SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Portland Pilots (13-4, 3-2 WCC) improved to over .500 in conference play after taking down the San Diego Toreros (10-9, 2-5 WCC) on the road 68-55. This marks Portland's first WCC road win and gives Portland their best record through 17 games since the 1996-97 season.
Alex Fowler led all scorers with 21 on the night. 15 of those points came in the first half on 7-of-8 shooting. This is the 15
th time she's led the Pilots in scoring, her 16
th game scoring in double digits and her fifth with at least 20. Haylee Andrews was the only other Pilot to score in double digits with 12.
Lucy Cochrane once again showed her defensive prowess with nine blocks on the evening. This is the fifth time this year that Cochrane has posted at least five blocks. No other Pilot in the 2000s has had more than four games in a season with five blocks. Her nine blocks ties the career high that she set earlier this year. Her 61 blocks this year already ranks sixth among Pilots who only played NCAA Division I basketball and eighth among all Pilots.
No Toreros scored in double digits tonight, marking the first time this year the Pilots have prevented every player from scoring at least 10 points. The Pilots also held San Diego under 40% shooting at 38.2% and under 30% from three at 27.3%.
It was a high-octane first quarter for both teams as the Pilots shot a blistering 69.2% from the field to take a three-point lead. Portland then outscored the Toreros 11-4 in the first five minutes to extend the lead even more, continuing their hot shooting. They outscored the Toreros 14-6 in the second quarter to take a 37-26 lead at the half.
Both teams kept pace with one another in the third quarter. The fourth got off to a slow start for both sides, with both defenses putting the pressure on each other. San Diego's full-court press forced some untimely turnovers on Portland's part. But thanks to the defensive presence of Cochrane and a poised press-breaking offense, the Pilots held on to defeat the Toreros 68-55.
Portland experienced their best game this year from beyond the arc, making 40% of their threes. It's the first time they've shot 40% or better from three this year. They made 52% of their shots overall from the field off 14 assists and outscored the Toreros 40-34 in the paint.
Both teams forced plenty of turnovers, with the Pilots forcing 15 steals and the Toreros forcing 14. Five players for the Pilots had at least two steals on the night. They also outrebounded San Diego 35-30.
Next up, the Pilots will travel to Malibu, Calif. for their matchup against the Pepperdine Waves. The two teams will face off on Saturday, Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live video and stats.