PROVO, Utah --- Freshman Annika Holopainen scored 15 points to lead four Portland Pilots in double figures, but the Brigham Young Cougars would hold on for a 79-64 win in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game played on Thursday night at the Marriott Center. The Pilots, who scored 46 points in the second half, drop to 10-17 overall in the year and to 5-9 in the WCC.
 
The Cougars, who sit in second place in the WCC, improve to 19-7 overall to 10-3 in the conference.
 
BYU led by 15 at the half before stretching the advantage to 18 points early in the second half. The Pilots, though, responded by climbing within 12.
 
The Cougars were again able to create some separation, this time pushing the lead to 21 points, their biggest lead to that point. Portland answered with a 12-4 run, which was capped by a traditional three-point play by junior Alexis Byrd.
 
Redshirt sophomore Erin Boettcher buried a three-pointer during the run as did Byrd to help Portland climb within 61-48 with 7:10 to play.
 
But the Pilots had no answer for guard Haley Steed or 6-foot-7 post Jennifer Hamson, who both scored 23 points to help the Cougars cruise from there. Steed didn’t miss in the second half, going 6-for-6, and knocked down five three-pointers. Hamson shot 10-for-15 as BYU shot 51.7 percent (31-for-60) for the game.
 
Holopainen was 5-for-9 and went 2-for-4 on three’s, while Byrd, junior Amy Pupa and sophomore Jasmine Wooton each scored 10 points. Sophomore Cassandra Thompson just missed double digits, contributing nine points.
 
Portland shot 34.4 percent (22-for-64) overall, was six of 20 from three-point range and went a perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line.
 
BYU had a sizable advantage in points in the pain (42-18) and connected on six three-pointers.
 
The Pilots struggled a bit in the first half to find their offensive rhythm and entered the halftime locker room trailing 33-18. Holopainen scored the game’s first two points, but BYU would respond by taking a 12-4 lead. A three-pointer by Kari Luttinen cut the deficit to five and the Pilots were still within eight moments later when Pupa knocked down a mid-range jumper, but the Cougars would stretch the lead to 18 points.
 
The Pilots don’t play again until next Thursday when they visit Spokane, Wash., to face the first-place Gonzaga Bulldogs. Tip-off at the McCarthey Center is set for 6 p.m.