PORTLAND, Ore. – The University of Portland men's basketball team opened the 2020-21 season with an 84-72 loss to the Seattle U Redhawks in the first game of the U.S. Bank Portland Invitational Wednesday night at the Chiles Center. Ahmed Ali and Chase Adams scored 13 points apiece, while Clythus Griffith Jr. added 10 points off the bench to lead the Pilots.

Portland led by 10 points early in the second half, but Seattle U knocked down 8-of-15 three-pointers after the break, gained a 12-2 edge in second chance points and a 17-6 margin in turnovers to turn the tables and pull away late.

Riley Grigsby scored a game-high 28 points to pace the Redhawks, while Darrion Trammell and Emeka Udenyi added 17 and 12, respectively.

The Pilots and Redhawks agreed to meet on short notice – late Tuesday night – after the tournament schedule was upended due to COVID-19-related issues. Seattle U was originally scheduled to play Idaho Wednesday at 2 p.m. and the Pilots were set to open the season on Friday against Idaho.

Despite the quick prep, Portland came out with a strong early effort and raced out to an early lead. Ali scored eight points out the gates and Griffith Jr. drilled his second three-pointer of the period to give the Pilots a 29-24 lead. Adams spurred a late first half run with a pair of baskets to the push the margin to double-digits before Portland took a 39-31 lead into halftime.

The Redhawks surged back into the lead with hot shooting, dominance on the boards and forcing the Pilots into a number of turnovers. Seattle U made four consecutive three-pointers to tie the game at 45 and then Grigsby made a jumper in the lane to give the Redhawks their first lead since the 11:07 mark of the first half.

The margin grew to 11 points midway through the second half as Seattle U continued to get second-chance points and opportunities off of turnovers.

Adams led a late comeback by finding Michael Henn for a three-pointer and then scoring six straight points to make it a 69-66 deficit with six minutes remaining, but Portland went scoreless over the next three minutes as the margin grew to eight.

Latrell Jones hit a three-pointer to pull the Pilots within five at 75-70 with 2:41 left, but Seattle U once again answered as Kobe Williamson buried a triple on the next possession and the Redhawks would extend the margin in the closing minutes.

Portland had better shooting percentages than Seattle U from the field, three-point range and free throw line, but the Redhawks attempted 17 more field goals and made 12 threes to Portland's six.

The Pilots had a roster overhaul entering head coach Terry Porter's fifth season as the only returning players to see the court were Adams and junior Takiula Fahrensohn.

Ali and Henn transferred from Division I programs and immediately moved in the starting lineup and were joined by JUCO transfers Jones, Isiah Dasher and Eddie Davis. Griffith Jr., another JC transfer, played 17 minutes off the bench, while true freshmen Zac Triplett and Hayden Curtiss earned their first collegiate minutes.

Triplett hit a corner three-pointer, grabbed a pair of rebounds and had an assist in four productive first half minutes, while Curtiss finished with a rebound, steal, and assist in five minutes.

Portland will continue the U.S. Bank Portland Invitational with a pair of games this weekend against two NAIA opponents. The Pilots will host William Jessup on Saturday at noon and then conclude the tournament against Northwest University on Sunday at noon. Both games will have live video broadcasts on the WCC Network and air live on 910 ESPN-Portland (KMTT).