PORTLAND, Ore. -- Emme Shearer scored a career-high 23 as the Portland Pilots took down the Pacific Tigers 85-72 to take sole possession of second place in the WCC.
The Pilots (14-8, 6-2) had four players score in double figures, led by Shearer's 23. Shearer added six rebounds, three steals and two blocks as well. Dyani Ananiev added 16 points, two steals and three blocks off of the bench and Maisie Burnham and Kennedy Dickie chipped in as well with 12 points each.
Portland shared the ball well in Thursday's game, racking up 16 assists on 25 made field goals. Rhyan Mogel's career-high six assists paced the Pilots.
The Pilots excelled at disrupting Pacific at the rim, coming away with eight blocks. Lucy Cochrane and Ananiev led the way for the Pilots with three rejections each.
How It Happened
After falling behind early, Portland went on a 9-0 run with 4:48 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Burnham, to take a 13-8 lead. The Pilots then maintained that lead and entered the quarter break with a 23-18 advantage.
Portland built that first quarter lead to 36-29 before going on a 6-0 run starting at the 3:23 mark in the second period to increase its lead to 42-29. The Tigers cut into that lead, but the Pilots still enjoyed a 44-32 advantage heading into halftime. Portland forced eight Pacific turnovers in the period and turned them into six points.
Following intermission, Portland continued to expand its advantage, pushing it all the way to 63-44 with 1:33 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Tigers had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Pilots still entered the fourth quarter with a 65-48 edge. Portland played well near the basket, scoring 14 of its 21 points in the paint.
Pacific made a push in the final minutes of the game, but Portland put together a 6-0 run to grow the lead to 85-72, which proved to be the final.
Game Notes
» Emme Shearer led the Pilots with a game-high 23 points. That is also a career high for her.
» The Pilots were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording eight blocks as a team.
» Dyani Ananiev recorded three blocks on the day and also added two steals. She's had six games with at least five combined blocks or steals.
» Portland tallied 16 total assists in the game.
» Portland had a stellar day on the perimeter defensively, holding Pacific to 17 percent from beyond the arc on 12 attempts.
» The Portland bench made an impact by scoring 32 points to its scoring output.
» The Portland defense forced 21 turnovers with 11 steals.
» Portland got a team-high six rebounds from Emme Shearer.
» Rhyan Mogel had a career-high six assists on the day.
Up Next
The Pilots take on the Saint Mary's Gaels in Moraga on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 5 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
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