PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland's Kate Andersen scored a game-high 16 points and her two free throws gave the Pilots a lead in the closing minute against Loyola Marymount, but Mackenzie Cast hit what would prove to be a game-winning three-pointer with 23 seconds remaining to allow the Lions to escape the Chiles Center with a 63-60 victory on Saturday afternoon.
 
The game was close throughout, but it was the Pilots who took a 49-42 led into the final frame. LMU then tightened up on defense and forced a Portland four-minute scoring drought, while scoring seven unanswered to level the score 54-54 with 4:49 left.
 
Andersen then came through with a clutch hoop when she scooped a loose ball and went glass on the put-back to hand the lead back to the Pilots. Moments later the Lions led by two, but Lisa Kaempf had a response with a game-tying lay-up on a nice feed by Rachelle Owens with a minute remaining. The Pilots would force a miss on LMU's ensuing possession before Andersen was sent to the line with the game still tied and 29 seconds showing on the clock.
 
Andersen calmly hit a pair of free throws to momentarily to make it a 60-58 game in Portland's favor, but Cast provided the dagger when she drilled a straight-away three-pointer. A missed Portland shot and two Lions' free throws then pushed LMU's lead to three, and a turnover by the Pilots with four seconds left sealed the win for the visitors.
 
Andersen connected on 10 free throws en route to her game-high in points. Julie Spencer added 12 points, and Owens went 5-for-7 from the field to finish with 11 points. Spencer just missed a double-double with nine rebounds, and her efforts on the glass helped Portland (4-15, 0-8 WCC) out-rebound their 13th opponent this season with a 36-32 edge.
 
Cheyanne Wallace led the Lions (12-7, 4-4 WCC) with 15 points off the bench.
 
After Darian Slaga opened the game with a pair of field goals, the Lions took advantage of some Portland turnovers to surge ahead 16-8. The Pilots had a response, and with a 9-3 run were able to cut into the deficit. Spencer hit a three during the spurt, and Andersen hit all eight of her free throws in the quarter to help pull the Pilots within 19-17 after the first 10 minutes.
 
The Lions would nurse a slight lead well into the second quarter, but Portland used a late 10-0 run to jump ahead. Owens scored four points during the outburst, Slaga buried a three, and the Pilots took a 33-29 lead into the locker room at half. Andersen led all scorers at the break with 10 points.
 
The Pilots carried their momentum into the second half and soon led 40-31 with the help a three from the top of the key by Owens and a pair of buckets by Spencer. After the Lions briefly trimmed the deficit, Owens continued to knock down shots and the Portland lead grew to 10 points. Wallace then found a spark and tried to single-handedly pull the Lions back into the game. At one point she scored seven straight points, but the Pilots still led 49-42 at the end of the third.
 
The Pilots next travel to Spokane, Wash., to face the first-place Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday night, with tip-off set for 6 p.m. at the McCarthy Athletic Center.