PORTLAND, Ore. –
Shaila Forman scored a team-high 16 points as the Cardinals hung tough with Portland for three quarters before falling 78-68 in the second round of the WNIT held at the Chiles Center.
Forman converted six free throws and knocked down four shots to lead LU.
Jacei Denley tallied 14 points and was a perfect four-of-four from three-point range.
Solenne Olenga was one point and two rebounds from a double-double while
R'Mani Taylor finished with eight points and four assists.
The Cardinals (20-11) shot 36.1 percent from the field while making seven three-pointers and outscored Portland by 15 off the bench. Although the Pilots had a height advantage, LU won the rebounding battle, 36-34, including 16 offensive rebounds. Portland scored 21 points off 20 Cardinal turnovers and controlled the paint with 36 points.
Portland jumped out to an early 13-4 lead, while the Cardinals missed eight of their first nine shots. LU outrebounded the Pilots by four in the first quarter, but shot 22 percent from the field on offense. Portland connected on 53 percent, including three-of-five from behind the three-point line, to lead by nine after one.
The Pilots led by 14 with seven minutes to go in the first half, but
Jacei Denley went off for 11 points, including hitting three of LU's four long-range shots. Forman added seven points while Taylor converted a lay-up to get LU within a point. Portland made the last basket as both teams went into halftime with the Cards trailing by three.
The third quarter was tight throughout, as the Pilots led by no more than five points. The Cardinals attempted one three-pointer as they went inside and grabbed their first lead of the game on a pair of Olenga free throws. After trading leads,
KJ Walker put LU ahead by one before Portland used a 7-2 spurt to lead by four entering the last quarter.
Denley's fourth three-pointer of the game brought LU to within one to open the final 10 minutes. This would be the closest LU would get as the Pilots ran up 10 unanswered points to put the game out of reach.
LU ends the year with its fourth-straight 20-win season, marking the best run of succession in program history. Head coach
Aqua Franklin enters the 2026-27 season needing just nine more wins to become the program's all-time leader.
