PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland scored 54 second half points to overcome an early double-digit deficit and secure an 87-67 win against Pepperdine on Senior Night Thursday at Chiles Center. Max Mackinnon scored a game-high 27 points to lead the way as the Pilots (12-18, 7-10 WCC) have now won four of their last five games.
Portland recognized Coleman Lemke, Vukasin Masic and Chris Austin prior to tip-off as part of the Senior Night celebration. Austin delivered and finished with 17 points and eight rebounds while eclipsing the 1,000-point mark as a Pilot with his final basket in the closing seconds of regulation.
Freshman forward Austin Rapp recorded his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Masic added seven points and a team-high six assists.
Portland shot 46 percent for the game and knocked down 9-of-28 threes and 16-of-17 free throws. The Waves (10-20, 4-13) shot 44 percent, were 5-of-18 from beyond the arc and 6-of-7 at the foul line.
How It Happened
After falling behind 37-23, Portland went on a 10-0 run with 1:52 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Mikah Ballew, to narrow its deficit to 37-33, a score that would hold until halftime.
After intermission, Portland used a 9-0 run early in the second half to take a 46-43 on a Rapp putback. Consecutive threes from Mackinnon made it 54-47 but the Waves pulled it back to within two. Three straight buckets from Rapp pushed the margin to 62-52 with 7:56 to go and the margin continued to grow down the stretch.
Game Notes
» Austin Rapp notched his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
» Rapp also blocked three shots and has blocked two or more shots in six straight games. His 43 this year are No. 7 on the UP single-season charts and he is five away from tying for third place.
» Portland found success from beyond the arc, knocking down nine treys in the game.
» Portland had a 42-31 edge on the boards in the win.
» Portland cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 15 offensive boards in the game.
» Max Mackinnon led the Pilots with a game-high 27 points on 8-of-18 shooting and a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line.
» Chris Austin, who played his first three years at Fordham University, scored his 1,000th overall career point earlier this season at Oregon and entered the game needing 16 to reach the mark as a Pilot.
» Vukasin Masic now has 957 career points.
» Dovydas Butka led three Pepperdine players in double figures with 18 points.
» Portland completed the season sweep of the Waves after already winning 84-64 in Malibu on Feb. 1.
Up Next
Portland concludes the regular season Saturday at San Diego with a 7 p.m. tip-off. The Pilots are currently tied for seventh place in the WCC standings with Washington State and a half game behind LMU with a chance to move into a tie for sixth place with a win against the Toreros. The Credit Union 1 WCC Championship bracket will be officially announced on Sunday morning.
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