Pilots women’s basketball won a close 84-79 match Feb. 15 against the Washington State University Cougars, solidifying their second-place standing and keeping the Cougars at a comfortable 3.5 games behind in the conference.
Senior guard Maisie Burnham led the game with 31 points, a season-high and career record.
This 24th victory was the most the Pilots have won in a season since the 1996-1997 season and the most in Michael Meek’s six seasons as head coach.
The game was back-and-forth for much of the first period, but the Pilots held a 24-17 lead at the end of the quarter. The Pilots piled on to the lead, but by halftime, it had evened out to another seven-point lead with a 47-40 score.
With the game evenly matched in most areas, team play was a significant difference-maker, as the Pilots out-assisted the Cougars 26-17 — their highest assist total all season. Sharp inside passes provided a reliable source of scoring for the entire team, with the Pilots scoring 56 points in the paint and assisting on 76% of made baskets.
Senior guard McKelle Meek led the team with 11 assists, tying a season high.
“Me and Maisie [Burnham] and Emme [Shearer] have played together for many years, so that really helps the team chemistry,” Meek said. “I think our team this year just does a great job of sharing the ball and knocking down shots when we're open.”
Shooting efficiency also contributed to the success, with the team shooting 52.3% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.
“There's been games recently where we haven't shot as well as we wanted to, but I think we always reflect on it, and those are good shots that our team is working for,” Burnham said. “I think it's more just remaining confident in our team and the shots that we’re taking, remaining confident that we're gonna go crash the boards… our team thrives on defense.”
McKelle Meek points down the court with three WSU players standing to her right.
The team accumulated three blocks and four steals and was led in rebounds by defensive anchor Alexis Mark, who grabbed nine boards. The Cougars also defended well with five blocks and six steals, matching the Pilots with 34 team rebounds.
The Cougars remain in third place in the West Coast Conference, but are now 2.5 games behind Portland, who is one game behind the top-seeded Gonzaga. While a win tonight was crucial, the team’s mentality stays the same every game.
“It's a super competitive league, and I think we try to focus more on ourselves than our opponents,” Burnham said. “At the end of the day, we're confident in the team...If we can show up then and take care of business, then we should give teams a lot to handle every night.”
The team earned the victory in front of a crowd of 1,518 viewers, which Burnham notes is a big change in attendance since her freshman season.
“What we're really grateful about is… we're filling the stands, and my first year here, we weren't,” Burnham said. “Having a team and having great people before us create a culture that we have here… it's really enjoyable that we can fill the stands in a game like that.”
With the season nearly over and the postseason approaching, the team is making sure not to ease up.
“This is the hardest part of the season, where teams get tired,” Meek said. “But I think if we just keep up our energy and keep going, good things will happen.”
The Pilots will look to stay strong Feb. 20 at home against San Diego.
Kaeden Souki is a reporter at The Beacon. He can be reached at souki28@up.edu.
