PORTLAND, Ore. --- Senior Julie Spencer had a big night with 25 points and nearly won it for the Pilots in the closing seconds, but the BYU Cougars forced a miss just before the final buzzer to hold on for a 70-69 win over Portland in a West Coast Conference women's basketball game played on Thursday night at the Chiles Center. Maddie Muhlheim also scored in double figures for Portland with 14 points, and Kate Andersen added 12 points.
 
Spencer, who corralled 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season, received a pass from Haylee Andrews as the Pilots trailed BYU by one with about 10 seconds left to play. Spencer then drove to the hoop where there appeared to be some contact, but no foul was called as the lay-in was off, and the Cougars secured the win by controlling the rebound.
 
Spencer's 25 points missed matching her career-high by one point, and the forward was 11-for-12 on free throws. Andrews dished 10 assists for the second time this year, and the freshman had another solid all-around game with seven points and five boards.
 
The Cougars (19-6, 11-3 WCC) opened the game on fire from the field to surge ahead in the first quarter. The Pilots tried to overcome their sluggish start in the second, and they'd score the first seven points of the frame. Spencer collected a put-back and a lay-up, and Muhlheim hit three free throws to cut the deficit to single digits. Muhlheim then buried back-to-back three-pointers, and moments later Andrews found Jayce Gorzeman for a fast break lay-up to make it a four-point game.
 
Portland (10-14, 2-11 WCC) continued to knock down shots late in the half as Darian Slaga and Muhlheim both drilled deep three's, and the two teams entered the locker room tied at the half 37-37. Portland out-scored BYU 25-9 in the second quarter, and both Spencer and Muhlheim had 12 points at the break.
 
BYU and Portland exchanged buckets to begin the third before the Cougars created some separation with a trio of three-pointers. Spencer then hit a mid-range jumper, Andersen connected on a pair of three's, and the Pilots forced some turnovers on defense to stay within reach of the Cougars, who took a slim 52-50 lead entering the final quarter.
 
The Pilots continued their run, which would stretch to 10-0 in the fourth, and when Andrews converted a fast break lay-up the Pilots jumped in front of the Cougars with nine minutes remaining. The game would remain close from there as BYU re-claimed the lead, and a traditional three-point play by Jasmine Moody handed the Cougars a 62-55 advantage.
 
Spencer then took over with eight straight points to cut the margin down to just two points with 4:30 left to play. The difference was still just two moments later after a pair of free throws from Andrews, but BYU's Brianna Chase answered with her seventh three of the night late in the shot clock to push the Cougars' edge back up to five points.
 
The Pilots refused to falter as Andersen grabbed an offensive board and finished on the put-back to make it one-possession game, and she'd follow a BYU free throw with a clutch three from the top of the key to pull Portland within 70-69 with just 42 seconds showing on the clock. At the other end of the court the Pilots forced a shot-clock violation setting up the night's final possession.
 
Chase led the Cougars with 24 points, and BYU out-rebounded the Pilots 44-34.
 
The Pilots remain at home to host the San Diego Toreros on Saturday in another WCC game, with tip-off set for 2 p.m. at the Chiles Center.