Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif. --- Sophomore ReZina TecleMariam and senior Laiken Dollente both scored a team-17 points as the Pilots refused to be denied and registered a 74-68 win over the San Diego Toreros in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Thursday night. The Pilots pick up their third straight conference road win to improve to 16-8 overall and to 5-4 in the WCC.

 

San Diego, which defeated UP 59-53 at the Chiles Center earlier this season, falls to 14-10 and to 6-4 in the WCC.

 

The game was a back-and-forth battle as the biggest lead was only eight, which the Pilots claimed twice. After the game was tied 28-28 at the half, the two teams would share five ties and exchange the lead eight times during the first 15 minutes of the second half.

 

Then with the Pilots trailing by two with 5:38 left, junior Lauren Angel hit a pair of clutch free throws to tie the game one last time. Moments later, TecleMariam stepped up and coolly hit a three-pointer to give the lead back to Portland at 59-56 with 5:29 showing on the clock.

 

UP would lead the rest of the way, but had to rely on stingy defense and solid shooting from the free line to preserve the win. The Pilot lead would grow to eight before USD hit a couple shots down the stretch, twice pulling within a possession. But Dollente, the best free throw shooter in Portland program history, hit all six free throws down the stretch to put the game on ice.

 

The Pilots shot 42.9 percent from the floor, drained four three-pointers and hit a remarkable 22 free throws out of 26 attempts.

 

Sophomore Natalie Day, who hasn’t played in four games, returned from an injury to score a much-needed 12 points off the bench. Junior Tara Cronin was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, including two of two from downtown, to finish with 10 points. Sophomore Alexis Gannis scored 11 while battling foul trouble.

 

USD shot 38.2 percent, 7-for-24 from behind the arc and went 9-for-13 at the line. San Diego’s Sam Child led all scorers with 21 points.

 

The game was clean as the Pilots turned the ball over a season-low nine times, while USD had 12 miscues.

 

TecleMariam had a pair of traditional three-point plays in the first half to lead the Pilots with 10 points at the break. UP led for most of the first half before San Diego’s Morgan Woodrow drilled a game-tying three-pointer with just a few seconds on the clock.

 

The Pilots next head north for a WCC game against the Saint Mary’s Gaels on Saturday afternoon. Portland and Saint Mary’s are set to tip off at 2:00 p.m. at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif.