PORTLAND, Ore. – Mikah Ballew knocked down a dagger 3-pointer with 1:10 left in the game to put Portland ahead 78-70, and the Pilots earned an 82-76 victory over the Oregon State Beavers in West Coast Conference basketball action at the Chiles Center on Saturday.
The Pilots (9-10, 2-4 WCC) had four players score in double figures, led by Cameron Williams, who had 23 points and seven rebounds. Joel Foxwell tacked on 18 points, five assists and two steals and Jermaine Ballisager Webb chipped in as well with 18 points. Ballew finished with 16 points.
Portland did a stellar job taking care of the basketball, dishing out 14 assists while turning the ball over seven times. Foxwell's five assists led the distribution list for the Pilots. Garrett Nuckolls also contributed with four assists of his own.
How It Happened
After falling behind by 10 points early, Portland went on an 8-0 run with 10:00 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Ballew, to narrow its deficit to 24-23. A Cameron Williams three-point play gave the Pilots a 31-30 lead and the teams exchanged leads four times in the final four minutes of the period before Portland took a 39-38 lead into halftime. Portland did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 20 of its 39 points close to the basket.
Oregon State proceeded to take a 54-45 lead with a strong start to the second half before Portland went on a 12-2 run to seize a 57-56 lead with 10:17 to go in the contest. Neither team led by more than four points until Ballisager Webb converted a pair of free throws for a 75-70 lead with 2:30 left. Ballew's corner three was the next basket made and gave the Pilots enough breathing room to close out the victory.
Game Notes
» The game featured 10 ties and 11 lead changes.
» The Pilots shot 43 percent for the game compared to 47 percent for the Beavers.
» Portland had a 32-26 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Pilots turned the ball over just seven times while dishing out 14 assists.
» Portland cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» The Pilots converted 30 of 34 free throws.
» Portland came out ahead in points of turnovers (10-6), points in the paint (30-22) and second chance points (13-7).
» Cameron Williams recorded his fifth 20-point game of the year and second in the last three games. It was the most points he has scored against a Division I opponent.
» Mikah Ballew collected a career high six rebounds to go with his 10 points.
» Besides the four Pilots in double figures, James O'Donnell was the only other UP player to score with seven points before fouling out.
» Olavi Suutela led five Beavers in double figures with 19 points on 8 of 9 shooting.
» The Pilots have now beat their in-state rivals in two consecutive games after posting an 84-72 home win last season.
Up Next
The Pilots will hit the road for a pair of West Coast Conference games next week. Portland will visit Pepperdine on Wednesday with a 6 p.m. tip-off and then take on LMU on Saturday at 6 p.m.
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