PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland guards Alec Wintering, Bryce Pressley and D'Marques Tyson combined to score 64 points as the Pilots stunned BYU with an 84-81 victory before a sellout crowd of 4,852 Saturday night at the Chiles Center.
The Pilots (9-11, 3-4 West Coast Conference) defeated BYU for just the second time in 15 meetings, but also the second time in thrilling fashion at the Chiles Center in the last three years. Portland defeated the Cougars in triple overtime 114-110 during the 2013-14 season.
The victory came in front of members of the Pilots' 1995-96 NCAA Tournament team that returned to campus for a 20-year anniversary.
Wintering finished with a team-high 22 points, his fifth 20-point game in the last six outings. Pressley added 21 points and six rebounds, while Tyson came up with clutch baskets all night long to finish with a season-high 21 points.
Chase Fisher paced the Cougars (13-6, 4-2) with 22 points, while Kyle Davis added 20. Kyle Collinsworth added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Saturday's game was close from start-to-finish and featured five ties and eight lead changes. Portland took an early 36-23 lead on a Jarrel Marshall three-pointer, but BYU closed the half with a 17-6 run to make it 42-40 at the break.
The teams traded punches most of the second half before the Cougars took their largest lead of the game at 63-58 following a Fisher three-pointer and free throw from Davis.
Tyson answered with a three-pointer from the corner, but Davis converted at the rim for a 65-61 lead with 7:29 left. Wintering and Pressley then hit back-to-back three-pointers to give the Pilots a 67-65 edge and the Pilots would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way.
BYU would pull within 81-79 on a three-pointer by Nick Emery with 22 seconds remaining. Following a timeout, Wintering was fouled and made both free throws. The Cougars missed two three-point attempts on the ensuing possession and Portland was able to seal the win with a rebound and free throw by Jason Todd.
Portland made 10-of-26 three-pointers, including five from Tyson, and shot 45 percent from the field on the night. BYU was just 6-of-22 from beyond the arc and shot 38 percent overall. The Cougars gained a 16-4 edge in second chance points, but Portland answered with a 22-14 margin in points off of turnovers.
Marshall provided a boost off the bench with 11 points including an electrifying dunk with 3:28 left that brought the crowd to its feet and gave the Pilots a three-point lead.
Portland will look to carry the momentum on the road with a pair of WCC meetings next week. The Pilots will visit Pacific on Thursday at 7 p.m. and then Saint Mary's on Saturday at 8 p.m.