Complete Release (pdf)  I  at Pacific: Live Video  Live Stats  I  at Saint Mary's: Live Video ($)  Live Stats
 
PORTLAND PILOTS (7-4, 0-0 WCC)
at PACIFIC TIGERS (5-5, 0-0 WCC)
Date: Saturday, December 28, 2013
Tip-off: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Stockton, Calif.
Arena (Capacity): Spanos Center (6,150)
Live Video: PacificTigers.com
Live Stats: PacificTigers.com
 
POR vs. PAC
Overall Series: 6-2
Here: 3-0
There: 2-2
Neutral: 1-0
Last 5/10: 5-0/6-2
Last 1: POR 86, @PAC 73 - Dec. 19, 2010
 
PORTLAND PILOTS (7-4, 0-0 WCC)
at SAINT MARY'S GAELS (10-1, 0-0 WCC)
Date: Monday, December 30, 2013
Tip-off: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Moraga, Calif.
Arena (Capacity): McKeon Pavilion (5,000)
Live Video ($): SMCGaels.com
Live Stats: SMCGaels.com
 
POR vs. SMC
Overall Series: 20-36
Here: 13-13
There: 6-20
Neutral: 1-3
Last 5/10: 0-5/1-9
Last 1: SMC 54, POR 51 - March 8, 2013 (@Las Vegas)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Portland Pilots open play in the West Coast Conference with games on the road against the Pacific Tigers and the Saint Mary's Gaels.
• First in the conference opener on Saturday, the Pilots will face league newcomer Pacific in Stockton, Calif., at the Spanos Center at 2 p.m.
• Portland will then head to Moraga, Calif., on Monday for a 6 p.m. game against the Gaels at McKeon Pavilion.
 
LAST WEEK
• The Pilots won both their games last week, defeating Cal Poly 83-76 at the Chiles Center on Wednesday night before winning 76-49 at Portland State on Saturday.
• Cassandra Brown averaged 22.5 points per game and she scored 17 points during UP's game-ending 27-1 run against the Vikings; Brown finished with 24 points overall against PSU.
• Against the Mustangs, Brown converted the go-ahead lay-up with just under a minute left, was a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line and poured in 21 points overall.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Cassandra Brown has scored 20 or more points in three of the past four games, averaging 20.8 points during that span; Brown, who usually comes off the bench for the Pilots, is averaging a career-best 16.8 points per game, which ranks sixth in the WCC.
• Brown, a redshirt-junior, missed all of last season while recovering from off-season surgery.
• Earlier this season Kari Luttinen became the first UP player to score 20 points or more in three straight games since Natalie Day in January of 2012; Luttinen posted 20 points against Columbia (Nov. 29), 21 against Oregon State (Dec. 6) and a career-high 25 points vs. Boise State (Dec. 8).
• On Nov. 15 in Seattle, Portland notched the program's first ever win against the Washington Huskies with a 91-77 victory.
• The Pilots match a program record with 15 three's against the Huskies, while the 91 points were the most for the Pilots since also scoring 91 against Washington State in 2010.
• Four Pilots are averaging double figures in scoring (Brown, Luttinen, Byrd, Wooton) and two Pilots (Thompson, Pupa) are averaging at least seven rebounds per game.
• The Pilots returned 11 letterwinners and four starters from 2012-13.
• Portland's roster features three newcomers, which includes 2012 Alaska State High School Player of the Year Hannah Mattson and freshman transfer guard Kaylie Van Loo, who comes to UP from the University of Idaho where she was briefly on the track & field team; Van Loo must sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules.
• Head coach Jim Sollars is in his 28th year at the helm of the Pilots and the victory over Seattle on Nov. 24 was career win No. 400 at the NCAA Division I level; last Saturday's game at PSU was coach's 800th career game at the helm of the Pilots.
• Sollars ranks second all-time in WCC wins (164) and he's been named league coach of the year an unprecedented five times.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT(s)
• The Tigers are 5-5 after navigating through a tough non-conference schedule; earlier this month Pacific lost to #21 Cal in overtime before coming up just short (73-66) against #23 Florida State.
• Junior forward Kendall Kenyon is averaging team-bests of 18.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.
• The Gaels are 10-1 and have won nine straight against the Pilots; Portland's last win in the series came at the Chiles Center in 2009.
• Senior guard Jackie Nared (21.8 ppg) leads the conference in scoring, while senior forward Danielle Mauldin (18.5 ppg, 13.7 rpg) is the league's top rebounder.
• The Gaels are averaging a league-high 82.6 points per game.
 
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE O
• The Pilots are clicking offensively this season, averaging 74.4 points per game, which is fourth-best in the WCC.
• Portland has already scored 80 or more points four times this year after accomplishing that feat just once last year.
• The 91 points against Washington were the most points scored by the Pilots since also putting up 91 points against Washington State in 2010.
• Four Pilots are averaging double figures in points, led by Cassandra Brown (16.8 ppg), who ranks sixth in the WCC in scoring.
• Brown, Alexis Byrd, Kari Luttinen and Jasmine Wooton all have games of 20 or more points this season.
 
CB FOR 3
• Cassandra Brown is enjoying a break-out season after missing all of last year while recovering from off-season surgery.
• The redshirt-junior guard leads the Pilots in scoring (16.8 ppg) and she's scored 20 or more points during three of the past four games, averaging 20.8 points during that span.
• She ranks fourth in the WCC in free throw shooting (.818) and she's sixth in scoring.
• During the 91-77 win at Washington, she registered her first career double-double with 28 points and 12 boards, while also burying six three-pointers.
 
ANOTHER MILESTONE
• Chalk up another milestone for Portland head coach Jim Sollars, who is in his 28th year at the helm of the Pilots and in his 38th year overall as a head coach.
• Portland's win over Seattle on Nov. 24 was career No. 400 at the NCAA DI level for Sollars, who previously coached at Portland State.
• Last Saturday marked another milestone for coach as it was Sollars' 800th career game at the helm of the Pilots.
 
THE BLOGGER
• Junior guard Kari Luttinen has taken on blogging duties for the Pilots this season, so visit PortlandPilots.com/WBBblog to follow Kari and the Pilots and year long.