WCC Tournament

The Pilots sights are now set on the 2013 WCC Championships which will take place March 6-11 at the Orleans Arena.

The first game for the #7 Pilots will be on Thursday at 2:30 against the #6 Santa Clara Broncos. If you’re not at the game you can watch it live on BYUtv.

This COULD be one of the more competitive game of the tournament based upon the games between these two teams during the regular season. In the first WCC game of the season, SCU beat the Pilots in Portland 59-58, but three weeks later the Pilots returned the favor, winning 71-68 on the road.

All Pilots team members who are not redshirting are healthy, and the young Pilots appear to be peaking at the right time of the year, so it will be a somewhat of a disappointment if the Pilots don’t win their game against SCU and then push the #4 seed, probably BYU and all their fans, on Friday at 2:30 (also live on BYUtv).

If the Pilots win at 2:30 on Thursday against Santa Clara, they will play St. Mary's at 2:30 on Friday. Both games are live on BYUtv.

Here's the bracket:WCC Bracket

Gonzaga coach, and former Portland assistant coach, Kelly Graves was named coach of the year for the third time in four years today.

Player of the Year
Taelor Karr, Sr. G, Gonzaga

Defensive Player of the Year
Jazmine Redmon, Jr., G, Gonzaga

Newcomer of the Year
Maya Hood, Fr., F, San Diego

Coach of the Year
Kelly Graves, Gonzaga

2012-13 ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
Alex Cowling RS-Sr. G/F Loyola Marymount
Jennifer Hamson Jr. C BYU
Amy Kame Jr. G San Diego
Taelor Karr Sr. G Gonzaga
Mel Khlok Sr. G San Francisco
Lindsay Leo RS-Sr. F Santa Clara
Danielle Mauldin Jr. F Saint Mary's
Jackie Nared Jr. G Saint Mary's
Haiden Palmer Jr. G Gonzaga
Haley Steed Gr. G BYU

2012-13 ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION
Shay Cooney-Williams (Pepperdine); Meagan Fulps (Santa Clara); Sunny Greinacher (Gonzaga); Annika Holopainen (Portland); Maya Hood (San Diego); Katelyn McDaniel (San Diego); Hazel Ramirez (Loyola Marymount); Keilani Unga (BYU)

2012-13 ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE FRESHMAN TEAM
Shelby Cheslek F Gonzaga
Zhane Dikes G San Francisco
Annika Holopainen F Portland
Maya Hood F San Diego
Taylor Proctor F San Francisco

Here is a link to the WCC Tournament Central... it has all the schedules, results, game trackers, audio/video, etc., for all men's & women's games over the next 6 days:

WCC Tournament Central

Game #1 in the books: #8 USF all over #9 Pepperdine, 80-48. USF moves on to play #5 LMU at noon tomorrow.

Tie game with 18 minutes in second half.

PILOTS WIN 70-64!

Despite 25 turnovers, the Pilots beat SCU and advance! 70-64.

Following on Livestats, it didnt look pretty, but hey.... a W is a W.

Nice job by the Pilots women to hold on for the 70-64 win. Clutch performance from Luttinen with seven of UP's final nine points, including a big three in the final moments.

The Pilots advance to play the #3 seed SMC Gaels in the quarterfinals at 2:30pm on Friday. The game will be televised on BYU tv.

WAY TO GO, PILOTS! BEAT SMC!

PilotNut wrote:Despite 25 turnovers, the Pilots beat SCU and advance! 70-64.

Following on Livestats, it didnt look pretty, but hey.... a W is a W.

No, it probably wasn't pretty, but it wasn't meant to be. Many who saw the women for the first time today were impressed with how quick, but physical this team is.

I'll let others pick over the stats; let me just say this was a huge TEAM win for a very young team. You won't see it in the stats, but the Amy Pupa led defense is what carried the team to the win.

Yes, a VERY tough SMC on Friday; more golf and more basketball--enjoying the good life.

Most nerve wracking game to listen to....

I finally had to stop listening and let A_Fan tell me the score from some yards away.

So... I heard its hard to beat a team three times in a row. Is there any precedent for that?

Btw, the TV Feed was so blatantly pro SCU I had to turn it off.

With the Pilots up by 8, I heard

Santa Clara has taken this game to a whole new level

What level was that? Exactly?

Apparently Jim Sollars has a farm, per today's TV broadcast. History professor, farmer and hoops coach. Is there anything the man can't do!?!

#7 Pilots trail #3 SMC 30-25 @ the half.

Pilots fall to #3 SMC, 54-51.

Congratulations on a valiant effort against the very good Gaels!

PilotNut wrote:Pilots fall to #3 SMC, 54-51.

Congratulations on a valiant effort against the very good Gaels!

The Pilots simply lost their legs in the last 10 minutes, and nothing would go in. I've never seen so many shots come so close and not fall!

There's really no sense commenting on the officiating except to say that one SMC parent asked me, "What did UP do to piss-off the refs?"

I admit I haven't seen WBB during the regular season. But I am shocked how inconsistent the officals are in the women's games. Makes the men's officials look almost competent.

up7587 wrote:I admit I haven't seen WBB during the regular season. But I am shocked how inconsistent the officals are in the women's games. Makes the men's officials look almost competent.

Ha-ha, yea, and this was one of the better crews!

It's always inconsistent, but today, for some reason, it was one-sided inconsistent.

Gonzaga won the women's auto-bid today, defeating USD.

Congrats, and good luck in the NCAA's. I assume the Zags will have to travel this year, and not get the first 2 or 4(!) rounds in Spokane?

writerpilot wrote:Apparently Jim Sollars has a farm, per today's TV broadcast. History professor, farmer and hoops coach. Is there anything the man can't do!?!

Next time you think somebody is one dimensional, examine your own life.

I stand corrected... The second & third rounds are scheduled for the McCarthey Athletic Center, and the Spokane Arena (WSU host) is a Regional location for the 2013 Women's NCAA Tourney.

Spokane has really supported the GU women's team in addition to the the men... and the NCAA has rewarded them richly; I believe Spokane/GU/WSU has hosted the 2nd & 3rd and/or a Regional the past 2 or 3 seasons in a row.

It would be really nice to see UP get to this level of success, support and organization to host on the women's side; it is much more about ticket sales than rankings for site selection... Hey, the WSOC site selection committee could learn something here........

PilotNut wrote: Hey, the WSOC site selection committee could learn something here........

Considering UP's record of attendance, and the Thorns preseason ticket sales, and generally the support for Women's soccer in the NW generally, the NCAA are complete idiots if they don't figure out how to schedule a finals hers.

PilotNut wrote:I stand corrected... The second & third rounds are scheduled for the McCarthey Athletic Center, and the Spokane Arena (WSU host) is a Regional location for the 2013 Women's NCAA Tourney.

Spokane has really supported the GU women's team in addition to the the men... and the NCAA has rewarded them richly; I believe Spokane/GU/WSU has hosted the 2nd & 3rd and/or a Regional the past 2 or 3 seasons in a row.

It would be really nice to see UP get to this level of success, support and organization to host on the women's side; it is much more about ticket sales than rankings for site selection... Hey, the WSOC site selection committee could learn something here........

It is good to see a city get behind women's as well as men's basketball, even though I have mixed feelings about how the women's sites are determined. They are bid on and awarded in advance like the men's sites, but then you get lower seeds getting to play on their home courts. In the end though, I suppose I'd rather have games in front of full arenas that want to watch women's basketball.