SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The Portland Pilots rushed out to a big lead early but couldn't fend off the San Francisco Dons in the second half, falling 73-68 at War Memorial Gym on the Hilltop. The loss puts Portland at 7-10 overall and 0-4 in WCC play.
Cameron Williams had a team and game-high 21 points on the day. Williams added six boards and shot 80% from the field, scoring at least 20 points for the fourth time this year. Joel Foxwell added six assists for his 13th game of five assists or more while pouring in 20 points, his fifth 20-point game this year. Jermaine Ballisager Webb rounded out the double-digit scorers for Portland, with 12 points and four rebounds.
Portland shot 47.1% from the field overall and made 15-of-19 on free throws. The Pilots had 13 assists led by the six from Foxwell. The Pilots held the Dons to only 37.9% shooting from the field.
How it Happened
Portland came out blazing in the first half, opening with a 10-0 with back-to-back 3-pointers from Matus Hronsky and Cameron Williams putting Portland up big early. The Pilots – who shot 60.9% overall in the half – pushed that advantage as much as 17 points by outscoring the Dons 22-5 in the first nine minutes. The Dons and Pilots traded buckets until San Francisco got hot from outside the arc, hitting four 3-pointers in two minutes and cutting Portland's lead to four points. Portland scored two layups to make it 34-27 Pilots.
The Pilots got buckets from Joel Foxwell and Mikah Ballew to start the half and get Portland a double-digit lead. But the Dons started to chip away at the lead little by little, putting together an 18-2 run that included eight points from the free throw line to take the lead back for themselves. The Dons pushed their lead to as high as 13 points in the contest.
Portland made a push in the final three minutes, mustering up a 11-2 run to cut the Dons' lead to two. But it wasn't enough, with the Pilots falling 73-68
Game Notes
- Williams scored a team-high 21 points in the contest while grabbing four boards.
- Williams has scored at least 20 points in four games this season.
- Foxwell had six assists for his 13th game of five assists or more along with 20 points. He's scored at least 20 points five times this year.
- This is Foxwell's third game this season with at least 20 points and five assists.
- This is the fifth time Ballisager Webb has scored in double digits this season and the second game in a row.
- The Pilots held the Dons to only 37.9% shooting from the field.
Up Next
The Pilots are back home for a pair of contests against the Pacific Tigers and the Oregon State Beavers. They'll host the Tigers on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. and the Beavers on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 5 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on KUNP as well as ESPN+. Check PortlandPilots.com for tickets, live stats, video and radio options.
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