Dec. 4, 2009

Box Score

Portland, Ore. - The Pacific women's basketball dropped an 80-66 decision at Portland State on Friday, Dec. 6. Freshman Erica McKenzie (Sparks, Nev.) led all players en route to a career-high 18 points.

With the loss, Pacific fell to 1-4 on the season while Portland improved its overall record to 4-3.

Portland jumped on the board first when Alexis Gannis chipped in a jumper at 19:07 to give the Pilots a quick 2-0 lead. Early on, the Tigers stuck with the Pilots and came back to feel their first lead at 18:00, when sophomore Christina Thompson (Sacramento, Calif.) sank a jumper that pushed Pacific up on the scoreboard 5-4.

Over the next four minutes, Portland compiled a four-point lead after a 9-3 run capped off by a pair of free throws from Natalie Day. That gave the Pilots a 12-8 lead at 13:01. But Pacific persisted and over the next minute were back in the game when a free throw from freshman Kendal Rodriguez (La Habra, Calif.) put the Tigers up 13-12 at 13:01.

But over the course of the next nine minutes, Portland went on a 14-1 run to lead the Tigers by as much as 14. The Pilots held the 28-14 advantage with 4:28 to play in the first half.

Into the second half, Pacific cut the lead down to nine points only three minutes in, when they trailed 37-28 at 17:08.Until 16:48 to play in the contest, Pacific tallied a 10-4 run to try and reel back the Pilots when senior Jasmine Dana (Bakersfield, Calif.) drained a jumper to cut the Pilots' lead down to 37-30.

At 9:50, sophomore Eliza Dy (Chino Hills, Calif.) chipped in a lay-up to put Pacific within seven of the Pilots, 50-43. But then Portland stuck with the Tigers and continued to shoot well from the floor to go on to win 80-66.

In the contest, three Tigers posted career numbers. In addition to McKenzie, Dy recorded a career-high points tally with 10 and five steals, as did Thompson's 14 points.

Pacific next returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 4 at Portland State. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.