PORTLAND, Ore. – Tyler Robertson, Kristian Sjolund and Moses Wood all put up at least 20 points to help lead the Portland men's basketball team over the San Francisco Dons 92-87 at home Thursday. The game featured six ties, 16 lead changes and number of clutch buckets down the stretch by both teams.
Robertson led the Pilots (9-10, 1-3 West Coast Conference) with 23 points, five assists and two steals. Sjolund added a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds and Wood – who missed the first three league games with a foot injury – chipped in 20 points in his return.
Sjolund pulled down four offensive rebounds to lead the Portland offense which grabbed 10 boards and turned them into 15 second chance points.
Portland forced 14 San Francisco turnovers. The Pilots turned those takeaways into 12 points on the offensive end of the floor. Alden Applewhite led the way individually with two steals.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 30-27 advantage, Portland went on an 8-0 run with 4:57 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Wood, to increase its lead to 38-27. The Pilots then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 48-38 advantage. Portland relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down eight shots to account for 24 of its 48 points.
San Francisco came out of the gates hot and took the lead early in the second half. The Dons proceeded to take a 78-74 lead before Portland went on a 6-0 run to seize an 80-78 lead with 2:03 to go in the contest. The Pilots kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 92-87 win.
Portland got a major boost from freshman point guard Juanse Gorosito off the bench. Gorosito scored all 12 of his points after halftime, including a clutch go-ahead three in the closing minutes.
Game Notes
» Kristian Sjolund notched an impressive double-double for the Pilots with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
» The Pilots shot well from three point range, knocking down 13 of 30 long range attempts.
» The Pilots shared the ball well, recording 20 assists.
» Portland had a 33-32 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Portland defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Portland cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» The Pilots had three players score over 20 points in the contest. Tyler Robertson led the way with 23 points, Kristian Sjolund had 21, and Moses Wood added 20.
» Portland got a game-high 12 rebounds from Kristian Sjolund.
» The Pilots knocked down 29 of 31 free throws.
Up Next
The Pilots will travel to No. 8 Gonzaga on Saturday for a nationally televised game on ESPN2. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the McArthey Athletic Center.
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