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Portland Pilots (9-13, 3-6) vs San Francisco Dons (10-9, 4-5)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Portland, Ore.
Arena: Chiles Center (4,852)
TV: Comcast SportsNet NW
Radio: 910 ESPN-Portland (KMTT)
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com

POR vs. USF Series
Overall: 27-55
At POR: 17-21
At USF: 9-31
Neutral: 1-3
Last 1: USF 107, POR 95 (Dec. 31, 2015 at San Francisco)

COMING UP
• Portland opens the second half of West Coast Conference play at home this week against the San Francisco Dons and Santa Clara Broncos. The Pilots host the Dons on Thursday at 7 p.m. and then welcome the Broncos on Saturday at 7 p.m.
• This week the National Association of Basketball Coaches is teaming with the American Cancer Society for the annual Suits and Sneakers Awareness Week. Portland coaches will be wearing sneakers to raise cancer awareness for both games, as well as bringing awareness to The Bravery Project on Saturday.

TICKET INFORMATION
• Tickets can be purchased through all Ticketmaster outlets or at the door.
• Mini packs and group packs are still available for the 2015-16 season. Click here for ticket package options and pricing.
 
PROMOTIONS
• Thursday will feature the fan favorite Halftime Mile. Members of Portland's track & field team will take to the Chiles Center mezzanine track and run for PR's in front a vocal local crowd.
• Saturday is Mascot Night with various local mascots visiting the Chiles Center to partake in the fun. YMCA kids will receive free admission on Saturday, while parents will get $5 general admission tickets.
• Portland's all-you-can-eat Pregame Pasta Feed will be open one before tip-off both games on Chiles Center mezzanine. Admission is $8 and includes pasta, salad, desserts and beverages.
• The Pilot Club space on the south mezzanine will remain open during the game through the 12-minute mark of the second half. Pilot Club members will have open access to the space and will receive one free beverage of choice per game. A Pilot Club Gameday Pass is available for $5 for non-Pilot Club members. The pass will include one free drink token that can be used for beer or soda on that date. The space will be open to all ages and have beverage service start-to-finish. Re-entry will be allowed throughout the game and snacks will be provided after tip-off.
• For a complete list of promotional events for the upcoming season, click here.

GAME COVERAGE
• Thursday's game is televised live on Comcast SportsNet Northwest, while Saturday's game will be an enhanced broadcast on CampusInsiders.com. Travis Demers and Bill Krueger will be on the call for both games.
• All Pilot games are on the radio on the home of the Pilots, 910 ESPN-Portland (KMTT) with a 30-minute pregame show and Jason Swygard calling the action. Online audio and live stats will be available at PortlandPilots.com.

ABOUT THE PILOTS
• The Pilots (9-13, 3-6 WCC) closed the first half of league play tied for seventh in the standings with LMU and Santa Clara. Portland was swept by Pacific (70-61) and league-leading Saint Mary's (89-74) last week on the road. After opening WCC play with a pair of wins over Pepperdine and LMU, the Pilots have lost 6-of-7 games, with the lone win at home over BYU.
• Junior PG Alec Wintering scored his 1,000th career point in Saturday's loss at Saint Mary's to become the 38th player in school history to accomplish the feat.
• Sophomore G D'Marques Tyson has hit four or more three-pointers in each of the last three games and is averaging 17.0 points per game off the bench in those games.
• Portland is now 1-9 away from Chiles Center with the lone win at Portland State.
• Wintering earlier became the first player in Portland history with consecutive 30-point games. He finished with 31 points at San Francisco, including 15-of-15 at the foul line. He was previously named the WCC Player of the Week after dropping a career-high 34 against Pepperdine on Dec. 23.
• A three-year starter and Preseason All-WCC selection, Wintering is averaging a team-best 17.7 points and is second in the WCC in steals (1.7) and ranks fifth in assists (5.4). His 21.0 points per game in WCC play ranks third overall.
• Portland is 25th nationally in three-pointers made per game (9.4). The Pilots lead the WCC steals (7.5) and rank second in three-pointers made and turnover margin (+2.5).
• Portland is attempting 25.2 three-pointers per game, including 40 against Colorado State. That broke the previous Pilot single-game record of 34 attempts.
• Portland has played up-tempo basketball and attempted 80 field goals against UC Davis, the most since the team hoisted 84 on Nov. 25, 2001 against Duke.
• Coach Eric Reveno has a deep bench with 11 players averaging nine or more minutes.
• Pressley, also a three-year starter, is averaging a career-best 14.2 points per game, including 30 in the season opener versus Oregon Tech.
• Reveno returns seven lettermen from a 2014-15 squad that finished 17-16 overall and earned an invitation to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. 
• The Pilots were picked fifth in the West Coast Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.

ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO
• The Dons (10-9, 4-5 WCC) defeated rival Santa Clara Thursday on the road and are tied for fifth place in the WCC standings at the midway point.
• Sophomore PG Devin Watson is second in the WCC in scoring (20.4) and sixth in assists (5.3), while senior G Tim Derksen averages 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds.
• San Francisco scores 76.4 points per game, but allow 76.6 and are last in the WCC in three-point defense (.379).
• Head coach Rex Walters is in his eighth season at USF and has led the Dons to three postseason appearances, including the NIT in the 2013-14 season.
• Earlier this season, San Francisco overcame a 15-point second half deficit against the Pilots to record a 107-95 victory on Dec. 31.

