Re: Pilots vs. LMU Thursday @ 7pm - TV on CSN

by Guest Thu Feb 07, 2013 10:39 pm

The ball movement looked really good tonight, especially in the first half. Now to clean up a few of those turnovers; some of those passes were really bad.

Funny stats tidbit: the Pilot FT stats were almost identical to their 3pt stats. cheers

by DoubleDipper Thu Feb 07, 2013 10:43 pm

A salute to Tanner Riley for coming back from his two game suspension to catch and shoot tonight, scoring 17 points. I’m hoping he realizes how much he let his team down by his actions against BYU, and is now fully focused on being a TEAMMATE.

It was good to see how much support he was getting from his teammates….if you're down, that’s the best cure of all!

by oldtimer Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:30 pm

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nice work TEAM Yahoo!

by NoPoNeighbor Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:18 am

There are some obvious positives from this game. First, a WIN! Second, a conference home win! Third, GREAT games from Nicholas, Riley, VDM and Rodgers. However, the barrage of three pointers by Nicholas and Riley has got me thinking...

First thought: VDM's great play inside really opened up the shooters on the outside. Well done.

Second thought: We cannot count on this kind of shooting performance every night, especially against better defensive teams. The simple fact is that the only way we can win games right now is if we shoot well enough to overcome the automatic hole we dig ourselves every single game with 15 or 16 turnovers. Normally one would expect to win a game in blowout fashion by shooting 56% from the field and making 11 three-pointers. However, 15 turnovers (almost all of them completely unforced: awful passes, terrible decisions in the fast break, etc.) means that the game is a nail-biter down to the last minute, despite the otherworldly shooting numbers. As we know from the experience of this season as a whole, tonight's shooting performance is NOT the norm for this team. And yet, it is exactly this kind of performance that is required when we have to make up for our atrocious, persistent turnover problem. Hence a 2-8 conference record.

So, after tonight's game I am left with two emotions. First, extremely happy to have seen a home win in the conference. Second, extremely lucky that the Pilots were able to shoot lights out tonight. That's the only way to win when you commit 15 turnovers every game. There simply aren't enough non-turnover possessions left to allow for many missed shots. Unfortunately, the turnovers are the consistent part; the 56% shooting is the anomaly. Maybe if we can get it down to 12 turnovers against Pepperdine we can afford to shoot only 52% and still win.

by NoPoNeighbor Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:30 am

PilotNut wrote:Kudos to the folks in the floor bleachers on the Pilot Bench end of the floor... they really got the crowd going in the second half... it is contagious! The students could learn from them.

Got the crowd going in the second half? Aside from those few guys down at the end, the crowd was absolutely dead. This was a close, hard-fought, back-and-forth game down to the last minute. The team needed some real support from the fans, and the fans responded with... silence. And polite applause. No big cheers and yells, or even clapping(!!) during our defensive possessions in the last few minutes. Even as the shot clock was winding down, nothing. The students (well, the 6 of them who seemed to be paying any attention to the game) tried to get the other side of the gym involved in some cheers ('GO!' from the student section, 'PILOTS!' from the other side), and everyone stared back across in stupefied silence. And then someone a few rows below me had the gall to mock the students for not making more noise. Meanwhile, the Pilots valiantly attempted to defend against Ireland and company with 90 seconds left on the clock at the end of a tough game, trying to get their first home win in the conference schedule. The fans on the non-student side of the arena responded with the same fervor as if they were at home watching on TV. The cheerleaders were louder than the rest of the crowd combined. To appropriate a line that was used in another thread in relation to a different subject, "This is Division I basketball!" Let's act like Division I basketball fans. Unreal.

by **PilotNut** Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:33 am

Pilots Complete Season Sweep of Lions with 69-60 Win

PORTLAND, Ore. --- Junior forward Ryan Nicholas scored a team-high 21 points and junior guard Tanner Riley provided a spark off the bench with 17 points as the Portland Pilots defeated the Loyola Marymount Lions 69-60 Thursday night at the Chiles Center. Portland swept the regular season series with LMU and snapped a six-game losing streak with the win.

Nicholas finished 6-for-8 from the field, including a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the foul line. He added three steals in 33 active minutes.

Riley, who missed Portland’s previous two games, had a big bounce back performance and made 4-of-5 three-pointers. He scored 12 points in the decisive second half as the Pilots (9-16, 2-8 WCC) overcame a 31-28 halftime deficit.

