allows the Pilots (13-10, 6-2 WCC) to remain in sole possession of second place in the WCC. It’s Gonzaga’s (19-5, 7-1 WCC) first conference lost.
After leading by eight at the break, Portland junior Laiken Dollente hit a three-pointer to begin the second half, pushing Portland’s lead to 40-29, UP’s biggest of the day. But the first-place Bulldogs responded with a six-minute long 14-2 run to take the lead. Heather Bowman made good on a three-point play to give the Bulldogs a 43-42 lead, their first lead since it was 2-0.
The Pilots would refuse to falter, and after Dollente hit three straight field goals, including a three-pointer, the Pilots led by six at 49-43 with 11:20 to play.
Seven minutes later the lead was still five after back-to-back field goals from senior Allyson Sievers and freshman Alexis Gannis.
That’s when GU got aggressive and was rewarded with free throws. Bowman and Courtney Vandersloot both hit a pair to give the lead back to Gonzaga at 67-65 with 1:40 left.
But Cronin and the Pilots would not be denied. Down two with 28 seconds remaining, Cronin got the ball at the free throw line with her back to the basket. After a couple of moves, she hit a scooping lay-up while getting fouled and falling to the floor. The team’s best free throw shooter then hit the and-one to give Portland the 68-67 lead.
At the other end, the Pilots turned up the defense, twice sending back GU shots with blocks. The first came courtesy Sievers with 19 seconds left. A jump ball was called on the rebound, with the possession arrow favoring the Bulldogs. On the following play, Cronin denied a shot from Vandersloot with an emphatic block with nine ticks on the clock. Another jump ball was called on the rebound, with Portland getting possession this time.
On the ensuing in-bounds play, Cronin got it and was immediately fouled. She then calmly sank both free throws to make it a three-point Portland led with :07 on the clock. Bekkering then got a good look, but missed the potential game-tying trey.
Cronin hit her first seven shots and finished 9-for-14 from the floor. She also handed out three assists.
Dollente added 16 points and hit four of eight from behind the three-point arc. Gannis had a solid day off the bench, going for eight points and five boards. Sophomore Jessica Clemens added six points and seven rebounds to help the Pilots to a huge 42-26 advantage in rebounds.
The Pilots shot 50 percent (27-for-54) on the day to improve to 7-0 on the season when shooting 50 percent or better. UP was also seven of 16 on three-pointers and 9-for-11 from the line.
Gonzaga shot 40 percent (24-for-60) and was led by Vandersloot with 19 points. She went 11-for-13 from the charity stripe as the Bulldogs were 18-for-23 as a team. GU hit just one of nine three-pointers.
Bowman had 18 points and Vivian Frieson finished with 15.
Gonzaga turned 24 UP turnovers into 21 points, while the Pilots countered with eight points off of 11 GU miscues.
The first half belonged to Cronin, who hit all seven of her shots from the field and had 14 points at the break, to go along with seven rebounds. The Pilots opened the game on fire and built an 18-8 lead six minutes in. Cronin had six points during the game-opening run.
The Zags then went on an 11-2 run to pull within one at 20-19 with 8:35 left in the half. The lead was still one (26-25) four minutes later when Portland embarked on a 9-4 half-ending run, which was capped by a Cronin jumper at the buzzer that gave the Pilots a 37-29 lead at the break.
Portland improves upon its best start to a conference slate since the 1996-97 opened WCC play at 8-0.
The Pilots, who are 5-0 on the road during WCC games, next return home to host San Francisco and Saint Mary’s at the Chiles Center this week. The Pilots will host the Dons at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday and the Gaels at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
