Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. --- Rachele Kloke scored 26 points and Yinka Olorunnife ripped down 18 rebounds as the Idaho Vandals handed the Portland Pilots a 71-66 defeat in a non-conference women’s basketball game played on Thursday night at the Chiles Center. The Pilots tried to make a game of it late, but the Vandals hit enough free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.

 

The loss is the third straight for the Pilots, who fall to 9-6 on the year. Idaho improves to 7-5.

 

Idaho took a 40-27 lead into the halftime locker room before Portland would make a little run in the second half. After the Vandals pushed the lead to 15, UP got three consecutive three-pointers from freshmen Alexis Byrd and Cassandra Brown and junior ReZina TecleMariam. TecleMariam’s three pulled the Pilots within 42-36 with 16:02 left to play.

 

But the Vandals would respond and push the lead back into double figures. The Pilots fought back once again with the help of free throws. Byrd, Brown and TecleMariam took turns at the foul line, and soon the Vandal lead was back down to four points at 62-58.

 

Junior Natalie Day then hit a shot off of a big offensive rebound and Portland was within a field goal with 3:21 to play. Moments later junior Nakeisha Brown hit one of two free throws and UP was within 62-61.

 

From there, Idaho got free throws and a big lay-up from Olorunnife to make it a six-point game once again with only 50 seconds remaining. TecleMariam would hit a three and a lay-up to pull UP within two points twice during the final 43 seconds, but Idaho was able to hold on with its accuracy from the charity stripe.

 

TecleMariam led the Pilots with 13 points, while Cassandra Brown registered a career high with 12 points. Day finished with 11 and Byrd matched a career high with nine points. Brown and Byrd were also active defensively, finishing with a career-high five steals each.

 

Brown and seniors Tara Cronin and Jessica Clemens led the Pilots with six rebounds each, which also matches a career-high for Brown.

 

Kloke finished 10-for-14 from the field to tally a season high in points. The 18 boards match a season-high for Olorunnife, who helped Idaho to a 42-32 advantage in rebounds. Olorunnife also scored 15 points for the double-double.

 

UP finished 23-for-63 (36.5 percent) from the field, went 10-for-31 on three-pointers and 10-for-14 at the line. Idaho shot 41.1 percent (23-for-56), hit eight of 16 three-pointers and missed just one free throw out of 18 attempts.

 

The Pilots will next take a week off before opening play in the West Coast Conference against Gonzaga on Saturday, Jan. 8. The Bulldogs and Pilots are set to tip-off at 2:00 p.m. at the Chiles Center.