Third time really is charm for Pilots

Portland avenges two regular-season losses, tops Pacific in tourney

Portland freshman forward Alex Fowler didn’t think much of the Pilots’ two losses to Pacific during the regular season. It’s the postseason now, and “it’s hard to beat another team three times in a row,” she said.

“I didn’t want to let them win three times,” Fowler added.

So she scored 27 points to help Portland advance.

Fowler made 10 of 17 field goals in a 76-69 win for the fourth-seeded Pilots over the fifth-seeded Tigers on Saturday in the West Coast Conference women’s basketball tournament quarterfinals at Orleans Arena.

The tournament resumes Monday, and Portland will play No. 1 Gonzaga in the semifinals for a berth in Tuesday’s championship game.

“We just came out with the mentality that we’re going to win,” said Fowler, who averaged 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in the regular season as one of the country’s most productive freshmen. “We weren’t thinking about the past. We’re just coming out, thinking we’re in a playoff game, doing what we can.”

The Pilots have won five of their last six games, losing only to the regular-season champion Bulldogs in the regular-season finale. Their 11-7 WCC record bought them a double-bye into the quarterfinals opposite the Tigers, to whom they lost Jan. 9 and Feb. 8.

Fowler scored 15 points in the first half to give the Pilots a 41-36 halftime lead. Portland held Pacific to 1-of-16 shooting in the third quarter to build a 14-point lead, then staved off a fourth-quarter rally with timely scores, stops and free throws.

“This team is so competitive. Win or lose, every night we’ve come out and fought to be great together,” Pilots firstyear coach Michael Meek said. “We’ve really tried to be good defensively, and I think we’ve done a great job putting pressure on teams and taking teams out of their comfort zone.”

Gonzaga had its best regular season in program history, finishing 28-2. But the Pilots proved a worthy foe in their first matchup, losing 62-57 after leading by 20 on Dec. 29.

“We’re hoping to give (the Bulldogs) a great battle,” Meek said. “We know they’re a great team, but we like our team, too.”

No. 6 Pepperdine 62, No. 3 Brigham Young 51 —

Hannah Friend scored a team-high 15 points for the Waves, who became the first lower-seeded team to beat a higher seed in this year’s tournament. Barbara Sitanggan added 13 points for Pepperdine.

Men No. 5 San Francisco 72, No. 4 Pacific 54 —

Charles Minlend scored 21 points to lead the Dons, and Jimbo Lull added 16 points and six rebounds. Jhalil Tripp scored a game-high 29 for the Tigers.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.

Ellen Schmidt Las Vegas Review-Journal @ellenkschmidt_ Portland forward Alex Fowler, center, battles Pacific forward Savannah Whitehead, left, and guard Kaylin Randwaha for a loose ball in a West Coast Conference women’s tournament quarterfinal game Saturday at Orleans Arena. Portland won 76-69.