PORTLAND PILOTS (4-11, 0-4 WCC)
WEEK 9: vs. Gonzaga / at Pacific
 
Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-4, 4-0 WCC)
Day: Thursday
Date: Jan. 11, 2018
Place: Portland, Ore.
Time: 7:00 PM
Gym: Chiles Center
Live Video: TheWtv.com
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. GON
Overall: 27-48  •  Last 5/10: 0-5/0-10
H: 14-21  •  A: 10-25  •  N: 3-2
Last: GON 85, @POR 50 (1/21/17)
 
Pacific Tigers (6-9, 0-4 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Jan. 13, 2018
Place: Stockton, Calif.
Time: 2:00 PM
Gym: Spanos Center
Live Video: TheWtv.com
Live Stats: PacificTigers.com
 
POR vs. PAC
Overall: 8-9  •  Last 5/10: 1-4/3-7
H: 3-4  •  A: 4-4  •  N: 1-1
Last: POR 78, @PAC 71 (ot) (2/16/17)
 
THIS WEEK
• It's another split week for the Pilots who first host Gonzaga on Thursday night at the Chiles Center before traveling to Stockton, Calif., to face the Pacific Tigers on Saturday.
• Tip-off for the Pilots and Bulldogs is set for 7 p.m., while Saturday's tilt with the Tigers at the Spanos Center is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
LAST WEEK
• Portland dropped a pair of tight contests last week, succumbing to San Diego 59-52 on the road on Thursday before Santa Clara escaped the Chiles Center with a 50-43 win on Saturday.
• The Pilots led the Toreros by four entering the final frame before San Diego rallied for the win; Darian Slaga scored a team-high 16 points for Portland.
• Saturday's game with Santa Clara was close throughout until the Broncos took a 10-point lead with a minute left.
• The Pilots then forced three straight turnovers and scored eight unanswered points to cut the deficit to just two, but the Broncos were finally able to break the press and seal the win at the free throw line.
• Julie Spencer collected her third double-double on the year with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• The 101 points scored by the Pilots against Saint Francis on Dec. 20 mark the first time the Pilots reached the century mark since 1997 when they scored 104 against Idaho.
• The 106-101 loss to the Red Flash was also the first game to go to double overtime for the Pilots since a 78-73 win at Pepperdine in 2011.
• Darian Slaga's career-best 27 points, which came on 10-for-14 shooting, against Saint Francis are the most scored by a Pilot since Cassandra Brown poured in 30 at Pepperdine on Jan. 17, 2015.
• Portland's game vs. Weber State on Dec. 17 was the 100th in the career for head coach Cheryl Sorenson, who is in her fourth year at the helm of the Pilots.
• Portland opened the campaign at 3-0, which was start to a season since the 2010-11 squad opened 4-0.
• The Pilots rank in the top five of the West Coast Conference in a handful of categories, including free throw percentage (4th, .698), offensive rebounds (4th, 14.7), rebounding defense (5th, 35.3 rpg), and rebounding margin (5th, +4.3).
• Individually, Julie Spencer is sixth in the WCC in offensive rebounds (2.8) and ninth in field goal percentage (.486); during league play Spencer is third in scoring (18.0), and the 12 field goals she hit at Cal State Fullerton are the second most in a game by a WCC player this season.
• Sara Zaragoza is seventh in blocks (0.9), Maddie Muhlheim is eighth in three-pointers made (22), and Rachelle Owens is eighth in assists (3.7).
• On Portland's all-time single season charts, the 14.7 offensive rebounds averaged by the Pilots rank number one.
• The Pilots are a young squad with seven newcomers, which features six true freshmen and a junior transfer.
• Portland's top returning scorer and rebounder from last season is junior forward Julie Spencer, who averaged career bests of 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest as a sophomore; her 18 rebounds during a game vs. Pacific (12/29/16) were the most boards by a Pilot since 2013.
• Spencer has three double-doubles this season, including 18 points and 12 rebounds against Santa Clara last Saturday.
• Redshirt-senior Rachelle Owens, who only appeared in one game last year before an injury cut her season short, scored a career-high 14 points last weekend at San Francisco; she handed out a career-best seven assists vs. Utah Valley earlier this season.
• Junior guard Darian Slaga missed a handful of games recently with an injury, but she returned on Nov. 28 to hit three three-pointers and score 15 points off the bench against Portland State; Slaga is second on the team in scoring (12.1 ppg) and she poured in a career-best 27 points against Saint Francis.
• Slaga currently ranks third all-time at UP in career free throw percentage (.808).
• 2017-18 marks the fourth year for head coach Cheryl Sorenson, who was previously an assistant for the Pilots; she assumed the reins of the program after long-time head coach Jim Sollars retired following the 2013-14 season.
• Sorenson, who starred collegiately at the Washington, 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 Gonzaga Bulldogs, who have won six straight, sit on top of the WCC standings at 11-4 overall and 4-0 in the conference.
• The Zags are second in the WCC in points per game (72.9) and points per game allowed (61.4).
• Junior forward Jill Barta leads the league in both scoring (19.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg); she also leads with eight double-doubles
• Former GU assistant Lisa Fortier is in her fourth season as head coach of the Bulldogs, who have reached nine NCAA tournaments, including 2017.
• The Pacific Tigers are 6-9 overall and 0-4 in the WCC.
• The Tigers lead the conference in scoring offense (76.3 ppg) but are 10th in scoring defense (78.7 ppg).
• Senior guard GeAnna Luaulu-Summers is one of four Tigers averaging in double-points, scoring a team-high 15.6 per game.
• Freshman forward Anaya Brooklyn McDavid is the team's top rebounder (7.5 rpg).
• Head coach Bradley Davis is in his third season at the helm of the program.