And Next, Kentucky

oldtimer wrote:How do you get ready for that???? No one thinks there is an upset in the making but a better guage will be on how composed the men maintain. Losing by 29 (latest spread) isnt as hard to swallow if we created a competitive game that showed even a few promising things.

DoubleDipper wrote: I think we must have hit about 11 three’s tonight.

Pilots Put up Good Fight Against No. 2 Wildcats at Rupp Arena

LEXINGTON, Ky. --- The Portland Pilots battled the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday at Rupp Arena before ultimately dropping an 87-63 decision before a crowd of 24,179. Portland trailed by 12 at the half and cut the deficit to six early in the second period, but the Wildcats pulled away late. Pilot senior Nemanja Mitrovic led all scorers with 20 points, including six three-pointers.

Kentucky (6-0) had beaten its two previous Rupp Arena opponents this season by nearly 50 points per game, but the young Pilots proved to be their stiffest test with good three-point shooting and solid rebounding. Portland (2-4) has now outrebounded five of its six opponents after gaining a 39-38 edge on Saturday. Portland also found the touch from distance, finishing 11-for-23 from beyond the arc. The Wildcats improve to 36-0 all-time at Rupp Arena under third-year head coach John Calipari.

Portland pulled within six points early in the second half on a free throw by Dorian Cason, but UK would then erupt for a 15-2 run to take control of the contest. The Wildcats forced Portland into 17 turnovers, while committing just four. UK finished with a 22-5 edge in points off of turnovers.

Pilot sophomore guard Tanner Riley came off the bench and reached double figures in scoring for the second straight game. After scoring 12 at UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday, Riley finished with 14 points on Saturday, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Sophomore point guard Tim Douglas added 12 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Senior Darius Miller and sophomore Terrence Jones led the Wildcats with 19 points each. Freshman point guard Marquis Teague added 14 points, eight assists and four steals without committing a turnover.

Portland shot 38 percent from the field and converted 6-of-8 free throws. UK finished at 45 percent from the field, 7-for-17 from three-point range and made 24-of-35 free throws.

The Pilots led 7-6 early after a Mitrovic three-pointer and then a Riley triple made it a 13-12 UK lead with 10:29 remaining in the first half. The Wildcats would then use an 18-3 run capped by a Teague lay-in to take a 31-15 edge. Portland continued to hit threes and was able to cut the margin to 38-26 at the halftime buzzer.

Portland opened the second half on fire as Mitrovic drilled another three followed by a layup from freshman Thomas van der Mars. A free throw by freshman Dorian Cason cut the margin to 43-37 with 16:04 remaining, but UK used a 15-2 spurt to regain control.

Portland will briefly return to the Chiles Center for a basketball doubleheader on Tuesday, before another pair of tough road games. The Pilot women host Eastern Washington at 5 p.m. followed by the men versus Lewis and Clark at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As part of the KGW Great Toy Drive, any fan that brings an unwrapped, unused toy will receive free admission to both games. Portland will then travel to St. Louis and Boise State as the non-conference schedule continues to unfold.