Re: 2021-2022 Schedule/Season

by Snus Junction Sat Dec 04, 2021 10:45 pm

Committed Pilot fan here.
Went to game on our 50th wedding anniversary!
The effort was super, the defense tenacious, smaller and quicker can beat taller but tonight wasn’t the night
Oregon coach in Post game said something like, “If they can learn to shoot they would be pretty good.”
Kind of stupid thing to say, and we know shooting will improve.

by Geezaldinho Sun Dec 05, 2021 12:52 am

Snus Junction wrote:Committed Pilot fan here.
Went to game on our 50th wedding anniversary!
The effort was super, the defense tenacious, smaller and quicker can beat taller but tonight wasn’t the night
Oregon coach in Post game said something like, “If they can learn to shoot they would be pretty good.”
Kind of stupid thing to say, and we know shooting will improve.

Congrats on your 50th. Ours comes up this Spring.

I don’t think Kelly meant anything bad by it, it’s just his style. He was probably referring to the missed three at the buzzer and the lack of poise shooting over his Giants that it took a while to get past. UP did get more points in the paint and second chance points than UO.

FYI Kelly started his coaching career at UP in the 90’s as an assistant under Jim Solars, who was presented tonight with a bunch of former Pilot greats, including ones Kelly coached. Those teams played a similar scrappy style and made the tournament a couple times. They were as fun to watch as this bunch

And we can thank Kelly for getting Lucy to the NW. She spent a year at UO.

by DoubleDipper Sun Dec 05, 2021 10:52 am

Snus Junction wrote:Committed Pilot fan here.
Went to game on our 50th wedding anniversary!

Congratulations and well done! Half a century of marriage must mean you share a lot of interests, INCLUDING WOMEN’S BASKETBALL…

Mrs. DD and I also share that interest, but I am glad we were married in June and not during the basketball season as our 50th anniversary celebration might have been tested.

by DoubleDipper Sun Dec 05, 2021 11:14 am

Snus Junction wrote:The effort was super, the defense tenacious, smaller and quicker can beat taller but tonight wasn’t the night.

Oregon coach in Post game said something like, “If they can learn to shoot they would be pretty good.”

Regardless of the stats, the Pilots played just as you described, and gave the Ducks as much as they could handle. It was fun to watch.

I have known Coach Kelly Graves since he was a junior at New Mexico, and believe me, he has nothing but the greatest of respect for UP and the UP women’s team and coaches.

As mentioned, Kelly was a four-year (1993-1997) assistant to Jim Sollars at UP, and the Pilots went the NCAA Tournament all four years Kelly was with the team.

Kelly’s recommendation to UP’s AD was a big part of the hiring of Mike Meek as the head coach, and Kelly didn’t just bring Lucy Cochrane to the PNW, he recommended she transfer to UP when he knew her playing time at UO would be limited.

It was a treat to catch-up with many of his former players last night, including the wife of current UP assistant Tom Batsell, who played all four years at UP while Kelly was the assistant.

That skinny guy in the back with glasses is Kelly Graves…

2021-2022 Schedule/Season - Page 4 Up_wom10

by Snus Junction Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:18 pm

I assume you are 100% correct on Coach Greaves. Just seemed unneeded after Ducks escaped without OT.

by Vegemite Thu Dec 09, 2021 2:14 am

I wanted to humbly clarify that Lucy chose to leave the Ducks, and similarly chose the Pilots out of a very large list of great options after she entered the portal. No current or past Oregon staff had any influence on this.

Her decision was entirely based on Coach Meek and the current UP organization, and the great culture of the women’s program.

by DoubleDipper Thu Dec 09, 2021 7:31 am

Vegemite wrote:I wanted to humbly clarify that Lucy chose to leave the Ducks, and similarly chose the Pilots out of a very large list of great options after she entered the portal. No current or past Oregon staff had any influence on this.

Her decision was entirely based on Coach Meek and the current UP organization, and the great culture of the women’s program.

Thank you.

I should probably clarify that I meant Coach Graves recommended to Coach Meek that Lucy would be a good addition to UP's team...I do not know of Kelly's conversation with Lucy.

by DoubleDipper Thu Dec 09, 2021 7:40 am

Game Day!

