NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- Despite a late push, four Pilots scoring in double digits and Lucy Cochrane racking up 11 rebounds, the Portland Pilots fell to the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks 76-71 on the road Thursday.
The Pilots (5-5) had four players score in double figures, led by Kennedy Dickie, who had a season-high 14 points and three steals and Dyani Ananiev, who tacked on 14 points with two steals and three blocks from the bench. McKelle Meek chipped in as well with a season-high 13 points and two steals while Emme Shearer rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points and three steals.
Portland grabbed 37 rebounds in Thursday's game compared to SFA's 33, led by Cochrane's 11 boards. The Pilots also put in work on the offensive glass, turning 14 rebounds into 16 second chance points.
Portland forced 13 SFA turnovers. The Pilots turned those takeaways into 18 points on the offensive end of the floor. Dickie and Shearer's three steals each led the way for Portland.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 10-8 advantage, Portland went on a 7-0 run with 6:06 left in the first quarter to increase its lead to 17-8. The Pilots then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 19-16 advantage. Portland did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 12 of its 19 points close to the basket.
The Pilots could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 34-28.
Portland's deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Pilots faced a 55-43 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. The Pilots narrowed its deficit to 64-53 before going on an 8-0 run, finished off by an Ananiev 3-pointer, to shrink the deficit to 64-61 with 4:27 to go in the contest.
But the Pilots couldn't quite get over the hump. They narrowed the margin to as little as two points with 24 seconds left, but the Ladyjacks held on to win 76-71.
Game Notes
» The Pilots shot well from three point range, knocking down six of 13 long range attempts at 48.2%.
» Portland lost despite a 37-33 rebounding advantage.
» The Portland defense forced 13 turnovers with 11 steals.
» The Pilots were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording seven blocks as a team. Cochrane and Ananiev had three each, with Ananiev's total matching a career high.
» Portland cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 14 offensive boards in the game.
» Kennedy Dickie and Dyani Ananiev led the Pilots with 14 points apiece. This is the first time Dickie has led Portland in scoring and the fifth time for Ananiev.
» Portland got a game-high 11 rebounds from Lucy Cochrane. It is also a season high for the post.
» Meek's 13 points were a season high for the point guard.
Up Next
The Pilots will stay in Texas, traveling to El Paso to take on the UTEP Miners. The two teams play on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
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