Box Score  I  WCC Tournament Bracket (pdf)

PORTLAND, Ore. --- In what has become a trend during much of the second half of the season, the Portland Pilots made a patented late-game run against Brigham Young, but the Cougars would hold on for a 73-63 win in the West Coast Conference regular season finale on Saturday afternoon at the Chiles Center. The Pilots will enter next week’s WCC Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., as the league’s No. 7 seed with an overall record of 10-19 (5-11 WCC).
 
After taking the lead early in the second half, the Cougars would re-group before re-claiming the lead, which would stretch to 14 points with 6:23 left to play. Still down 13 moments later, the Pilots went on a 10-0 run to climb back into the game.
 
Amy Pupa began the run with a lay-up, which was followed by a pair of free throws from Ellen Nurmi to make the score 66-57.
 
Cassandra Thompson then drilled a three-pointer before Pupa hit one from beyond the arc to pull the Pilots within 66-63 with 1:41 left to play.
 
The Pilots then forced the Cougars into a desperation shot at the other end as the shot clocked wound down, but BYU senior Hayley Steed buried a deep three from six feet beyond the three-point line as the shot clock buzzer sounded.
 
Now down six with about a minute left, the Pilots missed a couple of three-point attempts at the other end before BYU sealed the win at the free throw line.
 
BYU ends the regular season 20-9 (11-5 WCC) and will take the No. 4 seed into the WCC Tournament.
 
Three Pilots scored in double figures with Thompson, a sophomore post, leading the way with 12 points. She shot five of 10 overall and hit two of four three-pointers. Sophomore guard Kari Luttinen and Pupa, a junior forward, each finished with 11 points. Junior guard Alexis Byrd and freshman wing Ellen Nurmi both just missed double figures with nine points each.
 
Kim Beeston, who connected on five three-pointers, led four Cougars in double figures with a game-high 17 points.
 
Portland shot 37.1 percent (23-for-62), knocked down nine three-pointers and went 8-for-10 at the line. BYU combined to shoot 40.7 percent (22-for-54), connected on 10 three’s and went a difference-making 19-for-22 at the free throw line.
 
The Pilots committed a season-low nine turnovers, while forcing the Cougars into 13 miscues. BYU did claim a 44-29 edge on the glass.
 
BYU led 34-33 at the half after the Pilots ended the first stanza with an 8-2 run.
 
The Pilots next set their sights on the 2013 WCC Championships, which will take place March 6-11 at the Orleans Arena. The Pilots will play on Thursday against the sixth-seeded Santa Clara Broncos, with tip-off set for 2:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on BYUtv.