PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland women's basketball team got a 23-point showing from the bench on the way to a 74-60 victory against the San Francisco Dons in West Coast Conference action at the Chiles Center Saturday. The Pilots (16-2, 5-2 WCC) move into a tie atop the league standings with the victory, while the Dons (8-8, 5-2) dropped their second straight road contest after falling to Oregon State on Thursday.
Portland had four players score in double figures, led by Maisie Burnham, who had 18 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Alexis Mark added 15 points, four assists and three steals and Rhyan Mogel helped out with 13 points off of the bench.
Led by Burnham's three offensive rebounds, Portland did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 10 boards that resulted in 14 second chance points.
Portland did a great job disrupting San Francisco shots in the contest by holding the Dons to 34 percent shooting overall. The Pilots had eight blocks as Trista Hull's six rejections led the way individually. Portland finished the game at 48 percent from the field.
How It Happened
Portland started out the scoring by going on a 6-0 run, culminating in a bucket from Burnham, to take an early lead with 7:37 left in the first quarter. The Pilots then surrendered that lead and entered the second quarter down 20-14.
San Francisco kept adding to that lead, building a 35-28 advantage before Portland went on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Mogel, to tie the game at 35. The Pilots then broke the tie and seized a 42-40 halftime lead. Portland dominated in the paint, scoring 16 of its 28 points close to the basket.
San Francisco took a 50-46 lead following intermission before Portland went on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Emme Shearer, to grab a 52-50 lead with 1:44 to go in the third. Mogel beat the buzzer with a corner three-point to give the Pilots a 55-52 edge through three quarters. Portland's bench made the most of its minutes in the period, as non-starters totaled five of the team's 13 third-quarter points.
The Pilots coasted to the win from there, increasing their margin of victory by outscoring the Dons 19-8 in the fourth quarter. Portland took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12 of its 19 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Pilots held the Dons to only 33.9 percent shooting from the field.
» Portland tallied 15 total assists in the game.
» The Portland bench made an impact by adding 23 points to its scoring output.
» Portland had a 38-34 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Portland defense forced 16 turnovers.
» The Pilots were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying eight blocks as a team.
» Portland cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Maisie Burnham led the Pilots with 18 points.
» Portland got a game-high 10 rebounds from Trista Hull.
» Natalie Fraley was effective off the bench drilling all three of her shot attempts, including two threes, for eight points in 11 minutes.
» The Pilots' 16-2 start is their best since the 1996-97 season.
» Portland moved into a five-way tie atop the WCC standings with the Dons, Gonzaga, Saint Mary's and Washington State.
Up Next
The Pilots continue WCC play next week against the only two teams to have defeated Portland this season. The team visits Gonzaga on Thursday at 6 p.m. and then Oregon State on Saturday at 6 p.m.
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