Men’s and women’s basketball have both ended their runs in their respective West Coast Conference (WCC) Championship tournaments.
The men’s team was handled by the San Francisco Dons in an 82-65 third-round loss on March 7, while the women’s team fell 70-60 to Oregon State in the quarterfinals on March 8. The women had advanced to the quarterfinals with a 72-62 win over Washington State, while the men progressed with victories over Pepperdine and Washington State.
Rebounds and free throws were a struggle for the women’s team. Portland shot only 3-6 from the free throw line compared to Oregon State’s 16-24, and the Beavers grabbed 24 offensive boards and outrebounded the Pilots 54-29.
Portland played without freshman center Julia Dalan, who averaged 3.3 blocks throughout the season, so the squad struggled with a size disadvantage. Redshirt sophomore guard Florence Dallow guarded but couldn’t stop Oregon State forward Lizzy Williams, who ended with 20 points and 16 rebounds.
The Beavers capitalized on 16 points off Pilot turnovers and scored 20 second-chance points, but head coach Michael Meek is still impressed with the team’s perseverance, he said in a press conference.
“Considering the fact that [Dallow is] really our starting wing, I think she did a great job at trying to guard inside,” Meek said. “I’m really proud of the fight she put forth. … We felt like this team is capable of getting [to the championship] even shorthanded, and we gave a really good Oregon State team a really good game.”
Redshirt sophomore guard Dyani Ananiev shoots a three-pointer against Oregon State. Photo courtesy of Portland Pilots Digital Media.
The Pilots didn’t shrink despite adversity against the No. 4 seed Beavers, according to junior forward Lainey Spear, who added 12 points and eight rebounds.
“Regardless of if they scored a bunch in the paint, I’m just proud of how our team fought and competed,” Spear said.
While their run in the WCC tournament is done, Portland will likely continue with postseason play in either the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) or Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). The WBIT and WNIT brackets will be released on March 15-16 respectively.
Men’s basketball was evenly matched with San Francisco in the first half but allowed a 26-5 Dons run in the second, letting the game slip, head coach Shantay Legans said in a press conference.
“They did everything I asked them to do all year long [through] all the ups and downs of the season,” Legans said. ”I thought it came up a little short. I thought we had an opportunity tonight to do something special, but we went up against a team that was ready to go, and we didn’t come out with that second half.”
The Pilots were led in scoring by freshman guard Joel Foxwell with 16 points and senior center Jermaine Ballisager Webb with 11. However, Portland allowed 17 offensive rebounds and notched 16 turnovers. There was also severe disparity at the free throw line, where the Dons shot 19-28 compared to just 7-10 from the Pilots.
“I think their maturity showed a little more than ours,” Ballisager Webb said. “They were a little more poised. We got kind of rushed into our shots, trying to hit home runs instead of just staying with singles.”
Despite the undesired end, Legans is still proud of the squad and expects to make another run next season.
“I wouldn’t want to do it with any other guys,” Legans said.
Kaeden Souki is the Sports Editor for The Beacon, he can be reached at souki28@up.edu.
