PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland freshman point guard Joel Foxwell tied the school assists record for the second time in three weeks finishing with 20 points and 15 dimes, but the Pilots fell to the Santa Clara Broncos 92-85 in a thriller Tuesday night at Chiles Center.

Fellow freshman Timo George was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field for 14 points in the first half, but suffered a dislocated shoulder seconds before halftime and was unable to return.

Cameron Williams added 17 points and five rebounds for the Pilots (7-8, 0-2 WCC), while Jermaine Ballisager Webb helped out with 10 points and two blocks off the bench.

Foxwell's 15 assists matched his season high set on Dec. 14 versus Kent State, which matched the program record established by Tyler Robertson on Dec. 10, 2022 against New Orleans.

The Portland defense caused its share of mistakes in Tuesday's game, forcing 14 Santa Clara turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 19 points on the offensive end of the floor. Foxwell's three steals led the way individually for the Pilots.

Elijah Mahi led four Broncos (11-4, 2-0) in double figures with 22 points, including big buckets late to secure the victory.

How It Happened
Portland was sluggish out of the gates and went down 11-0 before switching to a zone defense that gave the Broncos trouble. Foxwell continuously broke the Santa Clara pressure defense down and found his bigs for buckets at the rim as the Pilots took a 44-40 lead into halftime. Foxwell had 10 points, nine assists and three steals at intermission, while the Pilots got 26 bench points to surge ahead.

Portland extended the lead to 48-40 on a baseline jumper from Matus Hronsky, but the Broncos slowly closed the gap before grabbing a 68-67 lead on Mahi's layup with 8:46 left. Another Mahi basket made it 80-74 with 4:28 remaining when the Pilots used a 9-2 run to regain the lead. Ballisager Webb made a layup and then blocked consecutive shots that led to transition baskets from Williams. Foxwell then buried a corner three to make it 83-82 with 2:34 to go. Santa Clara scored the next six points and would keep the Pilots at arm's length down the stretch to secure the win.

Game Notes
» Portland took advantage of great ball movement in Tuesday's game, piling up 23 assists on 34 made field goals.
» Joel Foxwell notched his fourth 20-point game of the season and third double-double.
» Foxwell, who entered the game as the WCC and freshman national leader in assists, recorded his fifth double-digit assist game this year.
» Timo George is now shooting 69.5 percent from the field this season after going 7-for-7 in the game.
» The Portland bench came alive by adding 31 points to its scoring output.
» The Pilots shot 58.6 percent from the field and Santa Clara finished at 54 percent overall.
» The Portland defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Portland cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Portland got five rebounds from both Cameron Williams and Jermaine Ballisager Webb.
» The game featured four ties and 10 lead changes.

Up Next
Portland hits the road for a pair of WCC games in the Bay Area. The Pilots visit Saint Mary's on Friday at 7 p.m. and then take on San Francisco on Sunday at 4 p.m.
 

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