The Lions (8-15, 1-9) extended the halftime margin to 39-23 on an Anthony Ireland jumper, but a three-point play by Thomas van der Mars and three-pointer by Riley made it a one-point deficit. Another Riley jumper gave Portland its first second half lead at 48-47. Ireland and Nicholas traded three-pointers before Pilot freshman Bryce Pressley made a driving dunk for a 54-52 edge.

LMU’s Taylor Walker made a layup to make it 56-54, but Riley buried another triple at the 3:07 mark. Nicholas would drill another three with 1:11 remaining for a five-point lead and the Pilots made four straight free throws to put the game out of reach.

LMU lost its seventh straight game despite another great performance by Ireland, the league’s second leading scorer. He finished with 21 points and four assists, while Ayodeji Egbeyemi and Godwin Okanji added 10 points each for the Lions.

Thomas van der Mars finished with 14 points and seven rebounds for the Pilots, while senior point guard Derrick Rodgers dished out a career-high 11 assists in 36 minutes of action.

Portland shot 56 percent from the field and made 11-of-16 three-pointers, tying a season-high for threes made and setting a new high for percentage (.688). The Lions finished at 47 percent overall and 5-for-9 from three-point range.

The game featured five ties and six lead changes.

The Pilots will now prepare for the Pepperdine Waves (10-13, 2-8 ) who will visit the Chiles Center on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip-off. The game is Military Appreciation Day as all active and retired military personnel will receive free admission. There will be a Kids Zone with inflatables and other activities as well as a post-game autograph zone scheduled with the team.

Newspaper Box Score
Loyola Marymount vs Portland
02/07/13 7:00 PM at Portland, Ore. (Chiles Center)
At Portland, Ore. (Chiles Center)

PORTLAND 69, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 60

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT (8-15, 1-9 WCC)
IRELAND, Anthony 6-13 6-7 21; OKONJI, Godwin 4-7 2-2 10; EGBEYEMI, Ayodeji
4-10 1-3 10; HAMILTON, Ashley 3-7 1-1 7; WALKER, Taylor 3-5 1-2 7; MORNAR,
Marin 1-2 0-0 3; OSBORNE, Alex 1-3 0-0 2; ENGLISH, Bruce 0-0 0-2 0. Totals
22-47 11-17 60.

PORTLAND (9-16, 2-8 WCC)
NICHOLAS, Ryan 6-8 4-4 21; RILEY, Tanner 6-10 1-1 17; VAN DER MARS, Thomas
6-8 2-3 14; RODGERS, Derrick 1-2 4-4 6; REINFELDS, Oskars 1-3 0-2 3;
THIELEKE, Korey 1-3 1-3 3; BAILEY, Kevin 1-3 0-0 3; PRESSLEY, Bryce 1-3 0-0
2; AHERN, David 0-0 0-0 0; BARKER, Riley 0-0 0-0 0; EHLERS, Jake 0-1 0-0 0.
Totals 23-41 12-17 69.

Loyola Marymount.............. 31 29 - 60
Portland...................... 28 41 - 69

3-point goals--Loyola Marymount 5-9 (IRELAND, Anthony 3-4; EGBEYEMI, Ayodeji
1-4; MORNAR, Marin 1-1), Portland 11-16 (NICHOLAS, Ryan 5-5; RILEY, Tanner
4-5; BAILEY, Kevin 1-2; REINFELDS, Oskars 1-1; PRESSLEY, Bryce 0-1; EHLERS,
Jake 0-1; RODGERS, Derrick 0-1). Fouled out--Loyola Marymount-None,
Portland-None. Rebounds--Loyola Marymount 24 (EGBEYEMI, Ayodeji 6; OSBORNE,
Alex 6), Portland 27 (VAN DER MARS, Thomas 7). Assists--Loyola Marymount 10
(IRELAND, Anthony 4), Portland 19 (RODGERS, Derrick 11). Total fouls--Loyola
Marymount 20, Portland 19. Technical fouls--Loyola Marymount-None,
Portland-None. A-1375

by **PilotNut** Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:39 am

NPN--I very much agree that the fans in Chiles are waaaay too quiet. But I would say it was a bit better than usual tonight, but far from where it "should" be... the crowd did pick up once that group started up early in the 2nd half. They were in unison, clapping, stomping, etc... a.k.a. prepared and had someone leading them.
Beating a Dead Horse

by Geezaldinho Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:43 am

Looking at the Box score...

