PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland's Lauren Walker hit the go-ahead bucket off an offensive rebound and Pepperdine missed two crucial free throws in the final seconds as the Pilots held on for a thrilling 69-67 win over the Waves in a West Coast Conference women's basketball game played on Saturday afternoon. The win is the fifth in a row for the Pilots, which is the longest winning streak for the program since the 2009-10 season.
 
It was a close game throughout, with the Pilots nursing a narrow lead for most of the day. But it was the Waves who surged in front late with six straight points to make the score 67-65 in Pepperdine's favor with just more than a minute left.
 
Kate Andersen then split a pair of free throws for the Pilots, and Portland forced a key turnover at the other end to re-gain possession down one with 30 seconds showing on the clock. Following a timeout, the Pilots turned to their sophomore guard Haylee Andrews, whose potential go-ahead jumper was a little long with 16 seconds left.
 
Walker was there to collect the clutch rebound, and her put-back gave the lead back to the Pilots with about 15 seconds remaining.
 
The Pilots played solid defense on the ensuing possession, forcing the Waves into a talking a desperation shot. But with only one second left a foul was called on Portland, which sent Hanna Friend to the line and a chance to win it for Pepperdine. The Pilots caught a break when Friend missed both attempts, and again Walker was there to secure the game-clinching rebound.
 
The Waves did foul Walker to put her on the stripe, but with only 0.6 showing on the clock, the game was in hand for the Pilots as Walker hit one of two.
 
Walker finished with 11 points, just missing a career-high.
 
Andrews had a stellar stat-line as she led the Pilots with 21 points. She also registered eight rebounds and dished seven assists. Alex Fowler added 19 points, and Andersen chipped in with 12.
 
The Pilots scored the first eight points of the game, which included a fast-break lay-up by Andrews after a Portland steal. Pepperdine answered with a lengthy 16-2 as the Pilots cooled off from the field, and it was the Waves who led by six going to the second quarter.
 
Portland recovered to open the second period with a 9-0 spurt, and Maddie Muhlheim capped the surge by burying a three-pointer to put the Pilots back in front. From there the two teams exchanged baskets, and a turn-around jumper from Andrews put the Pilots on top 29-24. Moments later Walker found Andrews for a lay-in to push the advantage to seven points, but the Waves just beat the halftime buzzer with a lay-up to make it a 31-26 game at the break. 
 
The Pilots did most of their damage in the third quarter from the free throw line. Portland still led when Muhlheim hit another from beyond the arc, and a put-back by Andersen moments later gave the Pilots a 51-46 edge going to the final frame.
 
Back-to-back lay-ups for the Pilots to begin the fourth extended the lead to nine, but the Waves refused to go away. Fowler fouled out with 3:50 left to play, but the Pilots still led by four when Andersen converted a driving lay-in with 2:14 remaining. That's when the Waves scored six straight to set up the dramatic finish  
 
The Pilots improve to 13-7 on the year, which is their best record after 20 games since 2009-10. Portland is also 6-3 midway through the WCC schedule, good for third place. The Pilots last won six of their first nine conference games during the 2008-09 season. 
 
Pepperdine dips below .500 at 9-10 (3-6 WCC) and Friend scored a team-best 21 points.
 
The Pilots remain at home next week to host the second-place BYU Cougars on Thursday night. Tip-off at the Chiles Center is set for 7 p.m.