MORAGA, Calif. – The Portland Pilots kept their West Coast Conference Tournament hopes alive with a 4-1 victory over the Saint Mary's Gaels Saturday afternoon in women's tennis action. The Pilots (7-12, 3-5 WCC) can still secure a spot in the six-team WCC Championships with a win next weekend at Gonzaga and some other results from around the league going in their favor.

Saturday's match against the Gaels (7-10, 4-3 WCC) was close from start-to-finish with the four of the six singles matches going to three sets and the doubles point coming down to the wire.

The Pilots came back to win the doubles point after dropping No. 3 doubles. Portland seniors Lucia Butkovska and Tori Troesch then tied it up with a 6-4 win at No. 1 and the Pilot freshmen tandem of Radina Dimitrova and Tatiana Grigoryan secured the point with a 7-5 win at the No. 2 spot.

Butkovska, ranked No. 60 nationally in singles, secured a straight sets win over Jana McCord at No. 1 singles and Grigoryan posted a two-set victory against Emma Critser at No. 4 to give the Pilots three points.

Jamie Pawid outlasted Dimitrova 6-4 in the third set at No. 2 to get the Gaels on the board, but Pilot senior Maja Mladenovic clinched the match with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 3 singles against Clementine Clement.

Troesch and senior Saroop Dhatt were each in three-set battles when the overall match was clinched.

Portland will need a road win against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday in Spokane to maintain their WCC Championships ambitions. The match is scheduled for an 11 a.m. start.

Portland 4, Saint Mary's 1
Moraga, Calif. (Korth Tennis Complex)
April 16, 2016

Singles
1. #60 Lucia Butkovska (POR) def. Jana McCord (SMC) 6-3, 6-1
2. Jamie Pawid (SMC) def. Radina Dimitrova (POR) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
3. Maja Mladenovic (POR) def. Clementine Clement (SMC) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
4. Tatiana Grigoryan (POR) def. Emma Critser (SMC) 7-5, 6-2
5. Tori Troesch (POR) vs. Kareena Manji (SMC) 6-2, 2-6, 4-5 unfinished
6. Saroop Dhatt (POR) vs. Vaness Nommensen (SMC) 7-6, 1-6, 1-1 unfinished

Doubles
1. Butkovska/Troesch (POR) def. McCord/Pawid (SMC) 6-4
2. Dimitrova/Grigoryan (POR) def. Clement/Critser (SMC) 7-5
3. Kaur/Manji (SMC) def. Mladenovic/Emily Gould (POR) 6-2