Unusual the women are playing a game on the last day of final exams, but that is what is happening tonight at 7pm against Cal State Northridge in the Chiles Center.

The dorms close tomorrow and everyone except the men's and women's basketball teams, and those who cannot travel, head home until classes resume on January 10, 2022.

2021-2022 Schedule/Season - Page 4 Game_d11

by DoubleDipper Thu Dec 09, 2021 10:54 pm

After a first quarter that had the UP players looking like they were still taking finals instead of playing basketball, it was smooth sailing the rest of the way in the Pilots 80-62 win over Cal St. Northridge.

3-point shooting is still a problem, although Rose Pflug was 3-4, and Haylee will tell you she turned it over too much (7), but her 6 assists and 22 points led the way as everyone played, and four Pilots scored in double-figures.

2021-2022 Schedule/Season - Page 4 Haylee12

by **Rob's Jacket** Fri Dec 10, 2021 8:40 am

It feels weird to write this after an 18 point win, but it just seems like there's a completely different gear that this team could reach if they just hit, like, 2-3 more open threes per game.

by Adam Fri Dec 10, 2021 3:38 pm

A great team game today. Also a good yardstick game getting closer to conference play. CSUNs prior two game were against WCC teams, losing in OT to SD and winning in OT to LMU.

UPs perimetre D continues to disrupt teams, with CSUN shooting from 3 well until this game.

And as above, if they can find a better clip from 3 and reduce a few unforced TOs, they will threaten just about anyone.

Sitting 67 in NET rankings after a high of 65

by wrv Fri Dec 10, 2021 4:31 pm

A few observations following the game:

Quick question, what in game circumstances for Coach Meek will be sufficient to call off the press other than the outcome being determined? None?

I cannot help but be impressed with the defensive presence that is Lucy Cochrane. The record books will likely reflect her blocks. Quite the recruiting coup for the Pilots.

Rose Pflug showed us what kind of athlete she is. Pilots fortunate she was hot from 3. But the play where she got behind CSUN's press, reaching back and over the CSUN guard and tipping the pass forward to herself to pick up and lay in was fun to watch. This young lady is fleet of afoot.

Once CSUN dropped their zone, when we were clanking 3s, the number of backdoor, or post up or cut to the basket layups were frequent and relentless. CSUN's man to man was no match for our ladies.

The announcers for our games, unknown to me, are knowledgeable and entertaining.

Agree with the prior posts about our shooting.

All Pilot wins depend on Hailey and Alex, but y'all know that.

Go Pilots, beat PSU this weekend.

by Adam Fri Dec 10, 2021 4:43 pm

For what might see the full court press drop off. Possibly two reasons its 'never' at the moment... bedding it in as much as possible before conference play, and NET ranking?

Im still getting my head around rankings and finals bids per conference etc, but I was reading that the new NET ranking gives significant weight to score difference and blowout scores? If thats the case, with BYU and Gonzaga above them, but currently around 66th, creeping up NET ranking may be important for a chance at a 3rd WCC finals bid? But yeah, new to analysing all that stuff sorry.

by Geezaldinho Fri Dec 10, 2021 5:30 pm

wrv wrote:

The announcers for our games, unknown to me, are knowledgeable and entertaining.

One is Jennifer Mountain, a Camas native Gonzaga grad and an assistant under Kelly Graves at Gonzaga. She was part of the coaching team that took the Zags from 2-12 to the top of the conference four straight years. She went on to be head coach of the Santa Clara Broncos, the head coach of Pacific (Forest Grove), and an associate, then interim head coach at PSU,

by DoubleDipper Fri Dec 10, 2021 10:45 pm

Geezaldinho wrote:
wrv wrote:The announcers for our games, unknown to me, are knowledgeable and entertaining.
One is Jennifer Mountain, a Camas native Gonzaga grad and an assistant under Kelly Graves at Gonzaga.

Jen is well known to basketball fans in the west, and Byian Sleik, the play-by-play guy for the Pilots and Central Catholic football is becoming well known too because he is just so darn good and enthusiastic at what he does.

Bryan is a 2016 graduate of Central Michigan with a BS in Broadcast and Cinematic Arts after which he became the announcer and color commentator for the Central Michigan Chippewas. Following stints as a news and sports director and then as an announcer at Northern Illinois University, Bryan landed in Vancouver as the voice of the Ridgefield Raptors Baseball Club.

