PORTLAND, Ore. – In their first action of the 2021-22 season, the Portland Pilots women's basketball team took down the Willamette Bearcats 79-35 at the Chiles Center. Alex Fowler led all scorers with 17 on the night.

Three other Pilots scored in double digits along with Fowler. Haylee Andrews poured in 14 points and added five assists while Maisie Burnham and Liana Kaitu'u had 13 and 11 respectively.

After a relatively close first quarter, the Pilots pulled away in the second in dominant fashion. They outscored the Bearcats 25-6 in the second. In the second half, the Pilots kept up the pressure and eased to a victory. The Pilots led for almost the full 40 minutes.

All 14 available Pilots played in Friday's exhibition, with every player scoring except for two.

Portland was menacing defensively, forcing 35 turnovers on the night and accumulating 21 steals. Six Pilots recorded two steals or more, with Maddie Muhlheim leading the way with five steals. They scored 38 points off those turnovers.

The Pilots did most of their work inside. They made 26-of-36 layups and scored 60 of their 79 points in the paint. Despite shooting only 17% from outside, the Pilots finished the game with a field goal percentage of 52%. 

Portland also held the Bearcats to only 27% shooting and 17% shooting from deep. Sami Riggs led the scoring for Willamette with 10. She was the only Bearcat to eclipse double digits.

The Pilots will officially open their season on Thursday, Nov. 11 when they take on the UC San Diego Tritons. That game will be a part of a doubleheader with the men's team, with tipoff set for 5 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.