SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Senior guard Bryce Pressley scored a team-high 23 points, but the Portland Pilots dropped an 84-77 decision to the Santa Clara Broncos Saturday afternoon at the Leavey Center. Portland falls to 8-9 overall and 2-2 in West Coast Conference play, while the Broncos improve to 5-11 and 1-3 in league play.
The game featured 16 ties and 17 lead changes, but the Pilots struggled late in regulation for the second straight game on the road trip after dropping a New Year's Eve matchup with San Francisco on Thursday.
Junior point guard Alec Wintering drilled a three-pointer with 8:06 remaining to give the Pilots a 61-60 lead, but Portland converted just 2-of-14 from the field to close the game as the Broncos would pull away.