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Game Information
The Portland Pilots look to maintain their hold on second place in the West Coast Conference standings with a big road trip to the Bay Area looming. The Pilots (15-8, 6-2 WCC) will first play at San Francisco on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Pilots defeated the Dons (9-15, 1-8) by a 78-60 margin earlier this year in Portland. The road trip concludes on Saturday with Portland facing Saint Mary’s. The Gaels (19-4, 6-3) were ranked No. 18 nationally when the Pilots knocked them off, 84-66, at the Chiles Center on Jan. 31. Saint Mary’s is 1-2 without leading scorer Patrick Mills, who suffered a broken hand against Gonzaga and is not expected to play this weekend. Saturday’s game will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet Northwest and CSN California with Greg Papa and John Lambert calling the action. All UP games are on the radio on 970 AM (KCMD) in the Portland-metro area with a free live simulcast at portlandpilots.com.
About The Pilots
The Pilots (15-8, 6-2) remain alone in second place in the WCC standings despite a 93-78 loss to then-No. 18 Gonzaga at the Chiles Center last Thursday. Portland led 43-42 at the half before a sellout crowd, but the Bulldogs used a big second half to pull away and snap Portland’s six-game winning streak. Junior guards Nik Raivio and T.J. Campbell paced the Pilots with 19 points each, while junior F Robin Smeulders logged his first double-double of the year with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Portland has won eight of its last 10 games and is 10-2 at home. The Pilots have already matched their highest season win total since posting a 19-11 record and going to the 1996 NCAA Tournament. The 2004 Pilots finished at 15-15 overall. One more wins will also guarantee Portland’s first above-.500 season since finishing 14-13 in 1998.
Raivio leads four Pilots averaging double figures and is fourth in the WCC in scoring at 16.7 points per game. Sophomore G Jared Stohl is 15th in the conference in scoring (11.7), while Smeulders is 17th (11.2) and Campbell is 18th (11.0). Stohl paces in the league in three-pointers made per game (3.0) and ranks eighth nationally in three-point percentage (.454, min. 2.5 per game). Campbell leads the league in three-point percentage (.526), is second in assists (5.0) and among the conference leaders in six total statistical categories.
Portland leads the WCC and ranks fourth nationally in three-point percentage (.407). The Pilots also lead the league in three-pointers made (8.0) and assists (15.1). The team’s 71.0 points per game average is third in the league and 7.9 points higher than last year’s average.
The Pilots cracked the collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 for the first time last week at No. 24 and are the second team out of the Top 25 this week. Portland has put itself in contention for a top half of the WCC finish and first round bye at the WCC Tournament, which is to be played at a neutral site (Las Vegas, Nev.) for the first time in history.
Head coach Eric Reveno returns 80 percent of the team’s scoring and 87 percent of its rebounding from last year’s squad. Picked to finish sixth in the WCC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Reveno’s roster features eight underclassmen and no seniors. One of the main focuses for the program throughout the offseason was improving in the weight room. The results are noticeable, as every player has either added good basketball weight or dropped pounds, if necessary. The Pilots play 11 games this season against teams that advanced to postseason play last year.
About San Francisco
The Dons (9-15, 1-8 WCC) dropped a pair of WCC road games last week, falling at Saint Mary’s (78-59) and San Diego (73-63). Junior F Dior Lowhorn, the WCC’s leading scorer, was held to 12 points and five rebounds against Saint Mary’s, but led the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds against the Toreros. Lowhorn (20.0) is the leading scorer in the WCC for the second year in a row. A transfer from Texas Tech, Lowhorn earlier this season matched Bill Russell as the fastest Don in school history to score 1,000 points. Senior G Manny Quezada is another 1,000-point scorer for San Francisco and is second on the team in scoring at 10.6 per game. As a team, the Dons are being outscored by an average of 12.0 points during WCC games and are averaging just 58.9 points per game. USF started the season by winning five of its first six games under first-year head coach Rex Walters, but has struggled since. Walters came to The Hill after spending two seasons at the helm of Florida Atlantic. A seven-year NBA veteran, Walters also led the Kansas Jayhawks to the 1993 Final Four in his senior season.
Portland-San Francisco Series Notes
All-Time: USF leads 45-22
At USF: USF leads 27-5
At UP: Tied 16-16
At Neutral: USF leads 2-1
Last Five: USF leads 4-1
Current Streak: POR, 1 win
Last Meeting: Portland 78, San Francisco 60 (1/15/09, at Portland)
Stohl, Pilots Among National 3-Point Leaders
The Portland Pilots are ranked No. 4 nationally in three-point percentage (.407) as of Tuesday. Individually, Jared Stohl ranks No. 8 nationally in the NCAA’s three-point percentage category at .454 (minimum 2.5 made per game).
Campbell Catches Fire
Junior college PG T.J. Campbell has acclimated to the Division I level with a smooth transition. Picked by Blue Ribbon Magazine as the preseason WCC Newcomer of the Year, Campbell has been on fire from the perimeter and leads the league in three-point percentage (.526). He is also second in assists (5.0), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.8) and three-pointers made (2.2), eighth in FG percentage (.477) 11th in steals (1.3), and 18th in scoring (11.0). He is 21-for-34 (.618) on three-pointers in WCC games and is the league assists leader in conference play (4.8).
