PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland senior Kate Andersen scored a season-high 21 points and the Pilots jumped out to an early lead over Abilene Christian, but in the end the Wildcats held on for a 76-69 non-conference win on Friday afternoon at the Chiles Center. Maddie Muhlheim added 15 points for the short-handed Pilots, and Alex Fowler collected 14 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Wildcats (5-1) held a slight three-point edge at the half, but the Pilots (5-2) got a pair of buckets from Fowler and a three-pointer by Muhlheim to help cut the deficit to just one point about three minutes into the third. From there Abilene Christian used an 11-0 run to surge in front 45-33. The Pilots did pull within eight points by the end of the quarter when Andersen converted a lay-up.
 
Fowler made it a four-point game early in the final frame when she connected down low, and the Pilots were still within four moments later when Muhlheim hit a lay-up while getting fouled.
 
The Wildcats did create some separation following Muhlheim's lay-in, but the Pilots refused to falter. With 1:20 left to play, Muhlheim drained a clutch three as Portland was within 66-62 of the Wildcats. After some Wildcat free throws, Muhlheim buried another three and Keeley Frawley knocked down a base line jumper to make the score 71-67 with 24 seconds remaining. But Abilene Christian would seal the win at the foul line.
 
Andersen's stat line also included five assists and five steals, and Muhlheim connected on four three-pointers. Fowler was Portland's top rebounder.
 
Dominique Golightly finished with five three-pointers and led five Wildcats to score in double digits with 17 points. Abilene Christian shot 50.0 percent for the game.
 
Portland got off to a fast start, scoring the day's first nine points. Walker opened the game with a lay-up on a nice feed from Fowler, and Frawley drilled a three and had a lay-up as the Pilots led 9-0. Abilene Christian recovered to tie the score 12-12, but an Andersen lay-in handed the home team a 17-14 lead going to the second period.
 
The Wildcats then held the Pilots to just nine second-quarter points and took a 29-26 advantage into the locker room at the half.
 
The game was the first of five straight at the Chiles Center for the Pilots, who host Loyola Chicago on Sunday at 2 p.m. Sunday features a Portland basketball double header as the men follow with a contest against Incarnate Word.