The big one: #24 SMC @ Portland, Saturday 4pm

Portland (15-6, 3-3 WCC) vs. #24 Saint Mary’s (18-3, 6-0)
January 29, 2011 • 4:00 PM • Portland, Ore. (Chiles Center - 4,852)
TV: ESPNU
Radio: 800 AM (KPDQ)
Live Audio/Stats: PortlandPilots.com
Series: SMC leads 51-28
Last Meeting: SMC 69, POR 55 (2010 WCC Tournament)

About #24 Saint Mary’s
• The Gaels are ranked No. 24 in the Coaches Poll this week and in first place in the WCC heading
into Thursday’s game at Gonzaga.
• SMC’s 11-game winning streak was snapped Saturday at Vanderbilt (89-70).
• The Gaels’ only other losses this season came against No. 4 San Diego State (69-55) and No. 9
BYU (74-73). Saint Mary’s best win came against St. John’s (76-71).
• The Gaels are ranked No. 8 nationally in scoring at 82.5 ppg.
• Head coach Randy Bennett returns All-WCC honorees Mickey McConnell and Matthew Dellavedova
from a squad that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 last season.
• Bennett is in his 10th year overall and has led SMC to three NCAA Tournaments.

Pilots game day: Saint Mary's at Portland

What: Saint Mary's (18-3, 6-0 West Coast Conference) at Portland (15-6, 3-3)

When: 4 p.m. Saturday, Chiles Center, Portland.

Radio: KPDQ (800)

Probable starters: Saint Mary's -- F Rob Jones (14.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg), F Clint Steindl (8.1 ppg), F Tim Williams (6.5 ppg), G Matthew Dellavedova (13.2 ppg, 5.8 apg), G Mickey McConnell (15.1 ppg, 6.4 apg); Portland -- F Luke Sikma (14.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg), C Kramer Knutson (7.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg), G Nemanja Mitrovic (12.7 ppg), G Jared Stohl (13.6 ppg, 1.9 apg), G Tim Douglas (7.0 ppg, 2.2 apg)

Noteworthy: Can the Pilots close out the first half of the conference schedule by becoming the first WCC team to knock off Saint Mary's? Or will the Gaels of Moraga, Calif., snap a two-game losing streak at the Chiles Center and maintain their stranglehold on first place? "Saint Mary's is tough, because they do a great job of spreading the floor with some really skilled basketball players," Pilots coach Eric Reveno said. "They do a good job of sharing the ball and playing slow, and I mean 'slow' in the sense that you can't speed them up, because if you get too aggressive, they can really pick you apart."

Mickey McConnell scored the game-winning basket with one second remaining to lift the Gaels to a 73-71 victory Thursday over Gonzaga in Spokane. It was the first time since 1995 that Saint Mary's had beaten the Bulldogs in Spokane. "I just tried to come out today and be aggressive," said McConnell, who went 10 for 17 from the field. "I got some good looks and that helped." ... McConnell is one of the finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate point guard. ... Saint Mary's guard Stephen Holt, the 6-4 freshman from Portland's Jesuit High School, is averaging 5.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 20.1 minutes off the bench. He also leads the Gaels with 37 steals.

Luke Sikma had 13 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double in six games and 10th of the season, helping pace the Pilots to a 79-64 victory over San Diego Thursday at the Chiles Center. Jared Stohl added a team-high 16 points and Tim Douglas finished with 12 points and six assists in his first career start. "Offensively, I think we're at our best when we're in transition, because our posts all run real well," Reveno said. "I'll put our posts up against anyone in our league running the floor."

The Gaels are one of only three Division I teams in the country that is shooting above 50 percent from the field. Going into Friday’s games, Kansas was shooting 51.4 percent to lead the nation, followed by Georgetown (50.8 ) and Saint Mary’s (50.5). … In last season's game at the Chiles Center, Portland's T.J. Campbell scored 24 points, including two free throws with 10 seconds remaining in overtime, lifting the Pilots to an 80-75 victory over the Gaels.

-- Jim Beseda

PilotNut wrote:I officially endorse the consumption of beer, by those of appropriate age. (Do you really think DTR and I could do all this moderatin' without the requisite beverages?!)

The beer & wine are sold strictly at the pre-game meals and in the Pilot Club @ halftime--you can't take beer to your seats.... it is available only when in the designated area on the mezzanine.

MesaPilot1 wrote:Double K has been guarding or playing with Mickey since the fifth grade, he has better luck playing with him, lol...but I guarantee that Mickey would never had gotten that shot off against his 5th grade buddy....he would have backed up ten feet,& banked it off backboard like I ve seen him do for the past decade (& he showed a national tv audience last spring).

Rogers will guard him, Jared needs to be MAKING his shot, not trying to keep up with Mickey......Is the lowest percentage that Jared has shot in his UP career?

Btw KK and mickey lose 50% if the time when they went back to challenge Bailey and an unnamed mesa kid who the pilots have stashed in a JUCO (think like tj skill set plus 3 inches in height, but needs 2 yrs there to develop game& academics)when they go back on break to their hs alma mater.....I think PILOT fans will be pleasantly surprised at Baileys skill set when he beats out Nicholas for POWER FWRD start ing spot next yr...at least from my prospective....JOHN BAILEY the forgotten little sailor on the PILOT SHIP WHO will contribute 20 minutes a game next yr

MesaPilot1 wrote:

MesaPilot1 wrote:Double K has been guarding or playing with Mickey since the fifth grade, he has better luck playing with him, lol...but I guarantee that Mickey would never had gotten that shot off against his 5th grade buddy....he would have backed up ten feet,& banked it off backboard like I ve seen him do for the past decade (& he showed a national tv audience last spring).

Rogers will guard him, Jared needs to be MAKING his shot, not trying to keep up with Mickey......Is the lowest percentage that Jared has shot in his UP career?

Btw KK and mickey lose 50% if the time when they went back to challenge Bailey and an unnamed mesa kid who the pilots have stashed in a JUCO (think like tj skill set plus 3 inches in height, but needs 2 yrs there to develop game& academics)when they go back on break to their hs alma mater.....I think PILOT fans will be pleasantly surprised at Baileys skill set when he beats out Nicholas for POWER FWRD start ing spot next yr...at least from my prospective....JOHN BAILEY the forgotten little sailor on the PILOT SHIP WHO will contribute 20 minutes a game next yr

Anybody care to remember mickey riding the pine or Kramers improvement from 2007-2008, huh maybe mesa is onto something

PilotNut wrote:You can tell that Stohl is hesistating just a bit right now... he needs to get his mojo back. Nem, too, for that matter. This afternoon would be a good time for that to happen...

oldtimer wrote:Mesa where your loyalty to mesa products is evident

oldtimer wrote:Mesa where your loyalty to mesa products is evident you are most likely way off base regarding Bailey vs Nicholas. Bailey will have to work hard just to earn time over Carson next season.
lets hope all five starters show up tonight