U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The Portland men's basketball team got a 22-point showing from the bench on the way to a 64-51 win against the Air Force Falcons on the road Thursday.
The Pilots (4-1) had two players score in double figures, led by Tyler Robertson, who had 15 points. Moses Wood added 12 points and seven rebounds and Kristian Sjolund added nine points.
Portland grabbed 34 rebounds in Thursday's game compared to Air Force's 30, led by Wood's seven boards.
The Portland defense held Air Force shooters to just 33.3 percent from the field. The Falcons did not get many second opportunities on the offensive end, as they grabbed only five offensive rebounds and scored six second chance points while Portland pulled down 25 defensive rebounds.
How It Happened
After falling behind 29-24, Portland went on an 8-0 run with 1:33 left in the first half to take a 32-29 lead. Robertson capped the run by drawing a foul on a three-point attempt with less than a second on the clock and burying all three from the line. Portland got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 15 of its 32 total points, sparked by freshman point guard Juanse Gorosito's five points and a pair of assists.
Portland kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Wood's three, to grow the lead to 58-49 with 2:44 to go in the contest. The Pilots kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 64-51 win. Portland made the most of four offensive rebounds to tack on five second chance points out of 32 total in the period.
Game Notes
» Portland lit it up from three point land, knocking down eight treys in the game.
» The Pilots held the Falcons to only 33.3 percent shooting from the field.
» The Portland bench came alive by scoring 22 points to its scoring output.
» Portland had a 34-30 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Portland defense forced 17 turnovers.
» Tyler Robertson led the Pilots with a game-high 15 points.
» Portland got a team-high seven rebounds from Moses Wood.
Up Next
The Pilots return home with a quick turnaround to face the Seattle U Redhawks on Saturday at 5 p.m. Portland will then prepare for the Phil Knight Invitational which tips off on Thursday at 10 a.m. against No. 1 North Carolina at the Moda Center in Portland.
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