LA JOLLA, Calif. --The Portland Pilots (2-3) finished the road trip to San Diego winless with a 85-76 loss to the UC San Diego Tritons (1-2).The Pilots had four players score in double figures, led by Alex Fowler, who had 16 points and 12 made free thows. Kelsey Lenzie added 11 points and MJBruno chipped in as well with 11 points off the bench.

The Portland offense made hay from beyond the arc, pouring in 11 threes on 26 attempts. Lenzie hit three treys for the Pilots in the contest.

The Portland defense was a problem in Sunday's game, forcing 14 UCSD turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 18 points on the other end of the floor. Maisie Burnham and Liana Kaitu'u led the way individually for the Pilots on that end with two steals while Lucy Cochrane added two blocks.

How It Happened

After falling behind 16-8, Portland went on a 9-0 run with 2:27 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Lenzie, to take a 17-16 lead. UCSD tied things up at 17-17 heading into the second quarter. Portland relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 17 points.

UCSD then took a 33-24 lead before Portland responeed by going on a 5-0 run. UCSD expanded its lead eventually, leaving the Pilots trailing 40-32 heading into halftime.

UCSD continued to increase its lead after halftime. UCSD consistently countered Portland and stretched its lead to 68-55 heading into the fourth. Portland's bench made the most of its minutes in the period, as non-starters totaled 11 of the team's 23 third-quarter points.

The Tritons kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 78-63 advantage before Portland went on an 8-0 run to shrink the deficit to 78-71 with 3:39 to go in the contest. UCSD responded and outscored the Pilots the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 85-76.

Game Notes

» The Pilots shot well from three point range, knocking down 11 of 26 long range attempts.
» The Portland bench made an impact by scoring 35 points.
» MJBruno and McKelle Meek came off the bench to score 11 points apiece. Both totals are career-highs for the guards.
» Portland lost despite a 41-33 rebounding advantage.
» The Portland defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Portland cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game. That's a season high.
» Alex Fowler led the Pilots with 16 points, with a career-high 12 made free throws. It's her second game with 10+ made free throws this year, making her the first Pilot since Laiken Dollente in 2007 to have two games with 10+ made free throws in multiple games in one season.
» Portland got a team-high eight rebounds from Emme Shearer. That's also a career-high for the guard.

Up Next

The Pilots continue their long road trip with a trip to Florida for the St. Pete Showcase during Thanksgiving weekend. They'll play the Houston Cougars on Thursday, Nov. 24 at 2:30 p.m. for their first game. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.