TORONTO (Interstat) — Emily Engstler had 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocks to lead the Portland Fire to a 99-80 victory over the Toronto Tempo on Saturday at Coca-Cola Coliseum before an announced crowd of 8,210.

Engstler, a 6-foot-1 forward from New York City, delivered her best performance of the young season after a string of uneven outings. She shot 6 of 10 from the floor, made both free throws and added a steal in 22 minutes. Her four blocks included a pivotal rejection of Nyara Sabally’s driving layup in the first quarter and a denial of Nikolina Milic at the buzzer to end the period. Engstler also blocked a 3-point attempt by Laura Juskaite in the third quarter.

Portland improved to 3-3, while Toronto fell to 3-4. The Fire won for the second time in three games after losing two of their previous three.

The game was tied 16-16 after the first quarter and 44-44 at halftime. Portland outscored Toronto 22-17 in the third quarter to take a 66-61 lead into the fourth. The Fire then dominated the final period 33-19, shooting 11 of 20 from the field and holding the Tempo to 6-of-18 shooting.

Carla Leite of Portland, a 5-9 guard from Poissy, France, had 15 points, three rebounds and nine assists. She made 5 of 11 field goals and 5 of 6 free throws. Leite’s nine assists tied for the game high, and she sparked the offense with crisp passing in transition.

Bridget Carleton, a 6-2 forward from Chatham, Ontario, scored 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range. She also grabbed two rebounds and dished three assists. Carleton hit a key 3-pointer with 3:10 left in the fourth quarter to push Portland’s lead to 92-72, effectively sealing the outcome.

Megan Gustafson, the 6-4 center from Port Wing, Wisconsin, added 14 points and four rebounds. She shot 6 of 9 from the field, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, and had one block. Sarah Ashlee Barker, a 6-0 guard from Birmingham, Alabama, came off the bench to score 12 points, grab three rebounds and hand out one assist. She was 5 of 8 from the field and made her only 3-point attempt.

Serah Williams, a 6-4 center from Brooklyn, New York, contributed eight points and three rebounds in 14 minutes. She made 3 of 5 field goals and 2 of 2 free throws, and added one block and two steals.

For Toronto, Kiki Rice, a 5-11 guard from Bethesda, Maryland, scored 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 1 of 2 from 3-point range. She also grabbed five rebounds, handed out three assists and blocked one shot. Rice scored eight points in the second quarter, helping Toronto keep pace.

Marina Mabrey, a 6-1 guard from Belmar, New Jersey, also had 19 points, five rebounds and eight assists. She shot 7 of 16 from the field, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range, and made 1 of 2 free throws. Mabrey scored 10 points in the second quarter, but turned the ball over five times, including a bad pass that Portland’s Bridget Carleton stole for a fast-break layup in the fourth.

Nyara Sabally, a 6-5 forward from Berlin, Germany, finished with nine points, three rebounds and one block. She made 4 of 7 shots, including a 3-pointer early in the second quarter. Maria Conde, a 6-3 forward from Madrid, Spain, added eight points and five rebounds. Conde made 3 of 10 field goals and 2 of 2 free throws.

The game featured 11 ties and 10 lead changes, but Portland seized control for good late in the third quarter. After Toronto’s Kiki Rice tied the score at 61-61 with a driving layup with 1:07 left in the third, Portland’s Emily Engstler answered with a layup 30 seconds later to put the Fire ahead 63-61. Engstler then blocked a 3-point attempt by Laura Juskaite, and after a Portland offensive rebound, Bridget Carleton hit a 3-pointer to make it 66-61 with 7:15 left in the third. Portland carried that momentum into the fourth, opening the period with a 10-2 run.

The decisive stretch came in the fourth quarter. After Toronto’s Marina Mabrey made a pullup jumper to cut the deficit to 77-70 with 6:50 remaining, Portland responded with a 15-2 surge. Sarah Ashlee Barker scored on a driving layup, Serah Williams made two free throws, Nyadiew Puoch hit a tip shot, and Carleton drilled a 3-pointer. Engstler then made two free throws to make it 92-72 with 2:54 left.

Portland shot 47.5 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from 3-point range and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line. Toronto shot 39.5 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from beyond the arc and 72.7 percent from the stripe.

The Fire forced 21 turnovers, including eight steals, and turned them into 24 points. Portland also outrebounded Toronto 36-33, with Engstler leading the way on the glass.

Toronto’s Brittney Sykes struggled, shooting 2 of 9 from the field for six points, and committed six turnovers. The Tempo also missed 17 of 24 3-point attempts.

Portland now travels to New York to face the Liberty on Monday. Toronto heads to Chicago to play the Sky on Tuesday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Toronto Tempo 106, Portland Fire 97. Interstat’s ELO system gave Toronto a 74.70 percent probability to win. Toronto was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-5. The total of 179 points went over the over-under line of 175.5.