Although the Washington Huskies ultimately beat the Portland Pilots 94-72 in relatively comfortable fashion, it certainly didn’t come as easily as some of their earlier games this season.
And it was by far their toughest win of the season.
What it comes down to is that Washington turned it on when they need to in spurts and found a way to counter Portland’s runs with runs of their own.
Whether you attribute that to a lapse on their part or a strong performance from Portland is debatable. Washington’s defense, particularly on the perimeter, probably wasn’t as intense as it has been. Despite another aggressive offensive performance in the post, Washington’s post play might have left something to be desired.
And one theme continues to remain clear: Isaiah Thomas’ passion and ability to will this team to victory is as important as anything else that happens for this team. Thomas finished tied with Justin Holiday for a team-high 20 points, but his seven rebounds and four assists were as important as his scoring.
For Portland, Luke Sikma did what one might expect – scoring 14 points and grabbing a game-high 16 rebounds. Jared Stohl finished with 12 points, but the Huskies held him to two points in the second half.