PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Pilots forward Maisie Burnham scored a career-high 29 points in a comeback 77-66 victory for the Pilots over the Saint Mary's Gaels. The win, along with the San Diego loss, clinches a triple bye into the semifinals of the University Credit Union WCC Tournament for Portland.
The Pilots (19-7, 13-2) had three players score in double figures, led by Burnham's 29. Alex Fowler tacked on 19 points and two steals and Liana Kaitu'u helped out with 12 points and two steals off the bench.
Portland forced 17 Saint Mary's turnovers and turned those takeaways into 23 points on the other end of the floor. Kaitu'u and Fowler each had two steals. Defensively, Lucy Cochrane also added four blocks on the evening, her sixth game with at least three blocks or more.
How It Happened
After falling behind 18-8, Portland went on an 8-0 run with 2:18 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Fowler, to narrow its deficit to 18-16. Saint Mary's answered back and added to its lead, leaving the Pilots down 23-16 entering the second quarter. The Pilots continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 42-34 halftime deficit.
After intermission, Portland cut its deficit to 44-38 before going on a 7-0 run to grab a 45-44 lead with 6:15 to go in the third. Before the third period was over, the Pilots added three points to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 59-55 edge. Portland played well near the basket, scoring 16 of its 25 points in the paint.
Portland kept widening that lead, expanding it to 67-62 before going on a 7-0 run to grow the lead to 74-62 with 1:52 to go in the contest. The Gaels narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Pilots still cruised the rest of the way for the 77-66 win. Portland took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 16 of its 18 points in the paint.
Game Notes
- Maisie Burnham scored a career-high 29 points. It is also the fifth time she's led the team in scoring and the fourth time she has scored at least 20 points.
- This is the eighth straight win for the Pilots over the Gaels, their longest such streak against a WCC team.
- With the win and the San Diego loss, the Pilots have secured a triple bye into the semifinal of the WCC Tournament.
- Portland's 13 WCC wins are the most they've had since 1996-97.
- Lucy Cochrane recorded at least three blocks for the sixth time this season. She had four for the game.
- Portland rallied from an eight-point 42-34 halftime deficit to pick up the win.
- Portland recorded 18 total assists in the game.
Up Next
The Pilots will host the Pacific Tigers on Saturday, Feb. 18 for their home finale and their senior night. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
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