PORTLAND, Ore. -- Buoyed by a stellar third quarter, the Portland Pilots earned a comeback win over the LMU Lions 58-52. It's the sixth victory Portland's gotten after trailing at the half.
The Pilots (16-8, 8-2) had three players score in double figures, led by Dyani Ananiev, who had 16 points and four steals, including 14 in the second half. Emme Shearer tacked on 13 points and five steals and Maisie Burnham helped out with 11 points and three steals.
Portland forced 25 LMU turnovers with 17 total steals. The Pilots turned those takeaways into 29 points on the other end of the floor. Shearer's five steals led the way for Portland.
How It Happened
Portland struggled out of the gate, falling behind 15-5 at the end of the first quarter. LMU kept adding to that lead, building a 24-11 advantage before Portland went on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Ananiev, to narrow the deficit to 24-18. LMU responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Pilots trailing 28-19 heading into halftime.
After intermission, Portland quickly made it 29-22 before going on a 10-0 run thanks to a surge from Ananiev, grabbing a 32-29 lead with 6:15 to go in the third. Portland entered the fourth quarter with a 44-39 edge.
The Lions tied things up at 48 before Portland went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Burnham's layup, to seize a 53-48 lead with 54 seconds to go in the contest. The Pilots fended off the comeback from LMU to earn a 58-52 win at the Chiles Center.
Game Notes
» Portland rallied from a nine-point 28-19 halftime deficit to pick up the win. It's the sixth time the Pilots have won after trailing at the half this year.
» The Pilots held the Lions to only 35.8% shooting from the field.
» Dyani Ananiev led the Pilots with a game-high 16 points off the bench. 14 of those points came in the second half.
» The Pilots forced 25 LMU turnovers with 17 steals. It's the most they've forced against a Division I opponent this season.
» Emme Shearer had at least five steals for the fourth time this season.
» The Pilots were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording five blocks as a team.
» Lucy Cochrane, who had four blocks on the night, is just three away from 250 for her career.
» Shearer is 29 points away from 1,000 for her career.
Up Next
The Pilots host the Pepperdine Waves on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 3 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the men's team. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
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