LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Portland Pilots fell to the No. 11 USC Trojans on the road Tuesday, losing by a score of 78-51. The loss drops Portland to 2-2 on the season.
Lainey Spear put together her first double-digit scoring effort of the season, leading the Pilots with 11 points and six rebounds. Florence Dallow added nine points and eight rebounds and Brynn Smith scored nine points off the bench.
Julia Dalan shined inside defensively for Portland, recording eight blocks on the day. Her eight blocks are the most by a Pilot true freshman in a single game in program history. Portland had 10 steals on the night, with three steals from Spear leading the way. Portland has recorded double-digit steals in every game this season.
How it Happened
The Pilots played stingy defense in the first quarter, holding the Trojans to just 10 points in the period. Portland rushed to a quick 7-2 lead before the Trojans put together an 8-2 run of their own to briefly take the advantage. The Pilots scored the final five points of the quarter, however, to take a 14-10 lead through the first quarter.
Portland scored the first four points of the second quarter to take an eight-point lead in the first minute. But the Trojans responded with force, putting together a 21-0 run over the next six-and-a-half minutes to make it a double-digit lead for the Trojans. Portland was outscored 24-5 after the first minute of the quarter, with the Trojans holding a 34-23 lead through the first 20 minutes.
The third quarter was an even contest, with the Pilots scoring 17 points to the Trojans' 18. Brynn Smith lit it up from outside for the Pilots, hitting three 3-pointers in the quarter to pressure the Trojans from the arc. But USC kept the pace and ended the quarter with a 52-40 lead. Portland never closed the gap from there, falling 78-51.
Game Notes
- Spear led the Pilots in scoring with 11 points. It's her first time leading the team in scoring this year.
- This is the first double-digit scoring game for Spear this year.
- Spear added six rebounds and a team-high three steals on the day.
- Portland had 10 steals as a team on Tuesday. They've posted double-digit steals in each game this year.
- Dalan's eight blocks are the most by a Pilot true freshman in a single game in program history. She has 14 blocks through four games this season.
- The Pilots had 19 points off the bench, with Brynn Smith's nine leading the way.
- Dallow had a team-high eight rebounds, also matching her career high.
- This was Portland's first road contest of the season.
Up Next
The Pilots will take part in the Bank of Hawaii Classic this weekend at the University of Hawaii, playing the Rainbow Wahine as well as the Idaho State Bengals. They'll start with the Bengals on Friday, Nov. 21 at 1:30 p.m. in Manoa. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
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