SAN JOSE, Calif. – JoJo Walker scored 22 points and Isaiah White added 17 points and seven assists as the Portland Pilots earned a 72-57 road win against San Jose State Sunday afternoon at the Event Center.
Walker finished 8-of-12 from the field and 5-of-7 from three-point range. White had a solid all-around performance by adding three rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots.
The Pilots (2-1) led nearly start-to-finish after limiting the Spartans (1-1) to 39 percent shooting and shooting 48 percent overall. Portland also dialed it in from distance by making 9-of-20 three-pointers and converted 11-of-15 free throws.
Despite being out-sized at nearly each position, the Pilots matched the Spartans in rebounds with each team finished with 32. Portland shared the ball well with 19 assists on the team's 26 field goals made.
Portland led by nine at the half before the Spartans cut the margin to two early in the second period. The Pilots responded with an 11-0 run including a Takiula Fahrensohn three-pointer for a 53-40 lead.
San Jose State used an 8-0 run to pull within 56-51, but White thwarted the momentum with a huge block on what looked like an easy layup for the Spartans. He then found Tahirou Diabate for a layup and made a pair of free throws to push the margin back to double digits.
Walker scored 12 first-half points and Portland shot 59 percent from the floor in the period. Fahrensohn buried a corner three just before the buzzer to give the Pilots a 37-29 halftime lead.
Portland will return home to host Maine on Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets are available by visiting
PortlandPIlots.com/Tickets or calling 503-943-GOUP.