LAS VEGAS, Nev. --- Portland senior Kaylie Van Loo ended her career with 16 points and the Pilots repeatedly answered runs from the Toreros, but in the end San Diego prevailed 74-47 over the Pilots in the opening round of the West Coast Conference Championships on Thursday afternoon at the Orleans Arena. The loss ends the season for the Pilots, while San Diego moves on to face BYU on Friday.
 
Van Loo caps a stellar senior season with another solid game, leading the Pilots in scoring for the 14 th time this year. 13 of her points came in the second half, and she added four rebounds and three assists. Van Loo was recently voted to the All-WCC Second Team, was named the University of Portland's Student-Athlete of the Month, and she landed on the WCC's All-Academic team for the second straight year.
 
Fellow senior Hanna Mattson chipped in with 10 points.
 
The game was close early as neither team could create separation. Van Loo opened with a long two, and Mattson followed with lay-up after an offensive rebound to hand the Pilots (6-24) the lead. The Toreros (14-15) then surged ahead, but Sara Zaragoza tied the score with her patented turn-around, baby hook shot in the lane. USD would again take the lead, but Mattson kept the Pilots close by knocking down a jumper before the first quarter came to a close with the Toreros ahead 14-8.
 
San Diego then built on their lead with some stingy defense in the second, but Holly Blades and Kate Andersen tried to spark a Portland comeback with a pair of traditional three-point plays. Andersen would connect on a jumper to continue Portland's run, and Spencer made it a 7-0 spurt with a shot just before the half, allowing the Pilots to climb within 11.
 
The third period began with another San Diego run as their lead swelled to 19 points. Blades got three back with a shot from behind the arc, and Van Loo cut the deficit to 14 with four straight points. Van Loo added a three-point play moments later to give the senior point guard nine points in the quarter, but the Toreros took a 53-33 edge into the final frame.
 
The Pilots refused to falter, and Blades sparked a Portland fast break with a steal to begin the fourth. She then fed Van Loo, who found Ashley Gray for a lay-up, which prompted a San Diego timeout. Van Loo followed with a pull-up jumper in the key, and Spencer added a baseline J as the Pilots scored nine straight to pull within 11 with 6:18 left. But that's as close as the Pilots would get as the Toreros recovered, added to their lead, and sealed the win.
 
The Toreros shot a blistering 55 percent on the afternoon, while holding the Pilots to just 35 percent. The Toreros also connected on 18 free throws out of 23 attempts and made just two three-pointers. Portland went 8-for-9 at the line and finished with three three's. The Toreros also claimed a 20-6 edge in points off of turnovers, and USD out-rebounded UP 37-22.
 
Andersen, a freshman, finished with seven points, while the sophomore Spencer was the team's top rebounder with six boards.
 
Aubrey Ward-El led four Toreros in double figures with 15 points.
 
The game marked the final in the career for Portland's four seniors, Van Loo, Mattson, Blades and Corissa Turley.