LMU @ Portland, Saturday 7pm

by **PilotNut** Fri Feb 13, 2015 8:55 pm

Pilots Look for Fourth Straight Win as LMU Visits on Saturday

On the Web: http://portlandpilots.com/news/2015/2/13/MBB_0213153518.aspx

PORTLAND PILOTS (14-10, 5-7) VS. LMU Lions (8-17, 4-9)
Date: Feb. 14, 2015
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Portland, Ore.
Venue: Chiles Center (4,852)
TV: ROOT Sports NW
Radio: Sports 910 (KMTT)

Portland vs. LMU Series
Overall Series: 44-49
Home: 27-16
Road: 15-26
Neutral: 2-7
Last 5: 2-3
Last 10: 4-6
Last: LMU 80, POR 68 (1/15/15 at LMU)

ABOUT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
• The Lions are tied for eighth place in the WCC standings with San Francisco after an 80-51 loss at No. 3 Gonzaga on Thursday.
• David Humphries scored a team-high 11 points, but LMU was held to 29 percent shooting in the game.
• The Lions had won three of their previous four games before last Saturday’s loss to BYU.
• Head coach Mike Dunlap is in his first season as the head coach of the Lions after most recently serving as head coach of Charlotte in the NBA.
• The Lions have won three of the last five and six of the last 10 games against the Pilots in the all-time series.
• In the first meeting between the two teams in Los Angeles on Jan. 15th, the Lions won by an 80-68 margin.

Normally, I would be a little concerned about a let down game after the last few, and against LMU. However... it was the LMU game in LA a few weeks ago that was the meltdown game... the one that lead to the players-only locker room team meeting. I am pretty sure that the Pilots will be looking to pull this one back, and in convincing fashion.

GO PILOTS!

by Guest Fri Feb 13, 2015 10:28 pm

I have heard coaches and players bring up the LMU game several times as one where they were flat and not ready to play. I am sure they are not looking past the Lions; hope they don't get over-amped and try to win it all in one possession. Just keep playing their tough D. Evan Payne is the engine that powers LMU, they need to keep him under control.

Interesting stat: D'Marques Tyson has played little to not at all in the last 7 games, scoring a total of 5 points. But he is still the leading PPG scorer off the Pilot bench at 6.4. I would love to see him earn his way back into the rotation.

by DoubleDipper Fri Feb 13, 2015 11:24 pm

up7587 wrote:Interesting stat: D'Marques Tyson has played little to not at all in the last 7 games, scoring a total of 5 points. But he is still the leading PPG scorer off the Pilot bench at 6.4. I would love to see him earn his way back into the rotation.

I'm sure D'Marques and his teammates and coaches feel the same way.

He did go into the SCU game relatively early and ready to go, but looked totally lost on both ends of the court and spent the rest of the evening on the bench.

I'm confident he'll do well down the stretch and should be a starter as soon as next year....we have to remember he's "just" a freshman, and not all freshman can play like Jason.

by NoPoNeighbor Sat Feb 14, 2015 10:34 am

The coaches have gotten really serious over the last few weeks about putting guys back on the bench if they aren't getting it done. Sharp and Tyson have each had their chances, but made multiple errors and missed shots, and been promptly returned to their seats for the remainder of games. For Reveno, this is a totally new approach to rotations and substitutions. Seems to be working.

by DoubleDipper Sat Feb 14, 2015 11:08 am

Bobby is contributing in a different way right now....he's bringing energy off the bench when others are starting to lag, and he's been very good at providing defensive pressure with his speed. A year ago who would have guessed he'd progress so well as a defender?

We'd all love to see Bobby start hitting his shots (shooters have to shoot to get in their rhythm), but he's still contributing.

by DoubleDipper Sat Feb 14, 2015 11:39 am

PilotNut wrote:
Pilots Look for Fourth Straight Win as LMU Visits on Saturday

PORTLAND PILOTS (14 15-10, 5 6-7) VS. LMU Lions (8-17 18, 4-9 10)
• Head coach Mike Dunlap is in his first season as the head coach of the Lions after most recently serving as head coach of Charlotte in the NBA.

Pilots fans are hoping to see Coach Dunlap looking like this tonight:
LMU @ Portland, Saturday 7pm B9wx_c10

by Geezaldinho Sat Feb 14, 2015 12:49 pm

NoPoNeighbor wrote:The coaches have gotten really serious over the last few weeks about putting guys back on the bench if they aren't getting it done. Sharp and Tyson have each had their chances, but made multiple errors and missed shots, and been promptly returned to their seats for the remainder of games. For Reveno, this is a totally new approach to rotations and substitutions. Seems to be working.

