PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Pilots knocked down 10-of-21 attempts from beyond the arc, shooting 47.6% from deep in a 72-58 win against the San Diego State Aztecs at home Monday.

The Pilots (1-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Emme Shearer, who had 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Maisie Burnham tacked on 13 points, four assists and two steals and McKelle Meek chipped in as well with 10 points and five assists.

Portland took advantage of great ball movement in Monday's game, piling up 19 assists on 25 made field goals. Individually, Meek was on top of the distribution list for the Pilots with five.

Defensively, the Pilots forced 20 San Diego State turnovers and racked up six blocks, four of those blocks coming from Lucy Cochrane. The Pilots turned those takeaways into 18 points on the offensive end of the floor. Burnham and Rhyan Mogel's two steals led the way for Portland.

How It Happened

Portland started out the scoring by going on a 7-0 run, culminating in a bucket from Lucy Cochrane, to take an early lead with 5:57 left in the first quarter. The Pilots then added one point to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter break with an 18-10 advantage. Portland relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down four shots from outside to account for 12 of its 18 points.

The Pilots maintained their lead in the game's second period and entered halftime with a 32-24 edge. Portland continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on an 8-0 run, punctuated by a three from Dyani Ananiev, to expand its lead further to 53-40 with 20 seconds to go in the third, a score which remained until the end of the period. Portland knocked down three more three-pointers in the quarter to score nine of its 21 total points.

The Pilots pushed the lead to 17 in fourth quarter, their largest lead of the game, before finishing the Aztecs off with a 72-58 win.

Game Notes

» The Pilots shot well from three-point range, knocking down 10-of-21 long-range attempts. It's the most three-pointers they've hit in a season opener in at least the 2000s.
» The Pilots never trailed after taking an 18-10 first quarter lead.
» The Pilots put on a passing clinic, recording an assist on 76% of their made baskets for 19 total.
» Portland had a 31-29 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Portland defense forced 20 turnovers and eight steals.
» The Pilots were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team. Four of those blocks came from Lucy Cochrane.
» Cochrane's four blocks are the most by a Pilot in a season opener since 2006.  She got a game-high nine rebounds as well.
» The Pilots' defense held the Aztecs to just one made three, the fewest they've allowed in a season opener since 2021.
» Emme Shearer led the Pilots with a game-high 17 points.
» Maisie Burnham is now just five points away from 1,000 career points.
» This is the sixth time McKelle Meek has scored at least 10 points in a game.
» Portland got 20 points from their bench.
» Portland has won seven straight season openers.

Up Next

The Pilots host the Villanova Wildcats this Friday, Nov. 10. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.

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