LAS VEGAS (AP) — Maisie Burnham scored 19 points, Alex Fowler had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Portland beat two-time defending West Coast Conference Tournament champion Gonzaga 64-60 on Tuesday to claim an NCAA Tournament berth.
Portland (23-8) snapped a six-game losing streak against the No. 16 Zags — with its last win coming in the tournament semifinals during the 2019-20 season. The Pilots won the tournament championship that year before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Portland played in four straight NCAA Tournaments from 1994-97 before getting back in 2020.
Portland, which trailed by 13 points early in the third quarter, scored seven unanswered points in the fourth quarter to extend its lead to 58-50 and held on.
Yvonne Ejim had 21 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out late for Gonzaga (28-4).
No. 21 UNLV 71, SAN DIEGO STATE 68
Essence Booker scored 22 points, Desi-Rae Young added 20 and UNLV held off San Diego State in a Mountain West Conference semifinal.
UNLV (30-2) has won 21 straight and had an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter before the Aztecs pulled to 60-59 with 1:15 remaining. Booker scored six of the Rebels’ next nine points to push the lead to 69-62 with 22 seconds left.
Sophia Ramos and Abby Prohaska hit back-to-back 3-pointers to get the Aztecs within one before Booker’s two free throws capped the scoring with six seconds remaining. Kiara Jackson blocked Ramos’ 3-point attempt to end it.
Ramos scored 17 points to lead fifth-seeded San Diego State (23-10).
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