LAS VEGAS -- The Portland Pilots fell in the championship game of the Credit Union 1 WCC Championship final 59-46 to the Oregon State Beavers.
Maisie Burnham led the Pilots (29-4) with 16 points, four assists and four steals. Alexis Mark added 11 points and two blocks and Emme Shearer chipped in as well with nine points and six rebounds.
The Portland defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Tuesday's game, forcing 21 Oregon State turnovers while committing nine. Those takeaways turned into 19 points on the offensive end of the floor. Burnham's four steals led the way individually for the Pilots.
How It Happened
After playing to a 5-5 tie early in the game, Portland went on a 6-0 run with 2:56 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Shearer, to take an 11-5 lead. Oregon State cut into that lead to make it 13-9 at the break. The Pilots could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 27-17, scoring just four in the quarter.
Oregon State continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 39-25 advantage before Portland went on a 6-0 run to trim its deficit to 39-31 with 2:10 to go in the third. Oregon State made it double-digits by the end of the third quarter at 42-32.
Portland battled to bring it down to a single-digit lead, but couldn't close the gap. The Beavers won 59-46.
Game Notes
» The Pilots held the Beavers to only 38.2% shooting from the field.
» The Portland defense forced 21 turnovers.
» Portland cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Maisie Burnham led the Pilots with 16 points.
» This was Portland's third straight appearance in the WCC Championship final.
Up Next
The Pilots await their postseason fate. Stay tuned to PortlandPilots.com for updates.
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