By Dannielle Lowe
In a nail biter that came down to the final seconds and a couple of free throws, the Pilots defeated San Francisco, 80-78, on Saturday in front of 1,218 fans in attendance for the Think Pink initiative.
With five seconds remaining in a tied game, junior guard Karlie Burris sunk two free throw shots to put the Pilots ahead by two and secure the win.
According to junior forward Allyson Sievers, the team has grown accustom to last-minute victories.
"We've been in that situation so many times now that I don't think we get as nervous as we did earlier this season," Sievers said.
To complement a big win, a triple-sized crowd came out to "Pack the House" in support of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's (WCBA) Think Pink initiative.
The Think Pink campaign is a global effort by the WBCA to increase breast cancer awareness not only on the court, but across campuses and into communities.
The Pilots also participated in Pack the House, a current national competition aimed at promoting women's basketball attendance and awareness, the primary goal being to set a season-high attendance record.
They succeeded in increasing attendance tri-fold from the usual average of 450 fans to an attendance of 1,218. The Pilots combined the two campaigns into one highly publicized athletic event.
"Everyone was really supportive at the game," junior Megan Pizzitola said. "Everyone was cheering and wearing pink. It was a fun atmosphere and the team played well, too."
The Pilots led 41-32 at the end of the first half. UP controlled the majority of the second half, yet San Francisco pulled within three with seven minutes remaining.
Sophomore guard Laiken Dollente responded with a drive to the hoop where she not only laid the ball in the net, but picked up a foul call as well. At the line, Dollente hit the free throws, giving the Pilots an eight-point cushion for the final six minutes.
USF countered with a set of threes, forcing the Pilot lead to dwindle to three, the score 78-75. With 28 seconds remaining, San Francisco's Shay Rollins stepped back to sink a third three pointer, making the game 78 all.
"It was really nerve racking, especially because we were up," Sievers said. "We had a lead, and then we lost it."
The Pilots took their final time-out to set up the play. Dollente relayed the ball to Burris, who then drove deep into the paint and drew a foul call.
Burris hit her shots at the line to put the team ahead by two, the score 80-78. It would be enough for the Pilots to secure the win.
Before fouling out, Sievers finished the game with 19 points. Freshman post Lauren Angel finished with 10 points, while freshman Tara Cronin added nine points and five steals. Burris came up big with two key free throws, finishing the game with eight points and four assists.
As a whole, the Pilots played well, shooting 48 percent for the game and finishing with five threes. They also converted San Francisco's 21 turnovers into 24 points.
"It was a fun game and we played really well," Sievers said. "It was exciting having so many people there to support us. It's nice to hear the fans cheering instead of just the team."
In addition to the festivities, Coach Jim Sollars also picked up win number 300. Sollars, in his 22nd season with the team, also leads the WCC with the most career conference wins - 132.
The Pilots are now 5-6 in conference play. They face the Gonzaga Bulldogs, the WCC's leading team, at the Chiles Center on Saturday at 2 p.m.