Yes, giving players time to think generally seems to be a motivator, but only if you apply the standard fairly and to everyone. And you have to remain positive with the players so you don't get into their heads.

I was here for the last Larry Steele year, and it seemed players sat for a missed jump shot.

by NoPoNeighbor Sat Feb 14, 2015 3:34 pm

Saint Mary's just helped us out by holding off San Diego in double-OT! Time to bear down and grind out another win tonight. That would put us in 5th place, 1/2 game up on USD and 1/2 game behind Pepperdine (assuming the Waves don't pull off a miracle in Spokane tonight).

by DoubleDipper Sat Feb 14, 2015 10:06 pm

Phew!!!

Man, that Evan Payne almost pulled it out for LMU with 14 points in less than a minute left in the game....and Xubi was all over him, for the most part. Payne is a sophomore, so UP and the rest of the WCC better figure a way to stop him for two more years.

Good overall play from the Pilots....no field goals from Alec and Thomas, but others picked up the slack as good teammates will. Alec did what a good PG should...he distributed the ball for eight assists and Thomas pulled down seven boards.

UP is now 6-2 in games decided by five or fewer points....last year the Pilots were 1-7. They are going to need the ability to win close games when they go on the road next week against SMC and UOP.

by **PilotNut** Sat Feb 14, 2015 10:22 pm

Yowza.... make your freethrows!!!

An amazing final minute from Payne--but critical FT misses from Todd and Pressley made it a little too close for comfort.

The Pilots were kind of in control of the game until that strange stoppage of play with ~10 minutes to go, when LMU had the ball and the refs stopped play to check something on the monitor. From then on, we struggled while LMU chipped away.

A win is a win... but why do we struggle against LMU so much? For several seasons now?!

by DoubleDipper Sat Feb 14, 2015 10:34 pm

PilotNut wrote:The Pilots were kind of in control of the game until that strange stoppage of play with ~10 minutes to go, when LMU had the ball and the refs stopped play to check something on the monitor.

It appeared to some of us that Jason took an elbow to the face and the refs wanted to review it....but they apparently missed that one too!

We've seen some pretty good officiating this season, but this was the worst imaginable for this late in the WCC season. I'm quite sure these refs were not experienced at officiating at the D1 level...if they were, they should be fired. When I get a chance, I'll review the game on video, and maybe I'll need to eat my words, but without further review, these refs were terrible!

But yes, if UP had made their free-throws down the stretch, the refs and Evan Payne wouldn't have mattered.

by **PilotNut** Sat Feb 14, 2015 10:38 pm

The Pilots moved into 5th place tonight, thanks to SMC over USD in 2OT. The only thing that is certain now is that we cannot finish in last place or first place. 1 more win should keep us out of Friday games in Vegas.

by DoubleDipper Sat Feb 14, 2015 10:52 pm

Still four games to go for UP, but it's looking a lot more like #5 UP will play #4 PU at 2:30 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

USD will be fortunate to win any of their 3 remaining games while PU will probably win all of its 3 remaining games.

The "experts" will figure the Pilots have two more wins in them before the end of the regular season....enough to keep them out of Friday night play in Las Vegas and probably enough to play in one of the alphabet post-season tournaments.

by **PilotNut** Sat Feb 14, 2015 10:54 pm

Portland Holds off Late LMU Rally for Fourth Straight Win

On the Web: http://portlandpilots.com/news/2015/2/15/MBB_0215150429.aspx

Radio Highlights (Sports 910 – KMTT, Bill Johnson on the call): http://portlandpilots.com/documents/2015/2/14/PILOTS_VS_LMU_HIGHLIGHTS.wav

PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland extended its winning streak to four games with a 66-63 victory over the Loyola Marymount Lions in a West Coast Conference matchup Saturday night at the Chiles Center. The Pilots had a 14-point lead evaporate late as LMU’s Evan Payne made a few remarkable shots in the closing minutes, but ultimately Portland held on.

The Pilots (16-10, 7-7 WCC) move into sole possession of fifth place in the WCC standings with four games remaining on the regular season schedule. The Lions (8-19, 4-11) fall to ninth place in the league standings.

Saturday’s game was another great defensive effort by Portland, which held its fourth consecutive opponent under 40 percent shooting from the field.

Despite having a comfortable lead for a majority of the night, the Pilots struggled to close out Payne and the Lions. A three-pointer by Portland freshman Jason Todd gave the Pilots a 56-46 lead with 2:42 remaining. The teams traded some free throws and UP appeared in control with a nine-point lead and 1:14 left.