A HIGH-SCORING AFFAIR LAST TIME USF-PORTLAND MET
• Portland's 62 first half points score against San Francisco marked the highest scoring half against a Division I opponent in school history, matching the school record set against Southern Oregon on Dec. 9, 1995.
• The 107 points allowed against San Francisco are the most for Portland since giving up 110 in a 114-110 win over BYU in triple overtime on Jan. 13, 2014.
• It was the first 100-point game allowed in regulation since San Francisco beat the Pilots 104-70 on Jan. 12, 2012 and the most allowed in regulation since a 109-88 defeat by Pepperdine on Jan. 19, 2002.

PILOTS HELPING BRING CANCER AWARENESS
• The NABC is teaming with the American Cancer Society for the annual Suits and Sneakers Awareness Week. Portland coaches will be wearing sneakers to raise cancer awareness for both games this week.
• Additionally, Portland will have Kara Larson present the game ball and a customized scarf to Coach Reveno prior to Saturday's tip-off. Larson, a boutique owner and clothing designer in Portland, was diagnosed with cancer in spring, 2015.
• Larson launched the Bravery Project PDX to use her passion for design to help support future cancer patients and further research for small cell cancer. The project sells scarves with proceeds benefitting Providence Cancer Center. For more information on the initiative, visit www.braverypdx.wordpress.com or follow @Bravery_PDX on Twitter.

HOME/ROAD SPLITS
• Portland is 8-4 at home and 1-7 in true road games this season. The Pilots are also 0-2 in neutral site games.
• In home games the Pilots average 81.2 points, allow 73.1 points, shoot 45 percent overall and opponents shoot 41 percent.
• In road games the script has flipped with the Pilots averaging 73.5 and allowing 83.9. Portland shoots just 40 percent, while opponents shoot 48 percent.

WINTERING JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB
• Alec Wintering scored 13 points on Saturday at Saint Mary's and now has 1,003 career point. He becomes the 38th player in school history to score 1,000 or more points.
• Earlier in WCC play Alec Wintering became the first Pilot with back-to-back 30-point games in school history.
• The Charlotte, N.C. native scored a career-high 34 points against Pepperdine on Dec. 23 to earn WCC Player of the Week honors. That was followed by erupting for 31 points, four rebounds, four assists and zero turnovers against San Francisco on Dec. 31.
• Wintering was a perfect 15-of-15 from the free throw line against USF, falling one short of the school record for free throws without a miss in a single game (Rick Raivio, 16-16, Jan. 5, 1980 vs. San Francisco).
• Wintering's 21.0 points per game in WCC play is third overall.
• He is No. 2 all-time for UP in assists per game (5.2), No. 4 in three-point percentage (.418), No. 5 in total assists (428) and No. 8 in steals (129).

TYSON PROVIDES INSTANT OFFENSE
• Sophomore G D'Marques Tyson has provided instant offense coming off the bench all season long, that production has increased the last three games.
• Tyson is averaging 17.0 points per game since scoring 21 points in the win over BYU on Jan. 16. He hit five three-pointers in that game, four against Pacific and then five more against Saint Mary's.
• Tyson leads the Pilots and ranks fifth in the WCC with 2.4 threes made per game. That averaged has jumped to 2.8 per game in league play.
• He has now drained four or more three-pointers seven times and three or more in 11 games.
• Tyson's 21.2 points per 40 minutes are second on the Pilot roster to Wintering (23.4).
• Perhaps most impressive has been Tyson's improved defense. He was the primary defender against BYU's Kyle Collinsworth as the Pilots held him to 10 points on 4-of-17 shooting.

FREE THROW STRUGGLES SUBSIDE
• Portland entered its Dec. 31 game at San Francisco shooting just 64.3 percent from the free throw line as a team.
• The Pilots made their first 17 attempts of the game and finished 25-of-28 overall. UP now leads the league in free throw percentage in WCC games (.796).
• Alec Wintering, who was shooting a career-low 67 percent entering the USF game has now made all 51-of-his-last-54 attempts and now sits at 77.0 percent.

PRESSLEY IMPRESSES
• Senior G Bryce Pressley finished each of the last two seasons among the top five in the WCC in three-point field goal percentage and he ranks fifth in three-pointers made and 12th in percentage this season.
• Pressley opened the year with a career-high 30 points and eight three-pointers against Oregon Tech. He also scorched LMU with seven three-pointers and 25 points and followed with 15 points and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc against Pepperdine.
• The son of former Villanova NCAA Champion and NBA guard Harold Pressley, Bryce is closing in on 1,000 career points. He currently has 942 career points, but his value has been in his versatility.
• Pressley ranks sixth in UP history for three-point percentage (.409), seventh in three-pointers made (142), 12th in assists (285), t-15th in career steals (105) and 19th in blocked shots (42).

