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The University of Portland men’s basketball team will play its final two regular season home games this week at the Chiles Center. Portland, second in the West Coast Conference standings entering the week, will host Pepperdine on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Loyola Marymount on Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets for both games are available through all Ticketmaster outlets (www.ticketmaster.com, 503-224-4400) or by visiting the Pilot Box Office at the Chiles Center, Mon. – Fri., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The games will be aired live on AM 970 and streamed live at portlandpilots.com.
The Pilots (16-9, 7-3 WCC) have posted the program’s most wins in a season since advancing to the NCAA Tournament and finishing with a 19-11 record in 1996. Pepperdine (8-18, 5-5) is one of the hottest teams in the WCC having won four of their last five games, including a home sweep of San Diego and Santa Clara last weekend. Loyola Marymount (2-24, 1-9) also has some momentum after knocking off San Diego and narrowly losing to Santa Clara last week.
About The Pilots
The Pilots (16-9, 7-3) remain alone in second place in the WCC standings after splitting on the road last weekend. Portland defeated San Francisco (72-67) before losing at Saint Mary’s (77-65). Despite struggling throughout most of the first half against USF, the Pilots made 8-of-9 three-pointers after halftime to put the game out of reach. Sophomore G Jared Stohl had a game-high 16 points, including 4-for-5 from three-point range. Junior PG T.J. Campbell added 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds. The Pilots had a 31-29 lead at the half against the Gaels, but committed 16 turnovers and were outscored 48-34 in the second half. Junior G Nik Raivio had 16 to lead the Pilots, while Campbell added 15 and junior F Robin Smeulders 13. Portland has won nine of its last 12 games and has secured the program’s highest season win total since posting a 19-11 record and going to the 1996 NCAA Tournament. Portland has also guaranteed its first above-.500 season since finishing 14-13 in 1998.
Portland ranks third nationally as a team in three-point shooting (.411), while Stohl is fifth in the nation individually (.456, min. 2.5 per game). Stohl leads the WCC in three-pointers made (2.9), while Campbell paces the conference in three-point percentage (.541) and is second in assists (4.9). Raivio leads four Pilots averaging double figures and is fourth in the WCC in scoring at 16.2 points per game.
The Pilots lead the league in three-pointers made (8.1) and assists (15.0). The team’s 70.7 points per game average is third in the league and 7.6 points higher than last year’s average.
Portland has put itself in contention for a top half of the WCC finish and at least a 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. The top two seeds earn two byes and an automatic semifinals appearance. Portland currently has a half game lead over Saint Mary’s for second place in the league standings and control’s its own destiny for a second-place finish.
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 Pepperdine
The Waves (8-18, 5-5) have won three in a row and four of their last five games, positioning themselves in the hunt for a surprising top half finish in the WCC. Entering Thursday’s game, Pepperdine is alone in fifth place, half a game behind Santa Clara. The Waves swept Santa Clara (66-60) and San Diego (57-52) at home last weekend. Freshman G Keion Bell was named the WCC Player of the Week after averaging 16.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.5 steals in the two wins.
Head coach Tom Asbury returned this season to Pepperdine, where he was a former assistant and head coach. Asbury has a very young roster which features three freshman starters. Bell and sophomore forward Mychal Thompson (10.1 ppg) pace the Waves in scoring. Pepperdine is allowing opponents an average of 72.7 points per game and are shooting just 39.5 percent from the field, but have surrendered only 57.2 points in the last five contests.
Asbury was at Pepperdine for 15 seasons, the first nine as an assistant coach (1980-88) and then the next six as the head coach (1989-94). He then served as head coach at Kansas State from 1995-00 and was most recently an assistant at Alabama from 2004-07. The Waves went to the postseason five times in six years with three NCAA Tournament appearances (1991, ’92, ’94) and two berths in the NIT (1989, ’93) during Asbury’s first run with the program.
Portland-Pepperdine Series Notes
All-Time: Pepperdine leads 52-26
At PEP: PEP leads 24-11
At UP: PEP leads 23-14
At Neutral: PEP leads 5-1
Current Streak: POR, 1 win
Last Five: UP leads 3-2
Last Meeting: Portland 73, Pepperdine 58 (1/24/09, at Pepperdine)
