RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- The Portland Pilots battled until the end, but ultimately fell 71-66 to the Cal Baptist Lancers on the road.
The Pilots (3-2) had three players score in double figures, led by Lucy Cochrane, who stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, nine rebounds and eight blocks. Dyani Ananiev added 13 points and two blocks off the bench and Emme Shearer helped out with 10 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
The Portland defense was a problem in Wednesday's game, forcing 24 Cal Baptist turnovers with 15 steals. Those takeaways turned into 19 points on the other end of the floor. Kianna Hamilton and Shearer led the way individually for the Pilots with four steals.
How It Happened
After falling behind 12-8, Portland went on a 10-0 run with 2:57 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Maisie Burnham, to take an 18-12 lead, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. Portland did most of their first-quarter damage in the paint, scoring 10 of its 18 points close to the basket. Cal Baptist, however, roared back to take a 37-29 lead at the half.
Cal Baptist continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 42-31 advantage before Portland went on an 8-0 run to trim its deficit to 42-39 with 4:57 to go in the third. The Pilots kept the rally going and took control on a Burnham three-pointer with 00:42 left for a 51-49 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Portland played well near the basket, scoring 12 of its 22 third-quarter points in the paint.
The two squads battled to the end, but the Lancers ultimately came out on top and pulled through with a 71-66 win over the Pilots.
Game Notes
» The Pilots shared the ball well, recording an assist on 62 percent of made field goals for 16 total.
» Lucy Cochrane dominated defensively with eight blocks on the day, a season high. She now has 22 blocks on the year and 192 blocks for her Pilot career, just nine shy of third place all-time.
» The Portland defense forced 24 turnovers and turned that into 19 points on the other end.
» Cochrane led the Pilots with 17 points and also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Both are season highs for the post, with her point total just one shy of a career high.
» Dyani Ananiev scored 13 points off the bench. It's the third straight game where she's scored in double-digits, the longest streak on the Pilots, and the third time she's done so off the bench.
» Lainey Spear scored five points and added three steals in her Pilot debut.
» Shearer has recorded at least three steals in each of the last three games.
Up Next
The Pilots are off to Vegas for the Las Vegas Holiday Classic. They'll play the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks on Friday, Nov. 24 at 12 p.m. and the Rhode Island Rams on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 12 p.m. Stay tuned to PortlandPilots.com for more information.