LOGAN, Utah --- Portland's Haylee Andrews and Alex Fowler both registered double-doubles and the Pilots recovered from an early deficit to overcome the Utah State Aggies 70-64 in the first game of the head coach Michael Meek era played on Thursday morning at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Andrews had 18 points, Fowler finished with 16, and both players collected 13 rebounds.
 
Maddie Muhlheim knocked down five three pointers and added 16 points for the Pilots (1-0).
 
Trailing by 12 in the first quarter, the Pilots rallied and were within three points at the half. Andrews then opened the third quarter with a lay-up, and Liana Kaitu'u followed with a lay-in of her own to give the Pilots their first lead of the game. From there it was back-and-forth before Muhlheim buried a three, and Andrews converted a lay-up and a three-point play to push the Portland lead to 53-46 late in the quarter.
 
Another Muhlheim three made it an eight-point game about a minute into the final frame, but the Aggies answered to cut the deficit to one. Utah State then re-claimed the lead with a three-pointer from Steph Gorman, but the Pilots refused to falter and surged back in front with consecutive lay-ups by Andrews and Fowler with 2:45 showing on the clock.
 
Utah State again pulled with a point, but Fowler provided the response with two more field goals down low, with the second giving the Pilots a 64-59 edge with 44 seconds left. The second lay-in, on a nice feed from Muhlheim, proved to be the clincher as the Pilots forced some misses and costly turnovers by the Aggies down the stretch.
 
The Pilots out-scored the Aggies (0-1) 42-24 in the paint, and they connected on 53 percent of their shots overall. Kate Andersen scored eight points and dished out a career-best eight assists.
 
The 13 boards are a career high for Andrews, a sophomore, and the freshman Fowler makes an impressive beginning to her collegiate career. Portland out-rebounded Utah State 43-31.
 
Hailey Bassett scored a team-high 14 points to lead four Aggies in double digits. Utah State shot just 35 percent from the floor.
 
Coach Meek is in his first year at the helm of the Pilots after a successful nine-year stint at George Fox University.
 
The Pilots next stay in Utah for a non-conference game with the Weber State Wildcats on Saturday night. Tip-off at the Dee Events Center in Ogden is set for 6 p.m. (Pacific).