Complete Release

     The Portland Pilots (14-5, 2-2 WCC) conclude their West Coast Conference road swing with a Saturday meeting against the Santa Clara Broncos. Portland dropped an 81-74 decision to San Francisco on Thursday, while the Broncos (11-9, 2-2) knocked off the Gonzaga Bulldogs by an 85-71 margin.

Game Coverage
     Saturday’s game will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet Northwest and Comcast Bay Area with Ted Robinson and Kris Weems calling the action. All Portland games will be aired live on the radio in the Portland market on 800 AM (KPDQ) with Bill Johnson providing the play-by-play, including a 30-minute pregame show.

Portland Briefly...

• Senior F Luke Sikma recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to USF, but the Pilots struggled to 38 percent shooting against the Dons.
• The 81 points allowed were the third most of the season for Portland, who drops to 4-3 in true road games.
• Last weekend, Portland improved to 10-0 at the Chiles Center with wins over LMU (79-78, 2ot) and Pepperdine (57-42). The Pilots are 35-4 at the Chiles Center since 2008-09.
• Sikma is averaging 16.8 points and 10.0 rebounds in WCC play.

• The Pilots are rated No. 47 nationally according to the NCAA RPI as of Jan. 17.

• Portland is ranked No. 14 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 (Jan. 17).

• Portland is No. 2 in the nation in team three-point percentage (.427).

• Mitrovic (59) and Jared Stohl (56) have made the most 3-pointers of any teammates in the nation (115). Mitrovic is No. 2 nationally in 3-point percentage (.504).

• Luke Sikma is leading the WCC and is 12th in the nation in rebounding (10.6).

• Stohl led the nation in three-point percentage last season (.478) and is No. 2 all-time in the WCC in career three-pointers. He currently has 301 career threes and trails only Jeff Fryer (LMU, 363).

• Stohl was named to the 10-player WCC Preseason All-Conference Team.

• Portland returns one starter from last year’s 21-11 squad (Kramer Knutson) along with Sikma and Stohl, both All-WCC honorable mention honorees last season.

• Head coach Eric Reveno returns with his staff for their fifth season together at Portland. He is the third longest tenured head coach in the WCC.

About Santa Clara

• The Broncos (11-9, 2-2 WCC) earned a crucial home win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday by an 85-71 margin.
• RS-sophomore G Kevin Foster erupted for 36 points in the win to lead Santa Clara.
• Previously, the Broncos split a road trip last week with a win over San Diego (61-52) and loss to Saint Mary’s (84-59). SCU lost at home to San Francisco to open league play (74-67).
• Foster leads SCU in scoring at 19.4 ppg, while junior Marc Trasolini adds 11.9 ppg and freshman Evan Roquemore contributes 10.9 ppg.
• Among common non-conference opponents, SCU lost at home in OT to Washington State (85-79) and lost at home UC Santa Barbara (80-69).
• Head coach Kerry Keating is in his fourth year at SCU with a career record of 54-63.
• Santa Clara was picked fourth in the WCC Preseason Coaches Poll.

14-5 Start Second Best in School History
     Portland’s 14-5 record through 19 games is the second best in school history behind the 1978-79 Pilots (15-4). UP also collected its 10th win of the season before Christmas for the first time in school history with victory over Boise State on Dec. 22.

Pilots No. 2 Nationally in Three-Point Percentage
     Portland is second in the nation in team three-point percentage (.427). Last year Portland finished fifth nationally as a team in three-point percentage (.407), while the Pilots finished second nationally in 2008-09 (.418).

Chiles Center Dominance
     The Chiles Center has become quite comfortable for the Pilots over the last three seasons as Portland has rattled off a 35-4 home record. Signature home wins have come against Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Saint Mary’s twice. Portland is off to an 10-0 start at the Chiles Center already this year and have had at least 10-point leads in each of the ten victories.

Stohl/Mitrovic Top Three-Point Combo in the Nation

     Jared Stohl and Nemanja Mitrovic have combined to make 115 three-pointers, the most of any duo in the nation. Mitrovic is tied for eighth (59) in three-pointers made, while Stohl (56) is tied for 13th. Already the Portland leader in career three-pointers made (30`), Stohl moved into second place in the WCC record books after drilling five treys against Utah on Dec. 31. He is now chasing the WCC record of 363 held by Jeff Fryer of LMU (1987-90).

