PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Pilots dominated the Pepperdine Waves 76-52 on their way to their 20th win of the season. It's the fifth 20-win season the Pilots have posted in the last six seasons under head coach Michael Meek and also the fourth year in a row.

The Pilots (20-3, 9-3) had three players score in double figures, led by Emme Shearer, who had 24 points, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Lainey Spear added 14 points and nine rebounds off of the bench and Alexis Mark chipped in as well with 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Spear pulled down eight offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Portland, grabbing 23 boards and turning them into 20 second chance points. The Pilots grabbed 55 rebounds on the night, the most they've had in a single game since 2019.

The Portland defense held Pepperdine shooters to only 35.7% from the field, including 28.6% from three-point range. The Waves had 17 turnovers, with the Pilots forcing 13 steals. Shearer and Maisie Burnham's four steals each led the way for Portland.

How It Happened

Portland started out the scoring by going on an 8-0 run, taking an early lead. Pepperdine cut into that lead slightly, but the Pilots still entered the quarter break with a 21-17 advantage. Portland did most of their first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 14 of its 21 points close to the basket.

Portland kept their first quarter lead intact before going on an 8-0 run starting at the 6:11 mark in the second period to increase its lead to 32-21. They added to that advantage to make it 40-27 at the half.

Following intermission, Portland continued to expand its advantage, pushing it to 48-34 before going on a 7-0 run to expand its lead further to 55-34 deep into the quarter. The Pilots added two points to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 57-34 edge.

Portland kept its lead intact before going on a 10-0 run, finished off by Tiffany Barbosa's layup, to grow the lead to 72-44 with 3:52 to go in the contest. The Waves narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Pilots still cruised the rest of the way for the 76-52 win.

Game Notes

» The Pilots held the Waves to only 35.7% shooting from the field. 
» The Pilots shared the ball well, recording an assist on 80% of made baskets with 15 assists.
» The Portland bench came alive, adding 27 points to its scoring output.
» Portland had a 55-31 edge on the boards in the win. Their 55 rebounds are the most they've had in a game since 2019.
» The Portland defense forced 17 turnovers and added 13 steals.
» Shearer's four steals put her at 271 steals for her career.
» The Pilots were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team. Trista Hull posted four of those blocks.
» Emme Shearer led the Pilots with a game-high 24 points. It's her seventh 20-point game this season.
» Shearer moves to eighth on the all-time scoring list for the Pilots, seventh among Division I Pilots.
» Portland got a game-high 11 rebounds from Trista Hull. That's a season-high as well for Hull.
» The Pilots have won 20 games for the fifth time in the last six years and the fourth year in a row. This is the first time at the Division I level the Pilots have posted four straight seasons of 20 wins or more and the first time as a program they've done so since 1986.
» This is the Pilots' best record through 23 wins since the 1996-97 season.
» The Pilots broke the program record for total single season attendance on Saturday, reaching a total attendance over the course of the year at 11,637.

Up Next 

The Pilots take on the San Diego Toreros down in California on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.

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