RENO, Nev.. --- Portland's Kari Luttinen scored her 1,000th career point, Cassandra Brown had 20 points and nine rebounds and head coach Cheryl Sorenson records her first career win as the Pilots surged past the Utah Utes 58-50 on the final day of the Nugget Classic at the Lawlor Events Center on Saturday. The Pilots (1-4) out-scored the Utes (1-4) 9-1 down the stretch to pick up the win.
 
Luttinen, a senior from Seattle, becomes the 22nd 1,000-point scorer in program history and she's the first to hit that milestone since ReZina TecleMariam accomplished the feat in 2012. Needing just eight points to reach the historic plateau at the start of the day, Luttinen torched the Utes for 16 points, giving her 1,008 career points in her three-plus years with the Pilots. The shot that pushed her over was an angle three-pointer that handed the Pilots a 37-35 lead at the half.
 
And the Pilots needed every one of Luttinen's and Brown's points as it as a back-and-forth battle throughout the second half, with the two teams never separated by more than five points until the final minute.
 
With Portland trailing 47-45 after a Utah free throw with about four minutes remaining, Brown and sophomore Kaylie Van Loo hit consecutive lay-ups to give the lead back to Portland. The Utes then converted a lay-in of their own to tie it, which was followed by a Luttinen jumper that made it 51-49 with 2:22 left.
 
The Pilots then tightened up on defense and forced a handful of Utah misses and with 82 seconds remaining Brown finished with a tough reverse lay-up to push the lead to four. At the other end of the floor, the redshirt-senior got a huge board after Utah hit one of two free throws, and then Luttinen sealed the win with clutch three-pointer to make it 56-50 with just 17 seconds showing on the clock. Brown would hit a pair of free throws before the final buzzer.
 
The Pilots shot an impressive 52.1 percent (25-for-48) from the field, which was helped by Brown's 8-for-12 shooting performance. She also hit a two of Portland's five three-pointers and the Pilots were just three of five from the foul line.
 
Portland dominated the glass 39-26 and senior Cassandra Thompson had a game-high 10 rebounds, to go along with seven points. Portland's D also forced the Utes to shoot a chilly 31.6 percent (18-for-57) and Utah hit only four three-pointers on 26 attempts. Free throws helped Utah hang around as the Utes went 10-for-14 from the line.
 
Taryn Wicijowski led Utah with 18 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Pilots looked good early, scoring the game's first seven points. Utah responded and pulled within one, but the Portland lead was soon 18-7 with help of a lay-up by Brown. Moments later the lead grew to 21-10 after Brown drained a three-pointer, but the Utes would climb within two points by the break, setting up the exciting second half.
 
The win over Utah gives the Pilots the consolation trophy of the Nugget Classic, while Ole Miss claimed the tourney title with a win over host Nevada on Saturday night. Brown was named to the all-tournament team.
 
Sorenson is in her first season at the helm of the Pilots after replacing long-time head coach Jim Sollars in April.
 
The Pilots next return to The Bluff to play their first home game of the season when Oregon visits the Chiles Center on Friday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.