PORTLAND PILOTS (8-5, 2-0 WCC)
WEEK 8: at LMU/Pepperdine

at Loyola Marymount Lions (4-9, 1-1 WCC)
Day: Thursday
Date: Dec. 29, 2022
Place: Los Angeles, Calif.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Gym: Gersten Pavilion
Online Video: PortlandPilots.com
Stats: PortlandPilots.com

POR vs. LMU
Overall: 38-37 •  Last 5/10: 2-3/4-6
H: 19-20 •  A: 14-20  • N: 1-4
Last: POR 69, LMU 44 (3/5/22)

at Pepperdine Waves (6-6, 1-1 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Dec. 31, 2022
Place: Malibu, Calif.
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Gym: Firestone Fieldhouse
Online Video: PortlandPilots.com
Stats: PortlandPilots.com

POR vs. PEP
Overall: 35-38 •  Last 5/10: 2-3/2-8
H: 23-12 •  A: 11-24  • N: 1-2
Last: @POR 85, PEP 49 (2/26/22)

THIS WEEK
• After a 10-day break, the Portland Pilots are back in action with a pair of road WCC games.
• They'll play the LMU Lions on Thursday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. and the Pepperdine Waves on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 1 p.m.
• An online video stream and live stats for will be available for both games as well. Those links can be found at PortlandPilots.com.

ABOUT THE PILOTS
• The Portland Pilots are 8-5 following opening conference wins against the San Diego Toreros and the BYU Cougars.
• It was a tight game all the way through against San Diego, with the Pilots fending off a 27-point fourth quarter from the Toreros for the 84-81 win.
• Alex Fowler and Emme Shearer led the way for Portland with 19 points each. It's the first time Shearer has led Portland in scoring and the ninth time for Fowler.
• Shearer's 19 was also a career-high, along with the four threes she made.
• Portland followed that game with a 67-45 rout of the Cougars, their biggest win over BYU since the 1997-98 season. 
• Haylee Andrews posted a near-triple double against BYU, matching her season high for points with 15 and posting season highs in rebounds and assists with eight each.
• Fowler once again led Portland in scoring with 18 points. She added seven rebounds and six steals, the highest steal total for a Pilot since Maddie Muhlheim had six in 2020.
• The Pilots lead the WCC in turnovers forced (18.77), steals per game (10.9), turnover margin (1.0) and field-goal percentage (45.4).
• Lucy Cochrane leads the WCC in blocks (22) and ranks 23rd nationally in the category.
• Fowler leads the WCC in field-goal percentage (65.8%), free throw attempts (76) and free throws made (62). She is eighth, 26th and 18th nationally in those respective categories.
• Fowler is also second in the WCC in points per game (16.8) and fourth in total points (219) while leading the WCC in steals per game (1.92).
• The Pilots went 20-11 last season, finishing fourth in the WCC and qualifying for the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) for the first time since 2009.
• It is the first time that Portland has earned a .500 record or better three seasons in a row since 2009-11.
• It was also their fifth season as a Division I program winning at least 20 games and their second time in three seasons under head coach Michael Meek.
• The Pilots also earned their first win in the WNIT against Colorado State 72-63. It was also their first home win in a playoff game.
• They advanced to the second round before falling to the Oregon State Beavers.
• The Pilots finished the season ranked first in the WCC in both blocks (154) and blocks per game (18.2), second in scoring offense (70.6), assists (564), assists per game (18.2), assist to turnover ratio (1.11), turnovers forced (18.58), steals (340), steals per game (11.0) and field-goal percentage (43.6%) and third in scoring defense (62.0).
• Of the stats above, they ranked seventh nationally in assists per game, 15th in assists and steals per game, 16th in total steals, 17th in blocks per game and 20th in total blocked shots.
• In terms of All-WCC honors, Alex Fowler was named to the All-WCC First Team, Haylee Andrews made the second team and Lucy Cochrane earned honorable mention.
• Fowler became the first Pilot to make the All-WCC First Team three times since Laiken Dollente in 2010 and the first to make it three times in a row since Kristin Hepton in 1999.
• Fowler averaged 17.1 points and eight rebounds per contest, leading the WCC in field-goal percentage (53.1) and ranking third in field goals made (199), rebounds (249) and rebounds per game, fourth in total points (530) and fifth in points per game.
• Andrews suffered a leg injury late in the season, only playing 18 games. She still averaged 11.3 points, 5.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds per contest, with her assist average being first in the WCC.
• Despite her injury, Andrews finished 10th in the WCC in total assists, with the next closest player having played eight more games than her.
• Cochrane was an absolute force defensively, blocking 114 shots for an average of 3.9 per contest. Both of those totals led the NCAA.
• Both of those stats also set program records for both most blocks in a season and most blocks per game in a season.
• Per HerHoopStats.com, Cochrane is one of just 30 players in the last 12 seasons to average 3.9 blocks per contest and one of just 52 players to record at least 110 blocks in a season. 
• Cochrane currently sits at sixth all-time in career blocks and fifth among those who only played NCAA Division I at 136. If she matches her pace set last season, she would become the all-time shot-blocking leader among Pilots who played Division I basketball only.
• Fowler and Andrews have also put together impressive statistical resumes.
• Fowler sits at 1,780 career points and is just 173 points away from tying the school record for most points in a career at the NCAA Division I level. She is currently third in program history (DI level) and is just the fourth Pilot to score 1,700 points for her career.
• Per HerHoopStats.com, Fowler is one of just nine players to put up at least 450 points and 200 boards in each of the last three seasons. She was also one of just 10 players to at least 17 points and eight rebounds per game last season on at least 50% shooting and one of nine players with at least 530 points and 240 rebounds on 50% shooting.
• Andrews is the only NCAA Division I player returning with career totals of at least 1,400 points, 450 rebounds, 500 assists and 100 steals.
• She ranks eighth among all NCAA Division I players in total assists at 551.
• Andrews is one of just three players in NCAA Division I since the 2018-19 season at have two seasons averaging at least 14 points, five assists, 4.5 rebounds and one steal per game. The other two players are Iowa's Caitlin Clark and Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu.
• She is also the only player to, from 2018-19 to 2020-21, put up three seasons with a total of 350 points, 120 rebounds, 120 assists and 30 steals. If she hadn't been injured last season, Andrews was on pace for around 350 points, 175 assists, 145 rebounds and 62 steals, which only four other players did last season.
• Among the Pilots, Andrews is second all-time in total assists at 551, just 88 shy of breaking Kathy Adleman's record. Her 5.1 assist average is also second all-time and she is sixth among Pilots who only played Division I basketball at 1,466 points.
• The Pilots were picked to finish second in the WCC in the annual WCC Preseason Coaches Poll. This is their highest such ranking since at least the 1990s.
• Fowler and Andrews were both named to the All-WCC Preseason Team, the third such year in a row that both players have been named to the team. No other Pilot duo has done that.
• 14 of Portland's 17 players from last year return this season, including 11 players who earned minutes last season and four of their top five scorers.
• Emme Shearer returns after finishing fifth in the WCC in steals (58) and steals per game.
• Maisie Burnham also returns after ending last season on a tear, averaging 13.5 points on 58% shooting (47.4% from three) in the final 13 games of the season.
• For newcomers, the Pilots added to their bevy of Oceana-based players by signing Florence Dallow and Melika Samia to the roster.
• Dallow is a 6-foot guard our of New Zealand who played for the U14 and U16 New Zealand youth national teams that placed first and second respectively at the FIBA Oceania Championships. She played for North Harbour Representative Basketball Team from 2015-21 as well, with her team taking third at nationals in 2019 and 2020 and fourth in 2021.
• Samia has played for several New Zealand national teams, including taking part with the U16 select team in 2017 and 2018 and the Waikato U19 team in 2021. That U19 team won a national championship in 2021. She was also a part of the NBA Global Academy.

