SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- After trailing by as much as 11, the Portland Pilots fought back to knock off the San Diego Toreros 66-64 on the road Thursday.
The Pilots (21-3, 10-3) had two players score in double figures, led by Maisie Burnham, who had 22 points. Emme Shearer added 12 points and two steals and Rhyan Mogel added nine points and four steals off the bench.
Portland forced 26 San Diego turnovers, adding 14 steals. The Pilots turned those takeaways into 25 points on the offensive end of the floor. Mogel and McKelle Meek's four steals each led the way for Portland.
How It Happened
After falling behind 5-2, Portland went on an 8-0 run with 7:59 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Burnham, to take a 10-5 lead. The lead didn't hold long, as the Toreros roared back to make it 24-20 after one.
The Pilots continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 41-30 halftime deficit. After intermission, Portland cut that deficit to three points with just under five minutes to get back in the game. The Pilots kept the rally going to make it 55-52 Portland at the end of the third.
The Toreros proceeded to tie things up at 56-56 before Portland went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Shearer's layup, to seize a 62-56 lead with 4:40 to go in the contest. It came down to the final possessions for the Pilots, who trailed by one with just 24 seconds to go. The Pilots saw Shearer and Mogel come in clutch late with three made free throws to make it 66-64 Pilots at the end.
Game Notes
» Portland rallied from an 11-point 41-30 halftime deficit to pick up the win.
» Portland tallied 15 total assists in the game.
» The Pilots forced 26 San Diego turnovers and added 14 steals.
» Maisie Burnham led the Pilots with a game-high 22 points. It's her ninth game with at least 20 points or more.
» Portland got a team-high seven rebounds from Alexis Mark.
» The win is Portland's 21st on the year. This is the fastest the Pilots have reached 21 wins since the 1996-97 season.
» This is just Portland's second single-digit win this season.
» Burnham eclipsed 1,750 career points in the victory.
Up Next
The Pilots take on the Pepperdine Waves down in Malibu on Monday, Feb. 10 at 3 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
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