PORTLAND PILOTS (4-13, 0-6 WCC)
WEEK 10: vs. San Diego / LMU
 
San Diego Toreros (10-7, 3-3 WCC)
Day: Thursday
Date: Jan. 18, 2018
Place: Portland, Ore.
Time: 7:00 PM
Gym: Chiles Center
Live Video: TheW.tv
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. USD
Overall:  32-41  •  Last 5/10: 0-5/1-9
H: 17-15  •  A: 10-22  •  N: 5-4
Last: @USD 59, POR 52 (1/4/18)
 
Loyola Marymount Lions (11-6, 3-3 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Jan. 20, 2018
Place: Portland, Ore.
Time: 2:00 PM
Gym: Chiles Center
Live Video: TheW.tv
Live Stats: PortlandPilot.com
 
POR vs. LMU
Overall: 32-31  •  Last 5/10: 1-4/4-6
H: 20-10  •  A: 12-18  •  N: 0-3
Last: @POR 71, LMU 56 (2/11/17)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots play at the friendly confines of the Chiles Center twice this week when they host the San Diego Toreros on Thursday night and the Loyola Marymount Lions on Saturday afternoon in a pair of West Coast Conference games.
• Tip-off with the Toreros is 7 p.m. on Thursday, while Saturday's game with the Lions is slated to begin at 2 p.m.
• A live stream is available for both games on TheW.tv, and Saturday's game will be followed by an autograph zone.
 
LAST WEEK
• Portland dropped a 70-56 decision to Gonzaga at home last Thursday before Pacific overcame the Pilots 91-55 in Stockton, Calif., on Saturday.
• The Zags only led the Pilots by three at the half but out-scored Portland 24-12 in the third quarter en route to the victory.
• Darian Slaga scored a team-high 14 points against the Bulldogs and she added 10 more against the Tigers on Saturday.
 
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 are third in the WCC in free throw percentage (70.5) and rank fifth in rebounding margin (+2.9).
• Individually, Julie Spencer is sixth in field goal percentage (.465), eighth in offensive rebounds (2.7) and 13th in scoring (12.6 ppg); 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 the WCC in blocks (0.9), Slaga is seventh in three-pointers per game (1.9) and Maddie Muhlheim is ninth in three's (1.4).
• On Portland's all-time single season charts, the 14.1 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 on Jan. 6.
• 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 earlier this season 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 (.812).
• 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 San Diego Toreros split last weekend, losing at home to Pacific 81-68 before winning 60-54 at LMU.
• The Toreros are out-scoring their opponents by an average of 68.2 to 64.2, and they lead the WCC in both turnover margin (+2.9) and forced turnovers (17.9)
• Senior guard Aubrey Ward-El (14.7 ppg) is one of three Toreros scoring in double-figures, while fifth-year senior and Preseason All-WCC selection Maya Hood is averaging 12.6 points and 7.0 rebounds.
• 13th-year head coach Cindy Fisher has led USD to 20 wins in five of the last six seasons.
• On Jan. 4 the Pilots took a four-point lead into the fourth quarter at San Diego, but the Toreros rallied for a 59-52 win.
• After winning their first three WCC games, the Loyola Marymount Lions have lost their last three by an average of 11.3 points.
• The Lions are averaging 70.2 points per game and allowing 65.1.
• Junior guard Cheyanne Wallace (16.0 ppg) is fourth in the conference in scoring, while junior forward Bree Alford (9.2 rpg) is the league's top rebounder.
• Gabby Green (3.1 spg) is tops in the WCC in steals and Makenzie Cast (2.3) leads the way in three's.
• Charity Elliott is in her sixth year as head coach at LMU.