SEATTLE, Wash. – After trailing by as much as 13 points early, the Portland Pilots eked out a win in their final road game 65-61 over the Seattle U Redhawks. The win puts the Pilots at 16-12 overall and 10-6 in WCC play.
All eight available players scored for Portland. Lainey's Spear's 15 points led the way for the Pilots. She's scored in double digits in her last three contests and has led the Pilots in scoring each of those games. Rhyan Mogel and Nicole Anderson wer the only other Pilots to score in double digits at 12 points and 10 points respectively, with Anderson up to 52 made 3-pointers on the year. That total is tied for the 13th most ever in a single season by a Pilot.
The Portland press suffocated the Redhawks, with the Pilots forcing 15 steals and 29 turnovers on the day. Tiffany Barbosa was a crucial part of that defense, adding a career-high five steals. Barbosa was all over the floor for the Pilots adding a block and a career-high eight rebounds as well.
How it Happened
Portland got early buckets from Spear and Florence Dallow, but went cold afterwards. Seattle U scored 10 straight to take a 12-5 lead early. The Pilots cut the lead to five, but another 8-0 run from the Redhawks gave Seattle U a double-digit lead. A buzzer-beating halfcourt shot from Brynn Smith cut into that lead, but Seattle U controlled the game with a 23-15 advantage.
The Pilots battled in the second quarter, tying it back up with a 10-2 run to make it an even 25 for both squads. Portland ramped the pressure up significantly, with 10 steals in the period. Seattle U responded back with a 7-0 run of their own, but Portland didn't back down, continuing their suffocating press. Caitlin Monahan drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it just 34-32 Redhawks.
Portland's pressure paid dividends in the third quarter, with a strong third quarter from Dallow also buoying the Pilots and putting them back in front. Dallow scored the first five points of the quarter for Portland and had seven total in the quarter. A 7-0 run late in the quarter got the lead as big as eight, with the Pilots ultimately taking a 51-45 lead heading into the final quarter.
The final quarter was tight as can be late, with the Pilots fending off the late push from the Redhawks. Portland came out strong, making their way to the line for early points to give themselves some cushion. The Redhawks, however, put together a 7-0 run to keep it too close for comfort. A late 3-pointer from Seattle U wasn't enough to close the gap, however, with Portland holding on for the 65-61 win.
Game Notes
- Spear's 15 points led the way for Portland, with the Oregon product adding eight rebounds and four assists as well.
- Spear has scored in double digits each of the last three games and has led the Pilots in scoring each game.
- Rhyan Mogel scored 12 points as well as nabbing four steals while Nicole Anderson added 10 points.
- With her 52nd 3-pointer, Anderson has now hit the 13th most 3-pointers by a Pilot in a single season.
- Barbosa was all over the floor, grabbing a career-high eight boards and five steals for the Pilots.
- Portland had 15 steals total and forced 29 turnovers, their highest totals in a game in both categories since the last time they played Seattle U in January.
- 10 of Portland's 15 steals came in the second quarter.
- Portland scored 30 of their 65 points off turnovers.
Up Next
The final week of regular season basketball for the Pilots begins on Thursday, Feb. 26 when the Pilots welcome the Pepperdine Waves to the Chiles Center. The two teams face off at 6 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for tickets, live stats, audio and video options.
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