Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Saint Mary’s outscored Portland by seven in the second half and Louella Tomlinson was one block shy of a triple-double as the Gaels defeated the Pilots 72-65 in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game played on Saturday afternoon at the Chiles Center. Senior guard Laiken Dollente hit four three-pointers and led the Pilots with 16 points.
After the game was tied 35-35 at the half, the Pilots opened a six-point lead 3:30 into the second stanza. Sophomore guard ReZina TecleMariam hit a lay-up before drilling a three-pointer to give Portland a 49-43 advantage.
Saint Mary’s responded and tied the game on a three from Jontelle Smith that made it 51-51 with 13 minutes remaining. The Gaels then rattled off 10 straight points and enjoyed a 61-51 lead with less than ten minutes to play. UP junior guard Tara Cronin ended Portland’s scoring drought with a three-pointer, but the Gaels would eventually push the lead to 13 points with 3:52 showing on the clock.
The Pilots would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way.
Portland drops its third straight conference game to fall to 11-7 on the season and to 0-3 in the WCC. Saint Mary’s improves to 12-7 (3-1 WCC).
Tomlinson, who entered the game as the nation’s leading shot blocker, swatted away nine Portland shots. The junior also scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
SMC’s Jasmine Smith led all scorers with 17 points, while Jontelle Smith added 16. Ashlee Smith finished with a game-high 11 rebounds.
It’s the ninth time this season to lead the Pilots in scoring for Dollente and the 16th game to score in double figures. TecleMariam (15) and Cronin (15) also reached double figures in scoring, while junior forward Jessica Clemens finished with a team-high eight rebounds.
The Pilots shot a chilly 31.8 percent (21-for-66) from the floor and hurt themselves at the free throw line. The country’s fifth best free throw shooting team hit only 13 of 23 attempts from the line.
Saint Mary’s converted 20 of 30 from the line, shot 23-for-58 (39.7 percent) overall and went six of 18 from behind the three-point arc.
UP finished with 10 three-pointers.
Saint Mary’s held a 49-42 edge in rebounds, which helped the Gaels to a 16-9 advantage in second-chance points. 22 SMC turnovers led to 18 UP points, while 19 miscues by the Pilots turned into 20 points for the Gaels.
The Pilots looked to be in control of the game early as they built a seven-point lead in the first half. Six minutes into the game, a jumper from Natalie Day made it 15-8 for UP’s largest lead of the afternoon. The Gaels would battle back with a 16-2 run to claim a seven-point lead before the two teams settled for a tie game at the break.
The Pilots will next hit the road in search of their first conference win. On Thursday, Portland is slated to play the Loyola Marymount Lions at 7:00 p.m. in Los Angeles, Calif. UP will then face Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif., at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday
