HONOLULU, Hawaii – After a back-and-forth three quarters, the Portland Pilots (3-1, 0-0 WCC) exploded in the fourth quarter to take down the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine (0-3, 0-0 Big West) 91-77. Alex Fowler led the Pilots with 20 points and nine rebounds while Haylee Andrews had a double-double with 16 points and 11 assists.
The double-double from Andrews is the first of the season for the point guard and the second this year by a Pilot. Fowler's 20, meanwhile, is the highest point total for a Pilot all year. She is the first Pilot to put up at least 20 in a game this season. Andrews' 11 assists were just two shy of the single-game record for assists.
Several other Pilots stuffed the stat sheet as well. Lucy Cochrane had 17 points along with seven boards, three assists and two blocks on 8-of-11 shooting. Maddie Muhlheim and Emme Shearer rounded out the double-digit scorers for Portland, pouring in 14 and 11 respectively.
The Wahine's Amy Atwell led all scorers with an impressive 30 points, a career high. Hawaii shot well from three, going 9-for-22 from outside at 40.9%.
The Pilots started strong in the first, outscoring the Rainbow Wahine 25-18 after one. But Hawaii got hot offensively in the second, making half of their shots from the field and adding seven free throws. After giving up a lead in the second, Rose Pflug hit a deep three to put the Pilots up 43-41 at the half.
Hawaii and Portland were neck and neck throughout the third, with the scored tied at 60 with just 10 left to play. But Portland set the tone to start the fourth, going on a 10-2 run. They outscored the Rainbow Wahine 31-17 in the final period to pull out the 91-77 win.
Andrews wasn't the only Pilot to spread the love. The Pilots had an impressive 27 assists on the night, setting a program record for most assists in a game against a Division I opponent.
The Pilots' hot shooting in the second half helped create some separation between them and Hawaii. They made 56.7% of their shots in the final half and finished the game with a season-high seven threes. With 91 points tonight, the Pilots have scored at least 90 points in a game twice within the first four games for the first time since 1985, one season before they joined the NCAA.
Portland's ability to score inside once again proved valuable. They had 50 points come from inside the paint and went 23-for-34 on their layup attempts. They capitalized when grabbing offensive boards, with 25 second chance points.
The Pilots' ability to capitalize off turnovers offset any early shooting struggles. They had 22 points off turnovers after forcing 17 of them throughout the course of the game.
Portland will stay in Hawaii for one more game at the Bank of Hawaii Classic, facing off against the Prairie View A&M Panthers. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for lives stats and video.