PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Pilots (16-5, 6-3 WCC) will hit the road on a high note after taking down the Saint Mary's Gaels (13-10, 6-6 WCC) 73-63 at home. The win gives Portland their best record through 21 games since the 1996-97 season.

Maisie Burnham was the leading scorer for the Pilots with 19 points off the bench. It's her second game in a row as the leading scorer for Portland. Her 19 was a season-high. Alex Fowler also scored 14 points while Rose Pflug added 11.

Lucy Cochrane once again shined on the defensive end, accumulating eight blocks on the evening. That's the sixth time this year that Cochrane has posted at least five blocks in a game and the fourth time she's had six or more. Her 72 blocks on the season are the second most by a Pilot at the Division I level. It's fourth among all Pilots dating back to 1977.

Taycee Wedin led the way for the Gaels with 20 points, including six makes from beyond the arc. Ali Bamberger added a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

The Pilots controlled the game for most of the first half, taking an early lead and never losing that lead for the first 20 minutes. Portland truly took control in the second quarter, outscoring the Gaels 22-11 to take a 17-point lead. The Pilots made 57% of their shots and got 25 points from their bench, in large part due to Burnham's 11 points.

The Gaels gained some ground in the third quarter as the Pilots got off to a sluggish start. They outscored the Pilots 22-11, cutting Portland's lead to as little as two. The Pilots managed to get some points late to maintain a 52-46 lead with one quarter left.

Portland outscored the Gaels 12-3 to start the fourth quarter and built on their lead from there. Extending their lead to as much as 15, the Pilots would cruise to a 73-63 win.

Burnham highlighted what was an overall strong performance from the bench. Portland got 37 points from their bench on Thursday. Offensively, the Pilots hit 52% of their shots overall and 33% of their threes with 19 assists. They outscored the Gaels 42-26 in the paint as well.

Defensively, the Pilots were stout once again. They held Saint Mary's to just 35% shooting from the field. It's the sixth time this year that the Pilots have held an opponent to under 40% shooting from the field. Portland had 13 steals on the night as well as 11 blocks.

Next up, the Pilots begin a four-game road trip on Saturday when they head to Stockton, Calif. to take on the Pacific Tigers. Tipoff for that game is set for 2 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.