Sikma 12th Nationally in Rebounds
     Senior F Luke Sikma is leading the WCC and ranks No. 12 nationally in rebounding average (10.6). Sikma has corralled double-digit rebounds in 11 games already has eight double-doubles this season to lead the WCC. He matched his career-high with 19 rebounds versus Florida Atlantic on Nov. 14 and grabbed 18 at Idaho on Nov. 20.

Knutson Second in the WCC in Blocked Shots
     Senior C Kramer Knutson ranks second in the WCC in blocked shots (31). Knutson, a four-year starter for Portland, ranks fourth in Pilot history in career field goal percentage (.554) and fifth in blocked shots (63). His 108 career games started are fourth most in school history as he chases the all-time record of 112.

Mitrovic Named WCC Co-Player of the Month
     Junior G Nemanja Mitrovic was named the WCC-Co Player of the Month after leading the Pilots to a 7-1 record in December. He logged three consecutive 20-plus point games to end the month of December. He went 7-of-9 shooting against Boise State on Dec. 22, including 5-for-5 from three-point range for a career-high 22 points. He matched that total on Dec. 27 vs. Nevada as he was 8-for-15 from the field and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc to earn WCC player of the Week honors. The Toronto native scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half against Utah on Dec. 31 to lead a second half comeback. He is No. 2 nationally in three-point percentage (.504) according to NCAA Statistics and has made at least four treys in eight of the last 11 games. Mitrovic has reached double figures in scoring a team-high 16 times this season.

Sikma Climbing UP Charts
     Luke Sikma has put up big numbers in a variety of statistical categories throughout his career on The Bluff and could end up as the school’s career leader in rebounds. He currently ranks fourth in the UP record book with 851 career rebounds. Rick Raivio (1976-80) is the all-time leader with 910 rebounds. Sikma also ranks in the school’s top 10 in blocked shots (4th, 78) and field goal percentage (6th, .537). The Bellevue, Wash. native is also in the Top 20 in career assists (20th, 217) and steals (t-18th, 100).

Stohl Joins 1,000-Point Club
     Senior G Jared Stohl became the 33rd player in school history to eclipse 1,000 career points after his 24-point effort on Sunday versus Florida Atlantic on Nov. 14. Stohl entered the season with 951 points. He ranks 11th in Portland history with 1,216 career points. He is 46 points shy of cracking the Top 10.

Stohl Looks to Make NCAA History
     Junior sharpshooter Jared Stohl led the nation in three-point percentage according to the final 2010 NCAA statistics. The Marysville, Wash. native finished 98-205 (.478) on the season. As a sophomore in 2009, he finished third nationally at 45.6 percent. Stohl can become the first player in NCAA history to lead the country in three-point percentage two years in a row. He is off to a good start at No. 16 nationally (min. 2.5 made per game), going 56-for-126 (.444) through 19 games from beyond the arc.

Stohl Obliterates UP Three-Point Record
     With four three-pointers at Santa Clara on Jan. 30, 2010 Jared Stohl became the Portland career leader in three-pointers made. Stohl now has 301 career threes, 90 more than second place Casey Frandsen (211, 2000-04). Stohl also ranks second in career three-point percentage (.451), trailing only format teammate T.J. Campbell (.478). He led the WCC last season in three-pointers made per game (3.1) and his 98 three-pointers tied for second place in UP single-season history, eight shy of Peter McKelvey’s record from the 1991-92 season. Stohl also owns the UP single-game record by drilling 10 three-pointers on Dec. 22, 2009 against Idaho. He finished 10-for-15 from three-point range for 30 points. He set the previous record by going 9-for-13 against San Francisco on Jan. 15, 2009.

Pilots No. 14 in CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25

     Portland held steady at No. 14 in the Jan. 17 CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. Fellow WCC power Saint Mary’s came in at No. 1 this week and league rival Gonzaga is No. 2.