LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Portland Pilots led by double digits early, but struggled to score in the second half in a 79-60 loss to the Loyola Marymount Lions Thursday night in West Coast Conference action at Gersten Pavilion.
Two players score in double figures for Portland, led by Moses Wood, who had 15 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Chika Nduka tacked on 12 points and Tyler Robertson added six points.
The Portland defense forced 15 Loyola Marymount turnovers while UP committed 12. Those takeaways turned into 21 points on the offensive end of the floor. Wood's two steals led the way individually for the Pilots.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 14-13 advantage, Portland went on a 9-0 run with 10:33 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Nduka, to increase its lead to 23-13. The Pilots then surrendered that lead and entered halftime down 33-30.
The Pilots (11-12, 3-5 WCC) trailed 44-42 with 13:29 remaining, but the Lions went on a 24-2 run over the next eight minutes to create separation and Portland was unable to make a late run.
Game Notes
» The Portland bench came alive by scoring 20 points to its scoring output.
» The Portland defense forced 15 turnovers.
» Portland cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Moses Wood led the Pilots with 15 points.
» Portland got a team-high eight rebounds from Moses Wood.
Up Next
The Pilots return home to host No. 14 Gonzaga on Saturday at the Chiles Center. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. and will be followed by the Portland women versus LMU at 7 p.m. A limited number of tickets are still available by clicking here.
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