What were those two shots Ireland took while both teams were at half court if there was no technical foul?

by Guest Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:47 am

And what might be a related post to Geezer's above. We watch the game with no sound so I couldn't hear our old pal Holton's analysis...was Nicholas given a flagrant for elbowing? Seemed like an innocent enough play unless I completely missed something (which is a likely possibility).

by Guest Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:53 am

PurpleGeezer wrote:Looking at the Box score...

What were those two shots Ireland took while both teams were at half court if there was no technical foul?

Ryan was called for a flagrant one. The refs determined that Ryan's motion to clear the ball resulted in contact to the LMU player's head. The TV guys couldn't actually determine from their replay if Ryan even touched him; they suggested it might have been a flop.

Seems like a good strategy. Have a player stick his head into the opponent's arms, and get an automatic two FTs and the ball.

by Geezaldinho Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:54 am

Yes. And you didn't miss anything.

It's the finest refs in the country at work again.

by pilotram Fri Feb 08, 2013 10:15 am

Halftime mile results:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=5035802

by Guest Fri Feb 08, 2013 10:18 am

pilotram wrote:Halftime mile results:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=5035802

Yeah, but did the pitcher of beer get chugged before they finished the run?

by pilotram Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:41 pm

Or did Public Safety kick him out before he could finish?

by Geezaldinho Fri Feb 08, 2013 3:14 pm

The folks in public safety don't like beer?

by **PilotNut** Fri Feb 08, 2013 3:15 pm

Unfortunately, there weren't any pitchers available, so he had to go for a tap hit instead... it was a valiant effort, but I do not believe a Chiles Center record was broken inside the track loop, either...

by Geezaldinho Fri Feb 08, 2013 3:53 pm

I had trouble holding the keg over my head.

by pilotram Fri Feb 08, 2013 7:04 pm

PurpleGeezer wrote:The folks in public safety don't like beer?

Well ten years ago they sure didn't...

by DoubleDipper Fri Feb 08, 2013 7:54 pm

pilotram wrote:
PurpleGeezer wrote:The folks in public safety don't like beer?
Well ten years ago they sure didn't...

Almost 50 years ago, Larry, our only public safety officer, always enjoyed a beer or more in Holy Cross Hall (now Kenna).

Our biggest problem was making sure Larry was OK to drive around campus after partying with the crew. drunken

by SkyRocket Fri Feb 08, 2013 9:15 pm

I missed this game. Does anybody know why Bailey only played 14 minutes?

by PurplePrideTrumpet Fri Feb 08, 2013 9:56 pm

SkyRocket wrote:I missed this game. Does anybody know why Bailey only played 14 minutes?

Foul trouble. He got three in the first half, the first two within ten seconds of each other.

by DoubleDipper Fri Feb 08, 2013 10:37 pm

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:
SkyRocket wrote:I missed this game. Does anybody know why Bailey only played 14 minutes?
Foul trouble. He got three in the first half, the first two within ten seconds of each other.

And frankly, KB's game hasn't been what it once was since the "mask," and others have been outperforming him.

He's frustrated having to continually adjust the mask and reconnect it to his face, and knows it's affecting his game....not what he envisioned when the season started.

by Geezaldinho Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:32 pm

To be fair, on one of those "fouls" ten seconds apart, he wasn't even close to making contact, and the announcers on the replay didn't see any either.

by DoubleDipper Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:53 pm

PurpleGeezer wrote:To be fair, on one of those "fouls" ten seconds apart, he wasn't even close to making contact, and the announcers on the replay didn't see any either.

Frustrated with a number of seemingly ridiculous calls and a lack of replay on the big screen to check them, I spoke with the "booth operator" after the game. It turns out it's a WCC rule that doesn't allow "fouls" to be replayed. It's frustrating, but it's probably a good thing as it would just insight the fans even more and the call is not going to be reversed.

Reviewed the "flagrant" on Ryan with a member of the staff today; it was NOT a correct call! Ryan was rolling his shoulders away from the defender who basically stuck his face in for just a brushing of Ryan's elbow. Ryan is strong and quick, if he' hit the defender as was claimed, the defender would have been "lights out!"

by Guest Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:49 am

Doubledipper wrote:It turns out it's a WCC rule that doesn't allow "fouls" to be replayed. It's frustrating, but it's probably a good thing as it would just insight the fans even more and the call is not going to be reversed.

I don't understand the no replay rule; I think the fans need more insight. However, visual proof of bad calls might incite the fans to more complaining. I guess that's what they don't want.

Wink