BACKCOURT ERUPTS AGAINST BYU
• Three Pilot guards combined to score 64 points in the win over BYU on Jan. 16.
• Alec Wintering and Bryce Pressley and D'Marques Tyson each eclipsed the 20-point mark and all made big plays throughout. Trailing by five midway through the second half, each hit a three-pointer in succession to give Portland the lead that they would not relinquish.
• Wintering finished with 22 points, Pressley had 21 and Tyson had a season-high 21.

LATE GAME STRUGGLES
• Portland has had late-game struggles all season and Thursday at Pacific was another example. The Pilots tied the game at Pacific four times, but came up empty on nine possessions late that would have given them the lead.
• Portland led by 15 late at San Francisco, but went scoreless over the final 3:40 as the Dons were able to pull away.
• The Pilots led 61-60 with 8:06 left at Santa Clara, but went just 2-for-14 from the field the rest of the game in the loss.
• The Pilots had two shots to win before the buzzer in an 80-79 loss to Southern Illinois at the Corpus Christi Coastal Classic, but both missed.
• Idaho State got a tip-in in the closing seconds for a 66-65 win over the Pilots, while Weber State hit contested three-pointer with 0.8 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, which they would go on to win by a 92-82 margin.
• Portland also was tied with Boise State with 5:15 remaining, but suffered a nearly four-minute scoring drought in the 81-71 loss.

LMU VICTORY LARGEST MARGIN SINCE 2010
• Portland's 87-60 win over LMU Monday night was the largest margin of victory for the Pilots against a WCC opponent since a 79-39 defeat of LMU on Jan. 21, 2010.
• The Pilots trailed 19-11 early, but used a 23-0 run to take the lead and held the Lions without a field goal for 9:02 late in the first half.

FAMILIAR FACES ON THE BENCH
• Head Coach Eric Reveno picked up a pair of his former players to join the coaching staff this offseason. Mitch Johnson, a former Stanford point guard, comes on as an assistant coach, while former Pilot center Kramer Knutson also joined the staff as director of basketball operations.
 
JOHNSON BREAKS OUT
• Freshman PG Jazz Johnson scored a season high 22 points against San Francisco, eclipsing his previous high of 14 scored against Oregon Tech in the season opener.
• He was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 at the foul line for 14 first half points.
• Johnson was a high-scoring prep player out of Lake Oswego High School in Lake Oswego, Ore. He broke the prestigious Les Schwab Invitational tournament scoring record by averaging 35.0 points per game over four games.

1996 NCAA TOURNEY TEAM RETURNS
• Portland's 1995-96 squad that won the WCC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament was back on campus Jan. 15-17 celebrating its 20-year anniversary.
• The team finished 19-11 and defeated Gonzaga in the WCC Finals, avenging a loss to the Bulldogs in the 1995 tourney title game.
• The Pilots were bounced in the NCAA first round by nationally-ranked Villanova with star guard and future NBA standout, Kerry Kittles.
• Members of the team and support staff had a pregame luncheon and then were recognized during the first half of Portland's win over BYU in front of a sold out crowd.

PILOTS REMEMBER LONGTIME RADIO ANNOUNCER, BILL JOHNSON
• Bill Johnson, the radio play-by-play voice of the University of Portland's men's basketball program for 23 years, died of heart failure on Sunday, Nov. 29 at the age of 71.
• A memorial service in Johnson's honor took place on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at the Chapel of Christ the Teacher on the UP campus. The entire Pilots team, coaching staff, school administrators, family and friends paid their respects.
• His distinguished broadcasting career spanned six decades and included various radio and TV positions in the Portland market. He served as the basketball play-by-play voice at various times throughout his career with the Oregon, Linfield, Lewis & Clark and Sonoma State. He also was with the Portland Trail Blazers from 1974-76. Johnson's football play-by-play experience included time with Oregon, Portland State and Lewis & Clark College and most recently with Linfield College.
• Johnson had three stints with the Pilots, first with the 1977-78 team and then a 16-year run from 1986-01 which included Portland's run to the 1996 NCAA Tournament. He re-joined the Pilots for the last six seasons.

PILOTS ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP WITH COMCAST SPORTSNET
• Portland and Comcast SportsNet announced a partnership that will televise eight upcoming Pilot events, including the Jan. 28 men's basketball game versus San Francisco.
• Three women's basketball games and four baseball games will also be aired.
• This is in addition to the monthly 30-minute show, 'Portside with the Pilots' which showcases student-athlete profiles, alumni spotlights, top plays, and behind-the-scenes access to Pilot Athletics.
• All episodes are archived at YouTube.com/PortlandPilots.

PILOTS INK MULTI-YEAR DEAL WITH 910 ESPN-PORTLAND
• Portland and Entercom Portland, LLC will continue their men's basketball partnership for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons on 910 ESPN-Portland (KMTT). In addition to live coverage of all exhibition, regular season, and postseason games, a weekly one-hour Portland Pilots Basketball Show featuring head coach Eric Reveno will be produced every Monday night at 7 p.m. throughout the basketball season.