PORTLAND PILOTS (4-17, 2-8 WCC)
WEEK 13: at Santa Clara / vs. BYU
 
Santa Clara Broncos (9-12, 4-6 WCC)
Day: Thursday
Date: Feb. 2, 2017
Place: Santa Clara, Calif.
Time: 7:00 PM
Gym: Leavey Center
Video: TheW.tv
Stats: SantaClaraBroncos.com
 
POR vs. SCU
Overall: 30-41  •  Last 5/10: 0-5/3-7
H: 15-15  •  A: 11-23  •  N: 4-3
Last: SCU 56, @POR 44 (1/5/2017)
 
Brigham Young Cougars (13-8, 7-3 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Feb. 4, 2017
Place: Portland, Ore.
Time: 2:00 PM
Gym: Chiles Center
Video: TheW.tv
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. BYU
Overall: 4-18  •  Last 5/10: 0-5/0-10
H: 2-9  •  A: 2-8  •  N: 0-1
Last: BYU 84, @POR 59 (2/25/16)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots embark on a road trip to face Santa Clara on Thursday night before returning home to host Brigham Young on Saturday afternoon.
• Thursday night's West Coast Conference contest with the Broncos at the Leavey Center in Santa Clara, Calif., is set for 7 p.m.
• The Cougars then visit the Chiles Center for a 2 p.m. tip on Saturday.
 
LAST WEEK
• The Pilots split their two WCC games last week, defeating the Pepperdine Waves by 20 at home on Thursday before succumbing to the San Diego Toreros in San Diego on Saturday.
• Kaylie Van Loo scored a career-best 19 points against the Waves and Julie Spencer matched a career-high with 14 points.
• Portland set season-highs in both first quarter points (23) and first half points (40).
• The Pilots led the Toreros after the first quarter, but the San Diego defense smothered the Portland offense the rest of the way en route to the win.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Kaylie Van Loo has accomplished a handful of milestones this season, including going 10-for-11 at the free throw line against Gonzaga (Jan. 21); the senior guard becomes the first Pilot to hit 10 free throws in the same game since Cassandra Thompson in March of 2015.
• On Jan. 5 Van Loo just missed matching a program record when she recorded eight steals against Santa Clara; Tami Standish holds the program record of nine steals, which she set in 2000.
• A native of nearby Hillsboro, Ore., Van Loo currently ranks second in the WCC in assists (5.2 apg), is fourth in minutes (36.2) and fifth in steals (2.0); she's averaging a team-best 12.3 points vs. WCC opponents and she registered a career-high 19 points against Pepperdine (Jan. 26).
• Senior Holly Blades is second in the WCC in overall three-pointers (44).
• Blades matched a program record when she buried seven three-pointers, out of just 10 attempts, during Portland's win over UAA at the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 27; Jennifer Wassom is the only other Pilot to notch seven three's in 2005.
• Blades was named to the Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament Team after the Pilots advanced to the title game, with the help of her career-high 21 points against UAA.
• Sophomore Julie Spencer is cleaning up the glass this season, averaging a career-high and team-best 7.4 boards per contest; her career-high 18 rebounds against Pacific (Dec. 31) are the most by a Pilot since Amy Pupa collected 19 during a game in 2013.
• Spencer has scored a career-high 14 points four times and has recorded two double-doubles on the season.
• Fellow sophomore Darian Slaga is also having a stellar second season on The Bluff, leading the team in scoring with a 11.0 points per game mark.
• Slaga, who has come off the bench most game this season, scored a career-high 24 points against UW on Nov. 27; that's the most points scored by a Pilot since Cassandra Brown scored 26 in February of 2015.
• Kaylie Van Loo also throws the javelin for the UP track & field team, and she was the first thrower in Portland women's track & field program history to compete at NCAA Nationals last spring; she earned All-American Honorable Mention with an 18th-place finish at the 2016 NCAA's.
• Van Loo just missed qualifying for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials by one spot.
• Third-year head coach Cheryl Sorenson, who was previously an assistant for the Pilots, assumed the reins of the program after long-time head coach Jim Sollars retired following the 2013-14 season.
• Sorenson starred collegiately at Washington and was a high school All-American at nearby Clackamas High School.
• Portland has been to four NCAA Tournaments (1994-97), two WNIT's (1998 & 2009) and one WBI (2010).
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The Broncos topped the Pilots 56-44 at the Chiles Center on Jan. 5.
• Santa Clara has lost four straight, is averaging 61.9 points per game and is allowing 62.3
• Sophomore guard Emily Wolph leads four Broncos scoring in double figures, averaging 12.8 points; she's tops in the WCC in three-pointers with 51.
• SCU is led by first-year head coach Bill Carr, who was most recently the men's head coach at Point Loma Nazarene.
• This is the first meeting between the Pilots and BYU this season.
• Junior guard Cassie Broadhead leads the WCC in scoring (19.1), while the Cougars are averaging 67.2 per contest as a team, and holding the opposition to 62.3.
• Jeff Judkins is in his 16th year as head coach and has led the Cougars to the NCAA Tourney eight times.