PORTLAND, Ore. -- Basketball is back on The Bluff, starting with a women's basketball exhibition between the Portland Pilots and the Willamette Bearcats this Friday. Tipoff for the game is set for 6 p.m. There will not be a stream for the match, but tickets are available at PortlandPilots.com/tickets.

The Pilots are coming off a stellar season that saw them win their second WCC Tournament Championship in as many years as well as their third in five years. Their championship run qualified them for their second NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Michael Meek and their seventh in program history.

Portland finished with a 21-13 record -- their fourth season with at least 20 wins in five years -- and were picked to finish third in the conference in the 2024-25 WCC Preseason Poll. Emme Shearer and Maisie Burnham, who earned All-WCC First Team and All-WCC Second Team honors last season, both made the All-WCC Preseason Team. The Pilots return all players eligible to return from last year's roster while adding five newcomers.

The Willamette Bearcats finished 17-10 last season, including an incredible 14-2 in Northwest Conference play. They qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time since 1998-99 with the record, eventually losing in the first round of the tournament. The Pilots and Bearcats played last year, with the Pilots winning 83-40.

The Pilots open the regular season on Thursday, Nov. 7 against the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine. Tipoff for that contest is also set for 6 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for tickets, live stats and video options.

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