2020 WCC Games

The women started strong against #17 GU yesterday in Spokane, and gave the Bulldogs quite a scare by going up by 20 in the first half, but with four players out for the season due to injury, the bench was just too short to sustain the Pilots' up-tempo play and GU prevailed, 62-57.

After the strong showing in Spokane, the women lost on Thursday at San Diego 55-74. However, they completed their stretch of road games by beating BYU 57-48.
I don't follow the women much. Have they ever won a game in Provo before?

up7587 wrote:After the strong showing in Spokane, the women lost on Thursday at San Diego 55-74.  However, they completed their stretch of road games by beating BYU 57-48.
I don't follow the women much.  Have they ever won a game in Provo before?

From the post-game article:

The Pilots snap a string of 20 straight wins in the series for BYU, and it's the first Portland victory over the Cougars since also winning in Provo in 1999.

https://portlandpilots.com/news/2020/1/4/wbb-pilots-claim-huge-road-win-at-byu.aspx

Channel surfing during NFL halftime, and found the UP women playing SMC on NBC Sport NW. Ladies had a half time lead, and ran it up to 19 in the 3rd quarter. SMC whittled it down to 5 in he 4gh quarter, but the Pilots made a big 3P, and went on to win 78-65.

Team is dealing with the flu, according to the broadcasters. So that's a pretty good result.

up7587 wrote:Team is dealing with the flu, according to the broadcasters. So that's a pretty good result.

Yeah, flu and season-ending injuries. Down to just 9 scholarship players (and no prospect of anyone returning this season), the Pilots have had difficulty holding on to leads, until today against SMC.

Having lost to GU and UOP, as well as PSU and Loyola-Chicago, after having large leads, it was good to see UP hold on to their halftime lead for the win.

SMC is picked to finish 3rd in the conference, and came into the weekend 4-0, but lost in Spokane on Thursday and today in Portland.

Portland, picked to finish last in the WCC, is now 2-3 in conference play after beating BYU in Provo last week.

Next up for the Pilots are USF and SCU on the road...

As of 1-11-20:

GU    5-0/16-1 (#16 in the nation)
UOP  4-2/11-6
SMC  4-2/9-8
BYU  3-2/8-7
PU    3-3/9-7
UP    2-3/9-7
SCU  2-3/8-8
USD  2-3/8-8
LMU  2-4/6-13
USF   0-5/7-10

DoubleDipper wrote: Down to just 9 scholarship players (and no prospect of anyone returning this season), the Pilots have had difficulty holding on to leads, until today against SMC.

They are fun to watch. Just imagine what they could do with seven more scholarship players Next year. I’m not sure why the AD insists on handicapping the program. It seems we need more scholarship players to reach title IX standards.

Let’s not make being short handed be an excuse from now on as it has been for years.

Geezaldinho wrote: Just imagine what they could do with seven more scholarship players Next year. I’m not sure why the AD insists on handicapping the program.

Well, math has always been a weak spot for me, but adding seven scholarships would bring the total to 20...and I'm guessing even an SEC school could not get away with that.  

UP currently has 13 scholarship players and 2 walk-ons...and 4 of the scholarship players are done for the season with injuries.  (Erika Kankfelt's injuries have gotten to the point where she was recently dropped from the roster but will continue to be on scholarship at UP.)

The team is expected to lose only senior Kate Andersen from this year's roster and there are two high school seniors already signed.

It is my guess Coach Meek will attempt to sign one more player for next season (I know he was attempting to sign a transfer who attended a Pilots game in December, but she chose another school), which will give the team 14 scholarship players on the roster, not counting Erika's scholarship that will be taken from Scott's budget, but not count against the 15 allowed WBB scholarships.

Regardless, they are a fast-paced team that presses for 40 minutes and are fun to watch...but they cannot afford any more injuries.

After the Pilots weekend sweep in the Bay Area it would have been a surprise if Alex Fowler had not been named WCC Player of the Week...but she was, and it was her second time this season.

Alex averaged 26 points and eight rebounds, shot 65 percent from the field, and went a perfect 3-for-3 on three-pointers as the Pilots beat USF and SCU.

https://portlandpilots.com/news/2020/1/20/wbb-fowler-named-the-wccs-player-of-the-week.aspx

As of 1-18-20:

GU     7-0/18-1 (#16 in the nation)
BYU    5-2/10-7
UP     4-3/11-7
USD   4-3/10-8
UOP   4-4/11-8
SMC   4-4/9-10
PU     3-4/9-8
LMU   3-4/7-13
SCU   2-5/8-10
USF   0-7/7-12

UP is at home for the next 4 games:

Thurs 1/23 @ 7pm LMU
Sat  1/25 @ 2pm PU
Thurs 1/30 @ 7 pm BYU
Sat 2/1 @ 2pm USD

LMU came into the Chiles Center tonight riding a three-game winning streak, and the game was pretty close throughout, but then midway through the 4th quareter the Lions just didn't have enough energy to keep up against the Pilots' relentless 40 minutes of pressure...or keep up with senior Kate Andersen who took over late.

The Pilots won, 74-49, but the game was still in doubt with six minutes to play until Portland made a run...and it could have been a much larger margin of victory had UP converted from behind the arc and from the line.

It was good to see a good turnout of students and we're finally starting to see some of the regulars at MBB games show up to see what the women's game is all about.

Saturday's game will be telecast on NBC Sports NW, but I recommend you finally watch the game in person to get the full enjoyment.

Pepperdine, Saturday Jan 25 at 2pm...you'll be home before dark and in time for dinner!