Payne then hit three consecutive contested three-pointers over a 35-second stretch to cut the lead to 61-58 with 21 seconds remaining. His layup with 3.2 second left made it 65-61 and then Portland’s home run pass went out of bounds and gave LMU the ball back under their hoop.

Payne took the inbounds pass on the left wing, drew a foul and threw up a three-pointer that went in-and-out. He made the first two free throws and intentionally missed the third, but Todd grabbed the rebounded and was fouled with 0.6 ticks on the clock. He made one of two free throws and Payne was unable to get a good look as time expired.

LMU’s sophomore guard scored 14 of his game-high 23 points in the final 56 seconds of regulation. He was the only Lion to finish in double figures.

Portland was led by senior guard Kevin Bailey’s 14 points, while senior forward Volodymyr Gerun and junior guard Bryce Pressley had 13 each.

LMU shot 39 percent from the field, while the Pilots finished at 40 percent overall. Portland outrebounded its fourth straight opponent, gaining a 36-34 margin on the boards.

The Pilots trail Pepperdine by half a game for fourth place in the WCC standings and will look to continue their late season run with a road trip to Saint Mary’s and Pacific next week. Portland will face the second-place Gaels on Thursday at 8 p.m. and then visit Pacific on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Newspaper Box Score
Loyola Marymount vs Portland
02/14/15 7:00 PM at Portland, Ore. (Chiles Center)
At Portland, Ore. (Chiles Center)
PORTLAND 66, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 63

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT (8-19 (4-11 WCC))
PAYNE, Evan 6-15 8-12 23; MORNAR, Marin 3-7 1-2 8; HUMPHRIES, David 3-11 1-3
8; OKONJI, Godwin 3-8 1-1 7; EGBEYEMI, Ayodeji 2-6 1-2 7; SIAME, Patson 1-1
2-3 4; FLINT, Chase 1-2 0-0 3; HAYES, Matt 1-1 0-0 3; SPIERS, Joshua 0-1 0-0
0. Totals 20-52 14-23 63.

PORTLAND (16-10 (7-7 WCC))
BAILEY, Kevin 5-10 3-4 14; PRESSLEY, Bryce 4-7 1-4 13; GERUN, Volodymyr 4-7
5-7 13; SHARP, Bobby 2-7 0-0 6; TAYLOR, Gabe 3-6 0-0 6; TODD, Jason 2-6 1-2
6; WINTERING, Alec 0-3 5-6 5; VAN DER MARS, Thomas 0-4 3-4 3; HARTWICH,
Philipp 0-0 0-0 0; ZUBIZARRETA, Aitor 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-50 18-27 66.

Loyola Marymount.............. 26 37 - 63
Portland...................... 34 32 - 66

3-point goals--Loyola Marymount 9-16 (PAYNE, Evan 3-6; EGBEYEMI, Ayodeji
2-2; MORNAR, Marin 1-3; HAYES, Matt 1-1; HUMPHRIES, David 1-2; FLINT, Chase
1-1; SPIERS, Joshua 0-1), Portland 8-18 (PRESSLEY, Bryce 4-6; SHARP, Bobby
2-6; TODD, Jason 1-3; BAILEY, Kevin 1-2; WINTERING, Alec 0-1). Fouled
out--Loyola Marymount-MORNAR, Marin; FLINT, Chase, Portland-BAILEY, Kevin;
PRESSLEY, Bryce. Rebounds--Loyola Marymount 34 (HUMPHRIES, David 8 ),
Portland 36 (VAN DER MARS, Thomas 7). Assists--Loyola Marymount 11
(HUMPHRIES, David 6), Portland 16 (WINTERING, Alec 8 ). Total fouls--Loyola
Marymount 21, Portland 20. Technical fouls--Loyola Marymount-None,
Portland-None. A-1690

by Dean Murdoch Sat Feb 14, 2015 11:19 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:It appeared to some of us that Jason took an elbow to the face and the refs wanted to review it....but they apparently missed that one too!

It seemed like they looked at it like 20 times. I thought that #2's elbow was close to Todd on the clear out, but didn't make contact. Todd's head did snap back a bit after the action, and that's probably why a lot of people thought there was significant contact made.

by Geezaldinho Sat Feb 14, 2015 11:24 pm

It looked to me like Voldy had a little blood on his nose. after a brushback around the same time. Maybe they were looking at the wrong player. He was wiping his face afterwards.