Finally in August of 2019 Bryan began doing the play-by-play for Pilots volleyball, baseball, and men’s and women’s basketball, and a year later, in the middle of the pandemic when the only way to watch basketball was on the WCC Network, Bryan was the familiar voice behind the microphone.

by wrv Sat Dec 11, 2021 7:56 am

Rob's Jacket wrote:It feels weird to write this after an 18 point win, but it just seems like there's a completely different gear that this team could reach if they just hit, like, 2-3 more open threes per game.

I think we all agree on this. But are we missing a possible correlation between our style of play, full court press and trapping in the half court, full time, and lower shooting percentages? I do not know but wonder whether this helter-skelter style while fascinating and apparently effective defensively, does not also affect our own shooting. Interested in others thoughts on this.

The follow up is how to address the poor shooting other than gym time and frequent substitutions, both of which are being done. Could the frequent substitutions contribute to the cold shooting--coming in off the bench and shooting right away can affect accuracy?

The system works on balance, yes or no? Clearly the answer seems to be yes so long as you have the troops. Might this talented team do well in a more traditional approach? Why don't more teams with talent to spare use this or similar systems?
.

This is no knock on the staff. Given the rarity of the approach, maybe they've hit on the equivalent of the money ball system in women's D1 hoops.

by DoubleDipper Sat Dec 11, 2021 9:47 am

Defenses is going to be very important in tomorrow afternoon’s 2pm game at Portland State.

I “scouted” the Vikings and their opponent, Pepperdine, last evening and it was quite a shooting-show by freshman Esmeralda Morales and her teammate, Jada Lewis, in PSU’s 75-71 victory.

#12 Morales and #23 Lewis each scored 21 points while Morales had 9 assists. Morales and Lewis combined for 10-13 from long range, and as a team the Vikings were 12-19 behind the arc.

The Pilots will obviously have to clamp down on those two players and disrupt the flow of the PSU offense that combined for 29-57 shooting if they are succeed in the Viking Pavilion where Pepperdine could not.

by wrv Sat Dec 11, 2021 10:36 am

Vikings are 4-4 for the season so they have had their ups and downs. Pilots hold series lead , but only 29-28. Pilots have lost three in a row to Vikings, having not beaten them since 2016.
It would be nice to end the streak.

by DoubleDipper Sun Dec 12, 2021 9:28 am

General Admission is only $10 at the Viking Pavilion, and if you haven't been there before, it is worth a look.

Hope to see you behind the UP bench...

Can't make? The game is on local TV...the CW.

2021-2022 Schedule/Season - Page 4 Gameda10

https://goviks.com/news/2021/12/11/WBB_20211211.aspx

by up7587 Sun Dec 12, 2021 4:59 pm

wrv wrote:Vikings are 4-4 for the season so they have had their ups and downs. Pilots hold series lead , but only 29-28. Pilots have lost three in a row to Vikings, having not beaten them since 2016.
It would be nice to end the streak.

Mission accomplished, 71-54.

by DoubleDipper Sun Dec 12, 2021 7:07 pm

up7587 wrote:Mission accomplished, 71-54.

3-Pt Shooting: 0-17
FT Shooting: 15-27
Overall Shooting: 28-70

With those numbers, one would think the team lost, but instead the Pilots prevailed because of their DEFENSE!!

Blocks: 12 (9 by Lucy)
Steals: 14 (5 by Maddie)
Opponent Turnovers: 21
Points off Turnovers: 30
Second Chance Points: 20
Opponent 3-Pt Shooting: 6-21 (3 of which came after the game was a no-doubter)
Offensive Rebounds: 21 (8 by Alex)
Points in the Paint: 40

PSU had big bigs, but UP dominated inside with Alex putting up 26 points and 12 rebounds and Lucy adding 14 points, six boards and nine blocks.

Maisie was the only other Pilot to eclipse double digits on the day, scoring 10 points, all of those coming in the second quarter during a critical Pilot run. Haylee added eight points along with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

2021-2022 Schedule/Season - Page 4 Lucy10

Not sure why the PSU PA guy (I think it is the same guy who does the Timbers games) has to have the volume up so high when about an 80% reduction would be easier to hear in the very nice Viking Pavilion with the exposed metal ceiling.

