Box Score

SANTA CLARA, Calif. --- Junior Amy Pupa hit the go-ahead jumper and sophomore Kari Luttinen came up with a big-time blocked shot before making a pair of free throws late as the Portland Pilots prevailed 71-68 over the Santa Clara Broncos in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game played at the Leavey Center on Saturday afternoon. Luttinen finished with 15 points to lead the Pilots (7-13, 2-5 WCC), as did freshman Ellen Nurmi.
 
The game was close throughout as the two teams were never separated by more than nine points. The second half, much like the first, was back-and-forth and it was the Broncos who took a late one-point lead. Ruta Zurauskyte hit a lay-up and Ricki Radanovich converted a pair of free throws to give Santa Clara the slim 66-65 advantage with just 38 seconds left.
 
But the Pilots had an answer as Pupa knocked down a clutch baseline jumper to hand the lead back to the Pilots with 23 seconds showing on the clock. And then at the other end of the court, Luttinen denied the would-be go-ahead shot from Nici Gilday with a block in the lane. Luttinen then grabbed the rebound before getting fouled.
 
After her two free throws pushed the Portland lead to three with only a few seconds remaining, the Pilots fouled the Broncos to deny an attempt at a potential game-tying three-pointer. Raquel Avila made both free throws, forcing Santa Clara to foul Portland sophomore Jasmine Wooton on the ensuing in-bounds play.
 
Wooton stepped up to line and made two free throws to seal the three-point win.
 
Wooton’s free throws capped a successful day at the line for Portland as the Pilots combined to go 19 of 23 at the stripe. Portland was also accurate from deep, going 10-for-20 on three-pointers, while shooting 21-for-54 (38.9 percent) overall.
 
Nurmi connected on four three’s, out of six attempts, en route to double figures for the second straight game and the seventh time this season. 11 of Luttinen’s points came during the second half and she was a perfect six of six from the foul line.
 
Byrd scored 11 points and Wooton added nine, and both guards dished out three assists.
 
Radanovich and Zurauskyte did most of the damage offensively for the Broncos (12-8, 4-3 WCC), finishing with 24 and 20 points, respectively. Radanovich was six of 10 from beyond the three-point arc.
 
Santa Clara shot 23-for-47 (48.9 percent) overall, was 8-for-19 on three’s and went 14-for-17 at the line.
 
Nurmi’s 10 first-half points helped the Pilots take a 33-27 lead into the locker room and Portland hit its first shot of the second half, a three from Luttinen, to make it a nine-point game. But the Broncos responded with a 10-1 run to tie the game, one of eight ties on the afternoon. The two teams exchanged the lead a total of 16 times.
 
The Pilots next return home to host the Pepperdine Waves for a WCC contest at the Chiles Center on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.