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PORTLAND PILOTS (8-5, 1-1 WCC)
vs. GONZAGA BULLDOGS (11-3, 1-1 WCC)
Date: Friday, January 3, 2014
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Portland, Ore.
Arena (Capacity): Chiles Center (4,852)
Live Video: PilotsVideo.com
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. GON
Overall Series: 27-40
Here: 14-17
There: 10-21
Neutral: 3-2
Last 5/10: 0-5/1-9
Last 1: @GON 59, POR 56 (Feb. 28, 2013)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Portland Pilots return home to the Chiles Center this week to host northwest rival Gonzaga in a West Coast Conference game on Friday night at 7 p.m.
• The Bulldogs, who are receiving votes in the most recent coaches' poll after being nationally ranked for most of the season, have won nine straight against the Pilots.
 
LAST WEEK
• The Pilots opened conference play by splitting a pair of road games in Northern California.
• First on Saturday, Jasmine Wooton scored 36 points to lead the Pilots to a 73-65 win over the Pacific Tigers in Stockton.
• The Pilots led by double digits for most of the second half, and the 36 points are the most scored by a Pilot since 1991; Cassandra Brown matched a career-high with 12 boards.
• On Monday night, the Pilots led at the half at Saint Mary's before opening a nine-point lead, but the Gaels rallied for an 80-65 win.
• Brown's 25 points led the way for the Pilots.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Portland's 8-5 start to the season is the best after 13 games since 2010-11, when the Pilots began the year 9-4.
• Jasmine Wooton exploded for a career-high 36 points during a 73-65 win at Pacific on Dec. 28; it's the most points scored by a Pilot since Martha Sheldon also scored 36 in 1991.
• Cassandra Brown has scored 20 or more points in four of the past six games, averaging 19.0 points during that span; Brown, who usually comes off the bench for the Pilots, is averaging a career-best 16.6 points per game, which ranks fifth 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).
• Both Luttinen, who was Portland's leading scorer last season with a 12.5 per game mark, and Brown have scored in double figures 11 times this year.
• On Nov. 15 in Seattle, Portland notched the program's first ever win against the Washington Huskies with a 91-77 victory.
• The Pilots matched 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.
• 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; Portland's game at PSU on Dec. 21 was coach's 800th career game at the helm of the Pilots.
• Sollars ranks second all-time in WCC wins (165) and he's been named league coach of the year an unprecedented five times.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT(s)
• The Bulldogs dropped a heartbreaker 79-78 in overtime at Saint Mary's last week before bouncing back for an 83-68 win at Pacific.
• Senior guard Haiden Palmer leads Gonzaga in scoring with a 15.9 points per game mark and is one of three Bulldogs scoring in double figures.
• One-time Portland assistant Kelly Graves is in his 14th year at the helm of the Bulldogs and he has led Gonzaga to nine straight WCC titles.
 
THAT'S A LOT OF POINTS
• Junior guard Jasmine Wooton had a historic day last week when she erupted for 36 points during a 73-65 win at Pacific.
• The 36 points are the most scored by a Pilot since Martha Sheldon also scored 36 back in 1991, and Wooton is the first Portland player to score 30 or more points since Cassandra Brown dropped 32 on Santa Clara at the WCC Tourney on March 1, 2012.
• Wooton also hit 10 free throws against the Tigers, the most by a Pilot since Alexis Byrd in 2011, and she hit a career-best six three-pointers.
 
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE O
• The Pilots are clicking offensively this season, averaging 73.5 points per game, which is fifth-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.
• Cassandra 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 (16.6 ppg) and she's scored 20 or more points during four of the past six games, averaging 19.0 points during that span.
• She ranks fifth in the WCC in scoring and is seventh in free throw shooting (.817).
• 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.
• Portland's game at Portland State on Dec. 21 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.