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PORTLAND, Ore. --- After a three-pointer by Portland’s Kari Luttinen tied the score late in the second half, the Saint Mary’s Gaels scored six unanswered points to claim a 49-43 win over the Pilots in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game played on Saturday night at the Chiles Center. Luttinen finished with a game-high 13 points for the Pilots, who are now 10-16 (5-8 WCC) with three games remaining in the regular season.
 
The Gaels (17-7, 9-3 WCC) led the defensive battle most of the night before the Pilots pieced together a run late in the second half. Down 10 with 6:32 remaining, Jasmine Wooton hit a tough lay-up and Annika Holopainen buried a three to spark a 12-2 Portland run.
 
Wooton would add a three during the outburst before finding Luttinen with a nifty pass for a game-tying fast break lay-up with just under four minutes to play.
 
Now tied at 40-40, Saint Mary’s got a clutch offensive rebound on a missed foul shot, and Danielle Mauldin capitalized with a three-point play to push the lead back to three.
 
The Pilots were unfazed, and on the other end Luttinen drilled the game-tying three from about three feet beyond the three-point arc with 2:30 left.
 
From there, the Gaels got a lay-up from Kate Gaze, forced the Pilots into a couple of misses and would seal the game at the free throw line.
 
Luttinen finished three of six from three-point range to lead the Pilots in scoring for the 13th time this season. It’s also the 17th time to score in double figures for the sophomore guard from Seattle, Wash.
 
Holopainen, a freshman forward, added 12 points in her first career start, and junior Amy Pupa had 11 boards. Pupa is coming off a 21-point, 11-rebound performance on Thursday.
 
Mauldin led the Gaels with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Gaze finished with 12 points.
 
The Pilots, who shot a chilly 20.7 percent in the first half and trailed 24-17 at the break, finished at 27.8 percent for the game. Portland hit eight of 31 three-point attempts and was just five of 12 from the foul line. The Gaels shot 40.0 percent for the game, were just one of 16 on three’s and shot 12-for-17 from the charity stripe.
 
Saint Mary’s held a slight edge in rebounds (37-33), while the Pilots had fewer turnovers (16-18).
 
Next up for the Pilots is a quick trip to Provo, Utah, for a WCC game against BYU on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. (Pacific).