Every game I say to myself the officiating can't get any worse...and yet it does. Evil or Very Mad

Next up: A very good Stephen F. Austin team on Tuesday at 7pm in the Chiles Center.

by bullwinkle Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:52 pm

We won by 17, but it made me think of the observation Rob's Jacket made a few days ago about being so close to moving up to a whole other tier in their performance. If they hit 25% of their 3's and 75% of their free throws (which seem like minimal expectations), they'd have won by 34. I think they'll get there, not by the first conference game, but during the season. They've reduced turnovers and increased assists during this preseason. Just keep at it. Seems like a very positive aura about this group.

by DoubleDipper Tue Dec 14, 2021 7:52 am

Gameday!! (Last home game of 2021)

The Stephen F. Austin Lady Jacks (8-2) were riding high going into Sunday’s game against Gonzaga, but ended up falling to GU, 54-64 in front of 2,800 Zag fans. Up to that game they had won 5 straight and had notched wins over Houston, Ball St., and New Mexico, with their only previous defeat coming on the road in front of 3,000 fans at Texas A&M by 7 points.

On the SFA team is former Pilot Tyler McCliment-Call from Spokane. Tyler played 4 minutes in Spokane Sunday and was 1-1 from behind the arc for 3 points.

After their loss to GU, SFA’s NET ranking dropped from 42 to 46 and after UP’s win over PSU their NET ranking dropped from 68 to 70. (GU’s NET is 25 and BYU is right behind at 26).

The Lady Jacks are large, athletic, and experienced. Four of their five starters average double-digit scoring while the team averages 83 points per game and limits their opponents to just 57 points.

SFA is favored by 6 points…

2021-2022 Schedule/Season - Page 4 Gameda11

NOTE: Tonight's game tips at 7pm (it was originally scheduled for 6 o'clock start).

by wrv Tue Dec 14, 2021 2:51 pm

Ladies, may your shots be accurate and true and the rebounds of your opponents few tonight.

Kelly Graves, coach of the Ducks, and certainly no detractor of the Pilot program, nor team, nor its efforts, commented on Pilot shooting, indicating what we all know--that this team would be quite good if they hit their shots.

I thought too the comment of the Vikings coach interesting about our shooting this weekend.
From the story at goviks:

"The Viking defense also played well on the perimeter against the Pilots, as the Pilots missed all 17 of their three-point attempts Sunday."

"That's what our zone does," Gregg said of the defensive effort from three-point range. "I don't know the last time I've seen a stat like that [0-of-17 from three-point range]. So, that's a great job by our defense."

Well, I was there and, I may be somewhat biased here, but I do not recall any of the 3s shot by the Pilots being vigorously defended. In fact, the majority of the 3s were wide open. I think the coach is stretching it to suggest the Pilot shooting woes from 3 were as a result of the Viking defense.

But it does stand to reason that the Pilots will face a zone defense until someone forces our opponents out of the zone by making shots. So let's make some 3s tonight, we're due.

by DoubleDipper Tue Dec 14, 2021 9:38 pm

DEFENSE! DEFENSE!

The Lady Jacks had been averaging over 83 points per game until they hit the PNW. Gonzaga beat SFA 64-54 and tonight the Pilots held them to 59 in UP's 71-59 victory.

Coach Meek changed the strategy on offense after the first quarter when it was obvious the 3-point shots were again not going to fall, so instead the Pilots started going inside to score and draw fouls. The Pilots scored 48 points in the paint!! and was 13-18 from the line.

Twenty-one assists on the night with 13 turnovers is a pretty good recipe for winning, especially when SFA was clawing at every ball, but that too helped the Pilots cash in on breaking the press and scoring 20 fast-break points.

Next up: Very physical Fresno St. on the road on Dec. 20.

The team seemed pretty pleased after the game...

2021-2022 Schedule/Season - Page 4 Please10

Footnote: Former Pilot Tyler McCliment-Call scored a college career high 8 points in 18 minutes. If I was the coach, I would have given her even more minutes as she was very effective against UP's press.