LAS VEGAS — 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. But Gonzaga scored the next nine points to take a lead on Yvonne Ejim’s jumper from the free-throw line with 43.9 seconds left.
Fowler drove into the lane and spun her defender before finishing a contested shot. She was fouled on the play and sank the free throw for a 61-59 lead with 37.8 seconds left.