The debt has been repaid.
Portland rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to stun No. 16 Gonzaga 64-60 to win the West Coast Conference women’s basketball tournament championship at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
The Pilots (23-8) earned an NCAA tournament berth. It’s payback for 2020, when Portland won the WCC title for an NCAA berth, only to have it taken away when the tournament was canceled due to the pandemic.
Portland will find out its NCAA seeding and tournament draw at 5 p.m. Sunday when the bracket is announced.
Alex Fowler, shut out during the first half, scored 15 second-half points, including a go-ahead three-point play with 36 seconds left.
Maisie Burnham scored 19 points and McKelle Meek 12 to lead the Pilots.
Gonzaga (28-4) is likely headed to the NCAA tournament as an at-large team. Yvonne Ejim scored 21 points to lead the Bulldogs.
Portland trailed 33-22 at halftime following a miserable first-half shooting performance. During the second quarter, UP’s only baskets came on two three-pointers at the end of a shot clock.
Portland wasn’t done, though. The Pilots found their offense and some defense during the third quarter as they slowly chipped away at the lead. Then came a burst late in the third quarter. Meek and Burnham hit back-to-back threes to start a 12-0 run as Portland took a 48-45 lead.
It set up a wild fourth quarter. Both teams struggled to score early in the quarter. Portland finally made something happen, as Fowler, Meek and Emme Shearer scored layups to give the Pilots a 58-50 lead with four minutes remaining.
Gonzaga then took its run. The Bulldogs ran off nine consecutive points, punctuated by a free throw line jumper by Ejim, to give Gonzaga a 59-58 lead with 43 seconds left.
Portland didn’t waste time, going right to Fowler, as she delivered a three-point play to put the Pilots back in front 61-59. It was then 63-59 after a pair of Meek free throws with 25 seconds left.
Gonzaga made it interesting after hitting a free throw, forcing a held ball in the backcourt to get the ball back. But the Pilots immediately forced a turnover and were soon dancing.
More coming on this breaking story.
Nick Daschel reported from Las Vegas
–Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel
