PORTLAND, Ore. – Despite a late push in the fourth quarter, the Portland Pilots (6-2, 0-0 WCC) fell to the No. 18 Oregon Ducks (4-3, 0-0 Pac-12) 62-59 at the Chiles Center. The loss snaps Portland's four-game winning streak and also ends a three-game skid for the Ducks.
Alex Fowler led the Pilots in scoring once again with 16 points along with nine rebounds. It's her seventh game this year where she's led the Pilots in scoring. Andrews was the only other double-digit scorer with 10 points along with six assists.
Sydney Parrish and Sedona Prince were the top scorers for the Ducks with 26 and 22 respectively. Both players had a half where they dominated, with Parrish scoring 18 of her 26 in the first and Prince scoring 18 of her 22 in the second. Prince also added eight rebounds and two blocks.
Portland struggled to find their shot early, but didn't make anything easy for Oregon offensively. Unfortunately for the Pilots, they only scored 10 points in the opening 10 minutes. It was a gritty first half overall, with the Pilots making keeping it within three for the majority of the second quarter, but the Ducks were propelled by 18 points from Sydney Parrish and led 31-25 after the first half.
The Ducks' posts started to find the gaps in Portland's defense to begin the second half, with Prince scoring the first eight points for the Ducks. But the Pilots were sparked by a run from Liana Kaitu'u, who scored seven straight for the Pilots off the bench deep into the third quarter. The Ducks kept just ahead, however, leading 48-41 with one quarter left.
The final quarter was a fast-paced grind to the finish. Portland put pressure on the Ducks with their full-court press and forced some timely steals that led to points on the other end. The Pilots cut the lead to within three with just under eight seconds thanks to a late layup from Haylee Andrews. On the final possession, Andrews broke free for a three as the clock wound down, but the shot didn't fall. Despite outscoring the Ducks in the fourth quarter 18-14, the Pilots fell 62-59.
Lucy Cochrane had a stellar defensive game against her former team. Cochrane had five blocks on the night, making her the first Pilot since Sara Zaragoza in 2014 to total at least five blocks in a game. Cochrane entered the game as the shot-blocking leader in the WCC, averaging 2.7 blocks per contest.
Portland had a strong contribution from their bench with 23 bench points. Kaitu'u and Maisie Burnham were the main drivers of that bench offense, with nine and seven points each. Other bench players stepped up in critical moments as well, with McKelle Meek hitting a three late in the fourth and MJ Bruno playing hard-nosed defense with a steal.
In the end, the Ducks' efficiency both inside and out was key to their victory, as well as their tough defense. The Pilots only made 35% of their field goals and shot 25% from three. The Ducks, meanwhile, made 44% of their shots and 35% of their threes.
Oregon controlled the ball better than any Pilot opponent this year with 14 turnovers. The Pilots did, however, earn 10 steals on the night, with Fowler earning a team-high four steals. Cochrane's two steals were the second most of any Pilot. The Pilots have earned at least 10 steals in six of their eight games this season.
The Pilots will continue their homestand next week when they welcome the CSUN Matadors to the Chiles Center on Thursday, Dec. 9. Tipoff for that game is set for 7 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.