SANTA CLARA, Calif. --- Portland freshman Alex Fowler poured in 35 points and senior Kate Andersen buried a three-pointer at the buzzer as the Pilots claimed a thrilling 80-77 win over the Santa Clara Broncos in a West Coast Conference women's basketball game played on Saturday afternoon at the Leavey Center. Fowler becomes the first Pilot to score at least 30 points since Cassandra Brown in 2015.
 
Sophomore guard Haylee Andrews added a double-double for the Pilots (11-7, 4-3 WCC) with 15 points and 12 assists, which match a career high. It's the second double-double for Andrews in the past three games.
 
It was a back-and-forth game all day long as the two teams were never separated by more than five points. The day also featured 15 ties and 12 lead changes.
 
After the Broncos (8-10, 2-5 WCC) leveled the score early in the fourth quarter, the Pilots were able to surge in front by five a few times during the final frame. Andrews converted a traditional three-point play to make it a five-point game with 7:06 remaining, and the edge was still five moments later when Fowler buried her second three-pointer.
 
The Broncos refused to go away, and a quick 7-0 run gave the lead back to Santa Clara with 2:33 left to play. The Pilots and Broncos then exchanged a handful of free throws, and Kate Andersen made it a two-point game in Portland's favor when she connected on a driving lay-in with just 57 seconds showing on the clock.
 
But Santa Clara had another answer, this time with a game-tying jumper by Ashlyn Herlihy with only 17 seconds remaining.
 
That's when the Pilots called a time-out to set up the final possession, and they ran the play to perfection as Andrews found Andersen in the corner. The Portland native did the rest, drilling the game-winning three as time expired.
 
Fowler's 35 points are the most scored by a Pilot since Jasmine Wooton went off for 36 points in 2013. Fowler, who leads the WCC in scoring with a 17.4 per game mark, hit 16 off 22 shots against the Broncos, and she added a team-best seven rebounds.
 
Andersen was 8-for-12 from the field, and she finishes with at least 20 points for the third time this year. For Andrews, it's the second time this season to collect 12 assists.
 
Fowler was hot early as the forward scored 19 points in the first half, with 13 of those coming in the opening quarter. Fowler began the game with consecutive lay-ups, and Maddie Muhlheim added a three to give the Pilots an early 7-2 edge. The Broncos recovered and would then take the lead, but Fowler continued to do work, and two more lay-ins put the Pilots back in front.
 
Santa Clara then tied it and tried to pull away in the second quarter twice leading by four, but the Pilots refused to falter and the score was even 37-37 at the break.
 
It was more of the same in third quarter as neither team gained much of an advantage. A lay-in and three-pointer by Fowler put the Pilots on top by five, but the Broncos made another run to jump back in front. Fowler provided another jumper to make it a four-point game late in the frame, and the Pilots took a two-point edge to the fourth quarter.
 
The Pilots shot a season-best 57.1 percent, and the conference's leader in team assists finished with 23 dimes.
 
At 4-3 in the WCC, the Pilots are off to their best start in league play since also going 4-3 in 2009-10. It's also the first WCC weekend road sweep for the Pilots, who topped USF 73-66 on Thursday, since that same 2009-10 season, and it's the first time they've won three straight conference road games since 2008-09.
 
The Pilots now return to The Bluff for a four-game homestand, which begins on Thursday night against the Loyola Marymount Lions. Tip-off at the Chiles Center for the Pilots and Lions is set for 7 p.m.