PORTLAND, Ore. --- After freshman Emme Shearer hit a clutch shot from beyond the arc to give Portland a two-point lead late in the fourth quarter, Santa Clara's Merle Wiehl answered with a go-ahead three at the other end with four seconds left, and the Pilots' last attempt at the buzzer was off as the Broncos escaped the Chiles Center with a 77-76 win on Thursday afternoon.
 
The game was a thriller from the opening whistle, with neither team able to gain much of advantage. The fourth quarter alone featured four ties and six lead changes.
 
Portland's Alex Fowler began the final period by scoring six straight points for the Pilots (10-8, 7-5 West Coast Conference), allowing them to surge in front. The Broncos (12-7, 8-5 WCC) refused to go away, and the two teams exchanged buckets until Santa Clara claimed a four-point lead with 1:26 remaining.
 
That's when UP's Maddie Muhlheim connected a big-time three-pointer to cut the deficit to one.. The Pilots then got a defensive stop., and on the ensuing possession they found Shearer open at the top of the key, and she buried the three to give the Pilots a 76-74 edge with less than 30 seconds left to play.
 
At the other end of the court, the Pilots were solid defensively as the clock counted down, but Wiehl came through with the go-ahead three, setting up one final try for the home team with less than five seconds on the clock. The in-bounds pass went to Fowler, and her contested jumper bounced away, giving Santa Clara the dramatic conference win.
 
Fowler was huge in the fourth, scoring 12 of her 20 points. She also finished with 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double this season.
 
Andrews just missed a double-double with 18 points and nine assists, and Muhlheim added 12 points in her first game back since Jan. 16. The senior sat out the last few weeks with an injury.
 
Liana Kaitu'u was solid off the bench for the Pilots, chipping in with 10 points.
 
Santa Clara's Ashlyn Herlihy led all scorers with a game-high 24 points.
 
The first two quarters were close, and the Pilots ended the first half on a 7-0 run to give them a 33-32 lead at the break. Fowler had a lay-up during the surge, and Tyler McCliment Call drained a three to put the Pilots ahead.
 
Portland looked to gain control in the third quarter as they were active on defense, which led to a 51-43 edge, their biggest lead of the afternoon. Fowler and Kaitu'u helped fuel the Portland offense with points in the paint, and Keeley Frawley made back-to-back steals that led to buckets for the Pilots. Kelsey Lenzie contributed a three-pointer, and when Muhlheim also connected from deep, Portland was up by eight.
 
Following the theme of the game, the Broncos then embarked on a 10-run, and they were ahead by two going to the final frame.
 
Both teams shot well from the field, with the Pilots connecting on 52.7 percent of their shots. They also collected 24 assists on their 29 field goals. Santa Clara shot 49.2 percent for the game.
 
The Pilots next host the San Francisco Dons for another WCC contest on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Chiles Center, and the game will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Northwest.