Pilots women’s basketball rallied to defeat the Santa Clara University Broncos 73-66 Feb. 22, going on a 15-4 run in the game's final five minutes. The thrilling comeback gave the Pilots their victory in the final home game of the season. Graduate student forward Alexis Mark led the way with 23 points, 11 rebounds and four assists on the night.
With the victory, Portland tied Gonzaga’s 15-3 conference record and retains the best overall record in the West Coast Conference at 26-3. However, Gonzaga remains atop the conference as they’ve bested Portland in both of their matchups this season.
The Pilots desperately struggled in the first quarter, as the Broncos’ quick offense and shutdown interior defense gave them an 18-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Broncos stole the ball once and blocked six shots in the first quarter alone, contributing to 3-16 shooting from the field for Portland.
Head Coach Michael Meek acknowledged the trouble Santa Clara gave the Portland offense.
“I want to give Santa Clara credit, they came out ready and played a great game,” Meek said. “I think the emotions of senior night…they're really hard to play through a lot of times… Sometimes you just got to grind out games like tonight.”
The Pilots also committed four turnovers compared to just one from Santa Clara and missed all six three-pointers attempted in the quarter. The team didn’t hit their first three until senior guard McKelle Meek drained one with 5:27 left in the second quarter, ending the game on 3-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Pilots ended the half down just seven but struggled through the third quarter to close the gap.
However, going into the fourth quarter down only four, the team rallied together with focus.
“We’re all going for the same goal,” Mark said. “Everybody here has the same mindset, which makes us never give up, and that's what I love about [the team].”
This united mentality has been critical to the team’s success this season. As Meek notes, those spending more time on the bench are just as important as those starting every game.
“Even the players that don't always get in, they show up every day to practice…They work hard,” Meek said. “That is something that doesn't get seen enough, how that translates into success. Some kids get more limelight and maybe score more and do more things, but I really feel like we've been 16 or 17 strong all season long. I think that's what marks a great team.”
McKelle Meek sets up for a 3 point shot in a game against WSU.
After earning her fourth personal foul at the 6:18 mark, senior guard Maisie Burnham was benched to prevent her from fouling out. Upon re-entering the game, Burnham capitalized on a Santa Clara turnover by sinking a crucial three-pointer to reduce the deficit to one point with 2:36 to go in the game.
Burnham hit yet another clutch three following a Santa Clara turnover with 1:22 to go, this time extending the Pilot lead to four.
Burnham was not the only player in foul trouble, however. Santa Clara forward Olivia Pollerd fouled out just seconds before Burnham’s first clutch three after leading the Broncos with a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double.
“She [Pollerd] was in foul trouble in the fourth, and we just kept saying, ‘Go at her! Go at her!’ And I knew that she was guarding me a majority of the time, so I was just going to go score and wait for the refs to call it eventually,” Mark said.
Mark shot 10-12 from the free-throw line, single-handedly matching the Broncos in free throws attempted. The Pilots’ ability to get to the line was crucial to the win, as they shot 26-32.
Burnham’s 10 points in the final quarter were accompanied by an offensive spark by graduate student guard Emme Shearer, who scored 11 of her 13 points in the fourth.
Despite starting the game slow, the Pilots’ perseverance through the finish was indicative of the same hard work they’ve put in all season and the success it’s led to thus far.
“I think we know as a team that that's what we're capable of, and that's the type of outcome that we can make in a situation where we're down like that,” Burnham said. “I think it's just trusting in your teammates and knowing that if you just play hard, then we can figure it out.”
Despite the team's victories, the job is not yet finished, with two games remaining in the regular season.
“I think it's just all about preparing ourselves for March and where we want to be at the end of the year, not right now,” Burnham said. “...We really just focus on what we have in front of us.”
The Pilots will hit the road to close out the season, with their next game Feb. 27 versus San Francisco.
Kaeden Souki is a sports reporter at The Beacon. He can be reached at souki28@up.edu.
