PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The Portland Pilots used a dominant first quarter to build a substantial early lead and never looked back, defeating the Eastern Washington Eagles 73-58 in a non-conference women’s basketball game on Sunday at Chiles Center.

A crowd of 421 watched as the Pilots (4-4) exploded for 24 points in the opening period, establishing a double-digit advantage that the Eagles (3-4) spent the rest of the afternoon trying to overcome. Eastern Washington struggled to find its offensive rhythm early, managing just 13 points in the first quarter and 12 in the second, entering halftime trailing 39-25.

Portland’s offense was fueled by a balanced scoring attack and efficient ball movement. Rhyan Mogel, a sophomore from Happy Valley, Oregon, orchestrated the offense masterfully, dishing out eight assists to go along with 10 points. Her playmaking set the tone for a Pilot squad that consistently found open looks.

The Pilots’ interior presence was also a major factor. Julia Dalan, a 6-foot-3 center from Centralia, Washington, anchored the defense with four blocked shots and added 10 points. Her ability to protect the rim altered numerous Eastern Washington attempts and helped Portland control the paint.

Florence Dallow, a 6-foot-2 forward from Auckland, New Zealand, provided a spark off the bench with 11 points, while fellow reserve Dyani Ananiev of St. Andrews, Australia, contributed 10 points, including a key late three-pointer, and a block.

Despite the early deficit, Eastern Washington showed resilience after the break. The Eagles outscored Portland 19-16 in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 11 points heading into the final period. The Eagles’ effort was led by Ella Gallatin, a 5-foot-10 guard from Snohomish, Washington, who poured in a game-high 19 points over 37 minutes of action.

Kourtney Grossman, a 6-foot forward from Billings, Montana, supported Gallatin with 15 points for Eastern Washington. Guard Elyn Bowers of Pinedale, Wyoming, also reached double figures, finishing with 12 points, but the early hole proved too deep for the Eagles to escape entirely.

Portland steadied itself in the fourth quarter, matching Eastern Washington’s intensity and closing out the game by scoring 18 points to secure the 15-point victory. The win evened Portland’s record at .500, while Eastern Washington fell below that mark with its fourth loss in seven outings.

The game was part of a brief homestand for Portland, which defeated Nevada 65-52 on Saturday. Eastern Washington was playing the second leg of a road trip after a narrow 58-57 victory at Nevada on Friday.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Portland entered the contest with a 96.60 percent probability to win.

Portland looks to build on the momentum when it hosts BYU on Dec. 6. Eastern Washington returns home to face Denver on Wednesday.