Pilots Post First Win Over Ranked Opponent Since 1981
Portland’s 84-66 victory over No. 18 Saint Mary’s on Jan. 31 was the program’s first win over a ranked opponent since knocking off No. 19 Oregon State, 68-63, on Dec. 11, 1981 at Memorial Coliseum. Portland is 5-42 all-time against ranked opposition.
Raivio Named WCC Player of the Week
Junior G Nik Raivio averaged team highs of 22.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in wins over San Diego and 18th-ranked Saint Mary’s to earn WCC Player of the Week honors on Feb. 2. During a 84-66 romp of the Gaels, Raivio hit 11 of 19 from the field en route to a game-high 27 points and five rebounds. Against USD, Raivio just missed a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds as the Pilots cruised to a 69-55 win over the Toreros. Raivio, who is the top rebounding guard in the conference, is averaging 17.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in eight WCC games this year. He ranks second overall in scoring during league contests, is fifth in rebounding and steals (1.5). Nik is the son of UP Hall of Famer Rick Raivio and brother of former Gonzaga standout and WCC Player of the Year Derek Raivio.
Pilots off to School-Best WCC Start
Portland’s 6-1 record through the first half of WCC play was the best start in program history. The Pilots have only finished fourth or better in the WCC standings seven times in 32 years in the league. The program’s best regular season finish was a tie for second place during the 1995 season with a 10-4 record. Only four UP teams have posted an above-.500 WCC record and none since ‘95. The six WCC victories are already the most since Portland finished 7-7 during the 1998 campaign.
15 and Counting
Portland’s 15 wins matches the program’s best since finishing 19-11 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 1996. The 2004-05 Pilots finished with a 15-15 overall record, but the last team to finish above .500 was the 1997-98 squad (14-13). One more victory will also guarantee Portland its first winning record since 1998.
Holding Home Court
Portland is 10-2 at the Chiles Center this season, including impressive wins over Washington, Nevada and Saint Mary’s. The Pilots have only posted an above .500 home record four times in the last 10 years and had not won 10 or more home contests since 1998. Portland is set to host two more games at the Chiles Center this season.
Stohl Cracks UP Career and Season 3-Point Charts
Sophomore sharpshooter Jared Stohl already ranks ninth on the UP career charts (127) and third on the single season charts (69). Last season he set a UP freshman record with 58 threes made. He set a school and Chiles Center record by making nine three-pointers on Jan. 15 against San Francisco and finished with a career-high 33 points. The Marysville, Wash. native leads the WCC in three-pointers per game (3.0) and is third in three-point percentage (.454).
Nail-Biters
Portland has had 12 games this season decided by six points or less. The Pilots are 8-4 in those games and 6-2 in games decided by three or fewer points. Last year, Portland finished 3-9 in games decided by six or less.
Niedermeyer’s Impact
Junior F Ethan Niedermeyer has missed six games with sprained ankles this season and the Pilots are 2-4 in those games with the two victories coming by a combined four points (68-65 over Idaho, 53-52 over Santa Clara). With him in the lineup, Portland is 13-4. Opponents are shooting 44 percent from the field against UP when Niedermeyer plays and 50 percent when he doesn’t.
Efficient Offense
The Pilots lead the WCC in three-point percentage (.407), three-pointers made (8.0) and assists (15.1). Portland is also third in the league in scoring offense (71.0) and field goal percentage (.461). It is the highest FG percentage for the program since the 1983-84 Pilots finished at .467 for the season. Portland has shot 50 percent or better from the field in six games this season, including a season-high 61 percent vs. Howard and 59 percent vs. Saint Mary’s.
Fast-Paced Pilots
Portland has made a point of trying to get in the open court and convert easy baskets this season and the result has been the Pilots averaging 71.0 points per game. The Pilots have scored at least 75 points in 12 games and the team is shooting 46 percent from the field. Last year, Portland averaged 63.1 points per game and shot 43 percent from the field.
On the Glass
The Pilots have outrebounded 11 of the last 14 opponents and are second in the WCC in rebounding defense (30.5). Portland has always been a good team on the boards under head coach Eric Reveno. Last year the team had a +3.3 margin and in 2006-07 the Pilots owned a +3.1 margin on the glass. This year the Pilots post a +2.2 margin.
Balanced Attack
Four Pilots are averaging double figures through 23 games. Portland has had six different players lead the team in scoring so far and have had five players scored in double figures against Washington, Yale and Howard.
Sikma Coming On
Luke Sikma missed much of the preseason with a lingering knee injury, but the sophomore has looked better as the season has progressed. Sikma scored a season-high 14 points with six rebounds and four assists against USD on Jan. 29 and followed with 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists vs. Saint Mary’s on Jan. 31. Sikma reached double figures for the third straight game with 10 points and five rebounds against Gonzaga. He is in a tie for 10th place on the UP career blocked shots list (47).
No Grumpy Old Men
With no seniors on the 2008-09 roster, Portland will once again be one of the younger teams in the nation. Last year, the Pilots were listed as the eighth youngest team in the country according to kenpom.com. Despite the lack of seniors, the Pilots do return seven of their top eight scorers and six players that started at least eight games. In all, Portland returns 80 percent of its scoring and 87 percent of its rebounding.
Viva Las Vegas
For the first time in conference history, the WCC Basketball Championships will be played at a neutral site as the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. will serve as the 2009 host, March 6-9.
