Portland vs. Santa Clara Thurs @ 7 & San Diego Sat @ 2

Now that WCC play has begun, all the teams the Pilots (5-8)will play the rest of the season will have a higher RPI….so all they have to do is pull some upsets and avoid the Wednesday game in Las Vegas.

Santa Clara (8-5) and San Diego (6-4) play at the Chiles Center this weekend; Santa Clara at 7 pm on Thursday and San Diego on Saturday at 2 pm.

Thursday many of us may be watching the Men’s game or the Fiesta Bowl on TV, so it’s important to note both games will be streamed live on the UP Athletics website.

After a disappointing loss to Portland St. on Saturday, the Pilots have been working hard all week to get ready to surprise a few teams in the next couple of weeks. The team has been trending upward; I’m going to record the other games and watch the women go 1-0 over Santa Clara on Thursday night!

I'm going to record the men's game, and rely on your report of the women's game after I return from Phoenix.

Ha ha. It turns out the rallying cry for both of our wonderful Fins, Ellen and Annika, is, “Keep Portland Weird!”

This is Ellen…..

When you can’t go to your home in Italy or Finland at Christmas, you hang out with your temporary family right here in the Portland area.

And when you’re 6’ 1” as both Sara and Annika are, you have no trouble getting someone to help decorate the top of the tree.

up7587 wrote:I'm going to record the men's game, and rely on your report of the women's game after I return from Phoenix.

What? There's no internet in all of Phoenix?

Oh, you'll be at he Fiesta Bowl.....never mind.

Shooting only 22% with 9 turnovers at the half, but only down by one, 23-22.

They're working hard and playing great defense----come on ladies you can do this!

Second half shooting was much improved (54%), but then the ladies went cold at free throw line, eventually losing 59-58.

Proud of the Pilots effort....they never gave up, and played more physical than our women's team has played in years.

A very young team making strides, that's about all we can ask for at this point, I'm afraid.

I neglected to mention that Amy Pupa scored a career high 17 points last night in the Pilots losing effort against SCU.

It was apparent from the outset that Amy had a renewed sense of leadership and energy as one of only two juniors (no seniors) on the court this year.

Keep pushing, Amy.....the wins will come!

I will be the first to admit that having once been a rabid fan of UP Womens Basketball, even traveling with the team occasion back during the '90's when the team was winning regularly, I began to become disenchanted with the entire effort being put forward by the staff and players.....but that is changing!

UP lost to a very good Cindy Fisher coached San Diego today, but the Pilots performance was remarkable considering where the team was a month ago and what it has, or has not, accomplished in the last 10 years.

The ladies are playing tough, hustling dive-for-the-ball basketball, and it's once again enjoyable to watch.

Thursday junior Amy Pupa scored a career high 17 points and today freshman Ellen Nurmi scored a career high 19 on her 20th birthday, but the entire team was fun to watch.

I honestly don’t know if UP will win any WCC game this year, there next home game is against the best team in the league, Gonzaga, on Monday January14, but I do know they are finally worth watching, again.

Oh, and I had a nice chat with Annika Holopainen’s mom and dad Christina and Jukka Holopainen visiting from their home in Helsinki….they were quite impressed how warm it was in 39 degree Portland today.

I assume few will read this here in Womens Basketball, but I want to give a shout-out the Purple Pride Pep Band for their performance at today’s game.

Great trumpet and drum playing...loved those cow bells, and the music was more than the ordinary play-list.

I hope we hear more of that great music; it really had a toe-tapping affect on the Pilots fans.

DoubleDipper wrote:I assume few will read this here in Womens Basketball, but I want to give a shout-out the Purple Pride Pep Band for their performance at today’s game.

Great trumpet and drum playing...loved those cow bells, and the music was more than the ordinary play-list.

I hope we hear more of that great music; it really had a toe-tapping affect on the Pilots fans.

It was almost all charts we don't usually play. You just have to come when the regular director's away. I sometimes like games when the band is smaller and I can move around and talk to friends easier. You don't need a lot of players if you have the right ones. We've been fortunate to have a group of alumni who are talented and reliable enough to get the games over break covered. Not every school can do that, even Pac 12 ones.

Now I can suggest things to Dr. Murphy, but if you make suggestions to the AD and that makes its way back down the chain of command, that would carry a lot of weight. I just work here, but if it comes from the folks buying tickets...

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:Now I can suggest things to Dr. Murphy, but if you make suggestions to the AD and that makes its way back down the chain of command, that would carry a lot of weight. I just work here, but if it comes from the folks buying tickets...

Done!

And once again, I'd like to remind all PN readers who have suggestions on how to improve the UP Athletics experience, yes even the state of play, to write or call the AD....he wants to hear from you!