PORTLAND PILOTS (4-15, 0-8 WCC)
WEEK 11: at Gonzaga / vs. Saint Mary's
 
Gonzaga Bulldogs (15-4, 8-0 WCC)
Day: Thursday
Date: Jan. 25, 2018
Place: Spokane, Wash.
Time: 6:00 PM
Gym: McCarthey Athletic Center
Live Video: TheW.tv
Live Stats: GoZags.com
 
POR vs. GON
Overall:  27-49  •  Last 5/10: 0-5/0-10
H: 14-22  •  A: 10-25  •  N: 3-2
Last: GON 70, @POR 56 (1/11/18)
 
Saint Mary's Gaels (13-6, 6-2 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Jan. 27, 2018
Place: Portland, Ore.
Time: 2:00 PM
Gym: Chiles Center
Live Video: TheW.tv
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. SMC
Overall: 20-44  •  Last 5/10: 0-5/0-10
H: 13-17  •  A: 6-24  •  N: 1-3
Last: SMC 75, POR 65 (2/9/17)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots face a challenging week as they first travel to Spokane, Wash., to play the first-place Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday night before coming home to host second-place Saint Mary's on Saturday.
• Tip-off for the Bulldogs and Pilots at the McCarthey Athletic Center is set for 6 p.m., while game time with the Gaels at the Chiles Center on Saturday is 2 p.m.
• Saturday's game with the Gaels will be followed by Portland's Annual Father-Daughter Clinic, which allows kids in the eighth grade and younger and their fathers or guardians to play like the Pilots and participate in drills with the team and the Portland coaching staff.
• Father-Daughter Clinic participants are asked to register in advance by emailing Alex Fisher at fishera@up.edu.
 
LAST WEEK
• Darian Slaga scored 19 points and the Pilots hung around for most of the night, but the San Diego held off Portland in the second half to win 75-60 last Thursday at the Chiles Center.
• Portland finished with more field goals (23-21) than San Diego, but the Toreros held a lopsided 27-12 advantage in free throws.
• On Saturday Kate Andersen scored a game-high 16 points and her two free throws gave the Pilots a lead in the closing minute against Loyola Marymount, but Mackenzie Cast hit what would prove to be a game-winning three-pointer with 23 seconds remaining to allow the Lions to escape the Chiles Center with a 63-60 victory.
• Andersen connected on 10 free throws en route to her game-high in points, and the Pilots out-rebounded their 13th opponent this year with a 36-32 edge on the glass.
 
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 (71.1) and rank fourth in offensive rebounds (13.9).
• On Portland's all-time single season charts, the 14.1 offensive rebounds averaged by the Pilots rank number one.
• The 12 field goals Julie Spencer hit at Cal State Fullerton are the second most in a game by a WCC player this season.
• Spencer has three double-doubles this season, including 18 points and 12 rebounds against Santa Clara on Jan. 6.
• Spencer is Portland's top returning scorer and rebounder from last season after averaged career bests of 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest as a sophomore; her 18 boards during a game vs. Pacific (12/29/16) were the most boards by a Pilot since 2013.
• 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 (12.2 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 (.813).
• 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 at San Francisco (12/30); she handed out a career-best seven assists vs. Utah Valley earlier this season.
• The Pilots are a young squad with seven newcomers, which features six true freshmen and a junior transfer.
• 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 are riding a 10-game winning streak, are receiving votes in the latest AP poll.
• The Zags are averaging 72.7 point per game and lead the WCC in scoring margin (13.1).
• Sophomore forward Jill Barta has a league-high eight double-doubles and is averaging 18.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest.
• Former GU assistant Lisa Fortier is in her third season as head coach of the Bulldogs.
• The Saint Mary's Gaels are scoring 71.9 points and allowing 67.4, and they're eighth nationally in field goal percentage (.485).
• Junior forward Megan McKay (15.4 ppg) is the team's top scorer, while junior forward Sydney Raggio (14.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg) is nearly averaging a double-double.
• Paul Thomas is in his 12th year as head coach of the Gaels, and he's led Saint Mary's to six straight 20-win seasons.