PORTLAND, Ore. – With snow falling outside, threes were raining down inside the Chiles Center as Portland shot 50 percent from three-point range on the way to an 84-72 win over the Oregon State Beavers Thursday night.
The Pilots (9-17, 4-9 WCC) had five players score in double figures, led by freshman forward Austin Rapp with 24 points, two steals and two blocks. Max Mackinnon added 17 points and six assists and Chris Austin chipped in with 14 points and six rebounds.
Bol Dengdit and Vukasin Masic added 11 points apiece, while freshman point guard Vincent Delano was excellent with seven points, four rebounds, six assists, two steals and zero turnovers.
Portland shared the ball well with 21 assists on 28 made field goals while committing just nine turnovers. Oregon State had just 10 assists with 14 turnovers.
The Pilots shot 50 percent overall and were 12-of-24 from three-point range and the Beavers finished at 47 percent from the field and 6-for-20 from beyond the arc.
How It Happened
The teams exchanged leads four times in the opening minutes before the Pilots used an 8-2 run highlighted by a pair of Dengdit threes to jump ahead 13-9. A three-pointer from Masic and bucket by Mackinnon increased the lead to 34-23. Oregon State countered with a 10-0 run and eventually tied the game at 38 on a Nate Kingz triple, but a pair of free throws from Austin and buzzer beating layup by Delano gave Portland a 42-38 halftime advantage.
Dengdit opened the second half with a three-pointer and Portland maintained a two-possession lead most of the second half. Parsa Fallah scored five straight points to bring the Beavers within two at 63-61 with 8:42 left, but Portland answered with baskets from Mackinnon and Austin. Kingz' three-point play made it a three-point game, but the Pilots created separation with a 6-0 run capped by two Masic free throws. The Pilots extended the margin in the closing minutes to secure the win.
Game Notes
» The Pilots made half of their attempts from three point range, knocking down 12 of 24 shots.
» Portland never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» The Pilots put on a passing clinic, recording an assist on 75 percent of made field goals.
» Five Portland players scored 10 or more points.
» The Portland defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Portland turned the ball over nine times while dishing out 21 assists.
» Austin Rapp led the Pilots with a career-high 24 points, his fourth 20-point game of the year.
» Rapp was 5-for-11 from three-point range and drilled five or more threes for the fourth time.
» Chris Austin reached double figures for the sixth time in the last seven games.
» Vincent Delano's six assists were a season high.
» All nine Pilots that saw game action had a positive +/- margin.
» Michael Rataj led the Beavers with 22 points.
Up Next
The Pilots return to Chiles Center for a Saturday doubleheader with the Portland women hosting Washington State at 3 p.m. followed by the men versus LMU at 7 p.m. Tickets purchased are good for both games on Saturday.
The games are expected to be played as scheduled despite the winter weather in the Portland-metro area. Fans are encouraged to attend only if able to travel safely to Chiles Center. Any schedule updates or changes will be communicated directly to ticket buyers via email and notifications will be posted on the Portland Pilots app, via the official Portland Pilots social media accounts and online at PortlandPilots.com.
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Secure your spot now for any upcoming Portland Pilots ticketed home event by visiting PortlandPilots.com/Tickets or by downloading the Portland Pilots App. For group and fan experience package information, email pilotsboxoffice@up.edu.
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