A couple folks around me were wondering why play wasn't stopped.
Considering the rest of their game management, it's not out of the question.

by **PilotNut** Sat Feb 14, 2015 11:37 pm

Don't they have to call a foul to just stop play like that--unless play is otherwise stopped? scratch

by Dean Murdoch Sat Feb 14, 2015 11:42 pm

I don't think they have to call a foul, but if they do call one as a result of a review it's gotta be at least a flagrant 1.

That's how it was explained on a Big Ten game the other day. Assuming WCC reviews are under the same rules.

by NoPoNeighbor Sun Feb 15, 2015 12:00 am

Agreed on the refs... They were awful. And it wasn't just in LMU's favor. They missed calls all night. Fouls, traveling, out of bounds, you name it. Terrible.

In addition to the missed free throws at the end, the Pilots nearly cost themselves the game with yet ANOTHER turnover on an in-bounds play in the closing seconds. That was the 2nd or 3rd in-bounds turnover of the game by UP. I cringe whenever we are inbounding the ball in the closing minutes of tight games. It is incredible that this is still a consistent issue, year after year.

We are extremely lucky that Payne's last 3-pointer popped out of the cylinder. Really dumb of Zubi to foul him in that situation.

Still catching my breath from that one!

by DoubleDipper Sun Feb 15, 2015 12:12 am

NoPoNeighbor wrote:In addition to the missed free throws at the end, the Pilots nearly cost themselves the game with yet ANOTHER turnover on an in-bounds play in the closing seconds.

We are extremely lucky that Payne's last 3-pointer popped out of the cylinder. Really dumb of Zubi to foul him in that situation.

Yeah, without reviewing the video, Voldy broke away from his defender and started down the court, but as Jason was throwing the long pass, Voldy cut back toward Jason, and did not continue his route.

It appeared Xubi was attempting avoid hitting Payne, but as all good shooters do, Payne went into Xubi while shooting the ball.

A review of the video in the coming days may show it to be slightly different, but it looked to me to be another terrific play by Payne.

by DoubleDipper Sun Feb 15, 2015 12:14 am

NoPoNeighbor wrote:Agreed on the refs... They were awful. And it wasn't just in LMU's favor. They missed calls all night. Fouls, traveling, out of bounds, you name it. Terrible.

Coach Reveno agreed it was poor officiating.....
LMU @ Portland, Saturday 7pm B93gg610

by Geezaldinho Sun Feb 15, 2015 1:04 am

NoPoNeighbor wrote:Agreed on the refs... They were awful. And it wasn't just in LMU's favor. They missed calls all night. Fouls, traveling, out of bounds, you name it. Terrible.

In addition to the missed free throws at the end, the Pilots nearly cost themselves the game with yet ANOTHER turnover on an in-bounds play in the closing seconds. That was the 2nd or 3rd in-bounds turnover of the game by UP. I cringe whenever we are inbounding the ball in the closing minutes of tight games. It is incredible that this is still a consistent issue, year after year.

We are extremely lucky that Payne's last 3-pointer popped out of the cylinder. Really dumb of Zubi to foul him in that situation.

Still catching my breath from that one!

LMU got a couple inbound passes stolen as well.

by Geezaldinho Sun Feb 15, 2015 1:07 am

DoubleDipper wrote:
NoPoNeighbor wrote:In addition to the missed free throws at the end, the Pilots nearly cost themselves the game with yet ANOTHER turnover on an in-bounds play in the closing seconds.

We are extremely lucky that Payne's last 3-pointer popped out of the cylinder. Really dumb of Zubi to foul him in that situation.
Yeah, without reviewing the video, Voldy broke away from his defender and started out down the court, but as Jason was throwing the long pass, Voldy cut back toward Jason, and did not continue his route.

It appeared Xubi was attempting avoid hitting Payne, but as all good shooters do, Payne went into Xubi while shooting the ball.

A review of the video in the coming days may show it to be slightly different, but it looked to me to be another terrific play by Payne.

I don't think we are talking about the same play. In the one I was talking about, Voldy was shooting foul shots, but not from the blow to the face. The foul that was called came later.

by Dean Murdoch Sun Feb 15, 2015 8:11 am

DoubleDipper wrote:Still four games to go for UP, but it's looking a lot more like #5 UP will play #4 PU at 2:30 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

DoubleDipper wrote:PU will probably win all of its 3 remaining games.

If Pepperdine does indeed win their last three, then it'll probably be the Pilots/BYU game that determines who the Pilots play in the quarterfinals. Pepperdine with a BYU win, or BYU with a Pilots win.

BYU looked pretty damn strong on Thursday against St. Mary's though...

by DoubleDipper Sun Feb 15, 2015 2:24 pm

"Playing hard and defending...."

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