GU -- Friday; USD -- Wednesday; BYU -- Saturday

The schedule makers front-loaded the Pilots' schedule with 4 games in a row against the 4 top teams in the WCC.  

After upsetting UOP and losing to RPI #12 SMC (12-1) on the road last week, the Pilots will host #16 GU (11-3) on Friday evening at 7 before going up against #28 USD (12-0) on Wednesday evening and #45 BYU (12-1) on Saturday (1/11) at 2 PM.

The Pilots are not expected to win any of those games, but it only takes one UP player to step up her game, like Jasmine did last week, to pull off the upset.  

Batting 1,000 for the year, I hate to go out on a limb....especially since the women can be so unpredictable   , but I look for UP to upset USD and BYU.  Kelly Graves' GU team would seem an insurmountable task, however.

The Pilots score nine (yes, 9) points in the second half and lose to GU, 56-24....

At least GU Coach Graves showed some mercy and only kept his starters on the court for about half the game.

It was a hard game to watch. Way too many unforced errors and missed wide open shots.

Of all the bad games I've seen, that was something special. I don't think I've seen a team make less than 10 FGs for the game (8-46).

On the other side, shooting 38% might be enough against Portland but I suspect Gonzaga will want to improve that if they want to win the WCC.

I thought the same thing about GU. If they play like they did last night they will definitely lose some league games.

A_Fan wrote:I thought the same thing about GU.  If they play like they did last night they will definitely lose some league games.  

They already did (their WCC opener, to SMC).

WOW

Portland gave USD (14-1, 4-1) its first loss of the season, a week after they got into the AP poll at #24. Not only that, it wasn't close either. Portland just kept building the lead until they won 72-51.

Five Pilots scored in double figures. Cassandra Brown led the team with 18 points and hit some huge threes late to put the game away (4-4 on threes).

WOW, is right.

If you follow UP Women’s Basketball at all, you know that inconsistency has been the team's hallmark recently....but tonight everything clicked.  

The ball went down like never before (I think they shot close to 45%), and the rebounding and defensive tenacity was much above what we've seen this year, and that made the difference.

Yes, I predicted UP would upset USD, but I doubt anyone thought they'd blow them out.....and they did.  

USD is very, very good...there is no doubt about that, but tonight the Pilots were also very, very good.  Let's hope some of that carries over the BYU game on Saturday.

BYU is led by a very skilled 6-7 post that won't be stopped, but if the Pilots play defense like they did tonight they should be able to clamp down on the rest of BYU's team.  BYU (13-2) plays at GU (12-3) tomorrow night....it should be a very good game; one which should wear the Cougars down a little.  

Sorry I wasn't able to make the game, it sounds like a good one indeed.

Having just looked at the box score from last night’s game, it is a good example of the work the Pilots must do against BYU on Saturday afternoon.

The USD big (she’s only 6-2, but with good size) worked inside to score a career-high 28 points, but her teammates struggled to dent the Pilots’ 2-3 zone. The rest of the Toreros shot 8 of 48 from the field.

Kameron Knutson, Kramer’s sister, is the backup to USD’s top scorer……she played 8 minutes, had 1 point, 1 rebound, and 1 blocked shot in her final game in the Chiles Center.  I spoke to her after the game...she's ready to move on with her life, but has enjoyed the experience and the education.  

As expected the 6-7 BYU post got her numbers (21 pts/11 rebounds/3 blocks), but the Pilots didn’t clamp down on the perimeter shooters until the second half, and by then it was too late to come back from an 18 point deficit.  UP got within 2 points late, but ended up losing 75-68.

Amy Pupa and Cassandra Thompson led the charge back in the second half combining for 30 points, but UP’s top two scorers on the season, Karri Luttinen and Cassandra Brown, combined for only 10 points for the game and the rally fell short.

It was a disappointing loss, but there were so many indications of better things to come, especially on defense, that the coaches must have some ray of hope the team can go on the road for their next four games in a row (SCU, USF, PU, and LMU) and possibly win three.  

They showed their best and their inconsistency in one game this time. Not mentioned was that when they got within 2, it was an 18 point deficit they almost erased.

A good effort, but only after making too many early mistakes.

PurpleGeezer wrote:They showed their best and their inconsistency in one game this time. Not mentioned was that when they got within 2, it was an 18 point deficit they almost erased.

A good effort, but only after making too many early mistakes.

  Well, I did mention it, but I didn't write in red or put in BOLD lettering....  

DoubleDipper wrote:....but the Pilots didn’t clamp down on the perimeter shooters until the second half, and by then it was too late to come back from an 18 point deficit.  UP got within 2 points late, but ended up losing 75-68.

Bold and red is good when you get to be my age. Maybe a bigger font.

And can you write slower somehow? I miss stuff.