DES MOINES, Wash. - The seven players in uniform for Portland gutted out a 57-51 win at Highline today.

PCC welcomed back Cheyann Ashworth to the lineup today, but were without leading scorer Lilly Walker. Points were difficult to come by, but a solid defensive effort allowed the Panthers to come away with the road victory.

Portland got off to a slow start, falling behind 14-4 in the early action. PCC responded however, and took a slim one point advantage into halftime (25-24).

Taking the lead for good at 30-27 thanks to a Raven Parson three pointer, the Panthers kept the host Thunderbirds at arms length the rest of the way. The gap reached 11 points at its apex (56-45), and PCC held off a last minute rally despite several ball handling miscues.

Kaylee Foster led all scorers with 16 points. Amelia Echternkamp added 13 points on 5 of 10 shooting. Jaicene Carpenter has her best game as a Panther with 8 points and 14 rebounds.