THE COACHES
• The Pilots are under the guidance of fourth-year head coach Michael Meek.
• Meek ranks 20th in career winning percentage (293-75, .796) among active DI coaches with 10-plus years of experience (not all at DI level).
• He held the best record for a UP coach through the first three seasons ever at 55-35.
• Tom Batsell has been an assistant coach with Meek for dating back to 2005, back when Meek was the head coach for Southridge High School. From 2005-10, the Skyhawks won six state championships.
• Assistant coach Skyler Young is the longest tenured coach on staff, having joined the Pilots after spending 19 years as a coach with several programs and professional teams.
• Fourth-year assistant coach Sharon Rissmiller ('01) is a Portland alum who starred on the court for the Pilots from 1997 to 2001; she still ranks 10th all-time with a .770 career free throw percentage, and she compiled 1,069 career points.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The LMU Lions are 4-9 on the season and .500 in WCC play.
• Last year the Pilots won the season series 2-1, including a 69-44 drubbing in the WCC Tournament that helped the Pilots advance to the semifinals.
• The Pepperdine Waves are 6-6 on the year and 1-1 in WCC play as well.
• Last year, the Pilots dominated in their lone matchup of the year, beating the Waves 85-49.
• Pepperdine is currently sixth in the WCC while LMU is seventh. Pepeprdine was picked to finish last while LMU was picked seventh in the annual WCC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Aarika Hughes -- a former standout high school player under Meek -- is in her second season as head coach of LMU while Kristen Dowling is in her fourth season at Pepperdine.

---

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
Secure your spot now for any upcoming Portland Pilots ticketed home event by visiting PortlandPilots.com/Tickets. For group and fan experience package information, email pilotsboxoffice@up.edu.

DONATE TODAY
Fans interested in making a contribution to the Pilot Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift directly helps our nearly 300 student-athletes as they strive to make a difference in our community and achieve academic and athletic excellence. Thank you for support of Pilot Athletics!

FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE ACTION
Get the latest news and information about your favorite University of Portland athletic programs by visiting PortlandPilots.com. You can also follow along for the most dynamic coverage and team-centric content by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Instagram.