SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The Portland Pilots made a furious comeback after trailing by as much as 18 in the final quarter, but ultimately came up just short, losing 67-64. Portland goes back to .500 at 7-7 overall and 1-1 in WCC play.
Dyani Ananiev was the top scorer for the Pilots at 16 points, just one shy of her season high. Ananiev hit a season-high four 3-pointers in the contest and added a pair of steals. Rhyan Mogel scored 14 points along with 10 assists and four steals, her first career double-double and the third double-double for a Pilot this season. Nicole Anderson scored 12 points off the bench with four made 3-pointers, a season high.
Defensively, Julia Dalan was strong in the paint, putting together seven blocks for her fourth game of at least five blocks or more and her 12th game with multiple blocks. She was one block shy of her career high and has reached 50 blocks now on the year. She's the fastest Pilot freshman to 50 blocks in program history.
Portland added 15 steals with 29 turnovers forced. Five players had at least two steals on the evening, led by Mogel's four. Ananiev and Florence Dallow added three steals each.
How it Happened
Portland came out strong in the first quarter, rushing out to a seven-point lead with stellar defense and quick offense. The Pilots scored five fastbreak points in the first and forced five turnovers to put the pressure on the Dons. San Francisco cut into that lead, but a late 3-pointer from Nicole Anderson made it 18-12 after the first period.
The second quarter saw the Pilots push that lead back up to nine points, with Rhyan Mogel and Dyani Ananiev putting up four and five points respectively in the quarter. The shooting went cold, however, for Portland, who went scoreless in the final four minutes. San Francisco cut the lead to three heading into the half.
Portland started the third quarter strong, with a quick steal and a score. But San Francisco answered right back, putting together a 21-2 run through the first five minutes of the quarter to take a double-digit lead. Portland turned it over 12 times in the half and were ultimately outscored 28-7 to give San Francisco a 54-36 advantage after three.
The Pilots worked to claw their way from the big deficit, forcing turnovers and putting together a 10-2 run to wrestle some control in the final period. Portland continued their offensive onslaught in the final quarter, hitting six 3-pointers in total – three of those coming by way of Anderson – and cutting San Francisco's lead to as little as two points. But two costly offensive fouls late helped propel the Dons past the Pilots 67-64.
Game Notes
- Ananiev scored in double digits in her ninth game this year, leading the way with 16 points for Portland.
- Mogel notched her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 assists along with four steals. Her 10 assists are a career best, and she's just the third Pilot since the 2021-22 season to post a 10-point, 10-assist double-double.
- Mogel is the first Pilot to have 10 assists in a game this season. The Pilots had 15 assists total.
- Anderson hit a season high four 3-pointers for 12 points. She's now 23 points shy of 1,000 career points.
- Dalan posted her fourth game with at least five blocks or more, posting seven total. She's at 50 blocks on the year, the fastest Pilot freshman to 50 blocks in program history and the fastest player to 50 blocks in a season (14 games) since Lucy Cochrane (2023-24, 13 games).
- Portland hit 10 3-pointers in the contest at a 52.6% clip. Portland's 10 3-pointers are the most against a Division I team this season.
- The Pilots outscored the Dons 28-13 in the final quarter.
- The Pilots forced 29 turnovers and added 15 steals, their highest total against a Division I team this season.
Up Next
The Pilots return home for their first game of the new year, taking on the Washington State Cougars on Friday, Jan. 2 at the Chiles Center. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+, with a radio broadcast available on the Portland Sports Network. Check PortlandPilots.com for tickets, live stats, video and radio options.
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