It certainly wasn't the prettiest win for UP today, and at times it was downright ugly, but it was without a doubt the most exciting game in a number of years as the Pilots came from behind and then survived to win their 5th game in a row and move their WCC record to 6-3.

It was good to see some fans that have defected from UP Men's Basketball join the noisy crowd that rattled the PU free-throw shooter who missed both of her free-throws with 2 seconds left in the game that would have sealed the deal for PU.

Next up for the Pilots is the always tough BYU Cougars (7-2) on Thursday evening at 7pm and then USD (6-3) on Saturday at 2pm as part of a double-header with the men's team.  UP was blown out by USD earlier, 74-55, but rebounded to beat BYU, 57-48, in Provo three weeks ago.

Pilot Athletics is advertising Saturday's 4pm Pilots Brewfest as a prelude to the men's game against SCU, but the game we should all turnout for is the women's game against USD at 2pm.

USD is the most athletic WBB team in the WCC and they trounced the Pilots just four weeks ago in San Diego, 74-55...so they'll need our support if they are to turn the tables on the Toreros.

Apparently purchasing a ticket to the women's game will also allow you entry to the Brewfest and the men's game, and one of the beers on tap is Co-Pilot IPA, which has already been endorsed by renowned beer taster, Geezaldinho!

The Brewfest will be held on the lower level north concourse which is directly opposite the Pilot's bench.

Two big games this week, BYU at 7pm on Thursday and USD at 2pm on Saturday prior to the Brewfest and men's game against SCU.  Be there!

https://portlandpilots.com/news/2020/1/27/saturdays-hoops-double-header-to-featured-5th-annual-pilots-brewfest.aspx

Wonderful back and forth game last night before BYU finally took over and beat the Pilots in front of an electric crowd that included a number of local kid's groups.

UP was able to match the Cougars, last year's WCC Tournament winners for the most part, but the defensive presence of BYU's 6-7 junior, Sara Hamson, was just too much for the Pilots to overcome as she blocked 9 shots and redirected at least twice that many when the Pilots attempted to go inside.

Litterally, it looked like this inside, except that Hamson is a really good athlete with a VERY long wingspan!  



BYU now has a pretty good lock on 2nd place behind GU, and the Pilots battle USD for 3rd place tomorrow afternoon at 2pm....followed by the Brewfest.

Another great battle last evening as USD topped the Pilots, 62-58.  It was mentioned earlier that USD is probably the most athletic team in the WCC, but it turns out they are also the biggest and most physical...and unfurtunatly the refs sucked on their whistles for the entire game.

Freshman Alex Fowler scored 26 for UP, while sophomore Haylee Andrews, who scored 10 with 9 rebounds and 8 assists, was slowed by her chronic ankle sprain that kept her out of the game for about 10 minutes.

UP is now in a tie with UOP, a team they lost to earlier in the season, for the coveted 4th place in the standings, and now go on the road to face SMC and UOP before returning home to face SCU and USF on February 13th and 15th.

Kudos to the Lady Pilots, great turnaround, great coaching and a bright future!

This is my kind of coach!

On Thursday UP blew-out SMC on the road, and yesterday SMC turned around and beat #11 GU, ending GU’s 21-game winning streak.  UP’s game against GU on February 29th, could have a great bearing on the Pilots’ seeding in Las Vegas five or six days later.

Tough loss at UOP yesterday for the Pilots as it drops them into a tie for 5th place in the WCC and in danger of ending up in the dreaded bottom-four unless they get back on track this coming week at home against SCU and USF.

In fairness, UOP clearly has the deeper bench and some superior athletes who easily beat UP’s full-court press, and we must remember that UP was picked to finish 10th, but with the men’s team condemned to last place, the women are the only hope for Pilot fans.

The ladies played SCU tonight at home, and had the opposite result of the men. They opened up an 18 1st quarter lead, led by 20 at the half, led by as much as 27 and won by 22, 84-62. They shot 52%, made 80% of their FTs (16 of 20), had 19 assists on 31 baskets, and only 12 turnovers in a dominating performance. They are 8-6 in conference, 15-10 overall. They are in 4th place, a half game ahead of PU.

There are four conference games left: USF (2-11), @PU (7-6), @LMU (3-10), and finish with GU (13-1). A strong finish will put them in the top four for the tournament. When is the last time a Pilot team played on the weekend in Vegas? (I know, I know, don't count your chickens)

Last night's attendance was officially just shy of 600, but one of the fun things about UP Womens Basketball is the screaming and shouting of the youngsters in the crowd. Credit to the Athletic Department for getting young people involved in Pilots Athletics.

The crowd included Special Olympics athletes and volunteers, and boys from the Oregon Basketball Club (OBC) in which Pilot Donald Wilson is a coach. https://obc.work/

The win over SCU was a team effort, but of the 84 points scored by the Pilots 25 apiece came from sophomore guard Haylee Andrews and freshman post Alex Fowler.  Last I looked, Fowler led the WCC in scoring and Andrews was third.

Your next to last chance to see the Pilots at home is tomorrow afternoon at 2pm against USF...the game will also be televised on NBC Sports NW...ch 37 on Portland area Comcast.

ESPN has UP leading the league in scoring, averaging 70 ppg.
That tops the Zags by a point.

When could he last say this?

Scott Leykam wrote:Fantastic weekend for @PortlandWBB on the home floor. Wrapped up first round bye at WCC Championships!

Women beat USF 69-49, opening up with a 13-3 lead, and leading by 26 points before subbing in the bench late. Conference record now 9-6, with three to play. Guaranteed non-losing record. 16-10 overall.