PORTLAND PILOTS (8-0, 0-0 WCC)
WEEK 5: vs. Princeton and UTEP
 
Princeton Tigers
(5-2, 0-0 Ivy League)
Day: Friday
Date: Dec. 6, 2024
Place: Portland, Ore.
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Gym: Chiles Center
TV: Portland's CW
Online Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. PU
Overall: 0-0 •  Last 5/10: 0-0/0-0
H: 0-0 •  A: 0-0  • N: 0-0
Last: N/A
 
UTEP Miners
(4-1, 0-0 C-USA)
Day: Sunday
Date: Dec. 8, 2024
Place: Portland, Ore.
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Gym: Chiles Center
Online Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. UTEP
Overall: 1-0 •  Last 5/10: 1-0/1-0
H: 0-0 •  A: 1-0  • N: 0-0
Last: POR 68, UTEP 63
 
THIS WEEK
• The Portland Pilots are back home for crucial nonconference bouts against the Princeton Tigers and a contest against the UTEP Miners.
• The Pilots will play the Tigers on Friday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. and the Miners on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m.
• Check PortlandPilots.com for video and live stats.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Pilots are champions of the Nugget Classic after going a perfect 3-0 against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, the Central Michigan Chippewas and the Nevada Wolf Pack.
• Portland won each contest by double digits and are now 8-0, marking their first 8-0 start in program history.
• The weekend featured several career and season marks for the Pilots, including career-highs in points for Emme Shearer against Nevada (26) and Rhyan Mogel against Central Michigan (17).
• Shearer was the WCC Player of the Week after averaging 21.7 points across three games this past weekend. She scored 21 against the Thunderbirds and 18 against the Chippewas as well.
• Maisie Burnham also put up her second 20-point double-double of the season against Southern Utah, with 23 points and 12 rebounds. She's the first Pilot to post multiple 20-point, 10-rebound games in a season since Alex Fowler in the 2021-22 season.
 
STANDOUT STATISTICS
• Maisie Burnham's 41 made free throws are the most in the WCC and rank 22nd nationally. Her 362 made free throws ranks 23rd among active NCAA Division I players.
• McKelle Meek ranks fourth in both total assists (36), assists per game (4.5) and second in assist/turnover ratio (4.67). That ratio ranks seventh nationally.
• Hull's dominance defending the paint has her third in the conference in total blocks (16) and blocks per game (2.0).
• Emme Shearer is shooting 90.2% from the free throw line, which is fourth in the conference.
• Her 235 steals ranks sixth all-time for the Pilots and 19th among all active NCAA Division I players. She's currently fifth in the conference in steals per game (2.13).
• Shearer and Burnham are two of the top scorers in the conference, ranking third and fifth respectively in both total points and points per game. Shearer has 136 points for 17.0 points per game while Burnham has 131 points at 16.4 per game.
• Maisie Burnham is one of just eight players in the WCC to have a 20-point, 10-rebound game this year. She and Yvonne Ejim of Gonzaga are the only WCC players to have done so twice.
• Shearer is one of just two players in the conference averaging at least 17 points and two steals per game in the WCC. The other is Maya Hernandez of LMU.
• Alexis Mark averages seven rebounds a game, good for sixth in the conference. It's the highest rebounding average since Alex Fowler in the 2021-22 season for a Pilot.
• Mark's two steals a game also ranks sixth in the conference.
• Mark is one of just 10 players nationally averaging at least 9.5 points, seven rebounds, three assists and 1.5 steals per game against Division I opponents. She's the only WCC player to do so.
• Portland currently leads the WCC in field-goal percentage (48.2%), turnover margin (7.38), turnovers forced per game (22.5), steals per game (12.7), scoring offense (81.8), scoring margin (21.5), free throws made per game (17.88) and free throw percentage (78.1%)
• Nationally, they are eighth in free throws per game, 18th in free throw percentage, 25th in steals per game, 26th in field goal percentage, 28th in turnover margin, 29th in points per game, 31st in turnovers forced per game and 40th in scoring margin.
• The Pilots are 8-0 for the first time in program history and have won every game by double digits. They are one of just 11 teams currently sitting at 8-0 or better.
• Portland is also one of just four undefeated teams to have won every game by double digits. Only them and Alabama have won at least eight games as well.
 
PRESEASON HONORS
• The Portland Pilots were picked to finish third in the WCC in the annual coaches preseason poll. It's the third year in a row they've been picked to finish in at least the Top three.
• Two Pilots were also picked to the 2024-25 All-WCC Preseason Team: Emme Shearer and Maisie Burnham. It's the second year in a row both Pilots have made the preseason team.
 
CHAMPIONS ONCE AGAIN
• For the second year in a row, the third time in the last five seasons and the fourth time in program history, the Portland Pilots were crowned the champions of the WCC Tournament.
• They put together an incredible 67-66 win over the No. 14 Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship game for their third win over the Zags in the WCC Tournament in the last five seasons.
• They are the first non-Gonzaga WCC school to win back-to-back tournament championships since Pepperdine in 2003.
• The championship game was the culmination of an impressive tournament run that also saw the Pilots rout the LMU Lions in the quarterfinals and come back from trailing by as much as 16 points against the Santa Clara Broncos in the semifinals.
• Kennedy Dickie was the named the tournament MVP after averaging 18.7 points and 6.7 rebounds with a double-double in the semifinals. Maisie Burnham also made her second All-WCC Tournament Team.
 
AWARDS SEASON
• Three Pilots earned All-WCC honors last season, with Emme Shearer making the All-WCC First Team, Maisie Burnham making the second team and Dyani Ananiev making the freshman team.
• Shearer makes it five years in a row the Pilots have had at least one player make the first team. The last time the Pilots had a stretch like that was between the 2006-07 season and the 2010-11 season. Shearer averaged a team-high 12.1 points per game and also led the WCC in total steals (76) and steals per game (2.2).
• She was the first Pilot to record at least 70 steals in a season since Kate Andersen in the 2019-20 season.
• Burnham averaged 11.9 points per game for the Pilots and was in the top 20 in the conference in both steals per game (1.4) and points per game. It was the second year in a row Burnham has made the All-WCC Second Team.
• Ananiev was the first Pilot since Shearer in 2020-21 to make the All-WCC Freshman Team. She averaged 8.2 points and 1.45 steals per game, the highest scoring average for a Pilot freshman since Alex Fowler in the 2019-20 season.
• Ananiev is one of two players in the WCC to rank in the top 12 in both steals and blocks per game, and she also knocked down a team-high 50 3-pointers.
• McKelle Meek also made the WCC All-Academic First Team for the second year in a row.
 
LAST SEASON TIDBITS
• The Pilots led the WCC in several categories last season, including blocks per game (5.6), steals per game (11.0), turnovers forced per game (19.7), and bench points per game (21.9).
• Nationally, the Pilots ranked ninth in blocks per game, 17th in steals per game and 28th in turnovers forced per game. They ranked 37th overall in assists per game as well at 16.3 per contest.
• The Pilots have won at least 20 games in four of the last five seasons under head coach Michael Meek. It's the first time at the Division I level that they've posted at least four seasons with 20 wins or more in five years (they did so once at the NAIA level).
• The Pilots have won at least 20 games three years in a row for the first time since a stretch between 1994 and 1997.
 
THE RETURNERS
• The Pilots returned all players who were eligible to return from last year's squad, with 11 official returnees. The Pilots also return three of their five starters: Shearer, Burnham and Meek.
• Along with the accomplishments of Burnham and Shearer, Meek played in all 34 games for the Pilots with 33 starts, leading the Pilots in assists with 119 while averaging a team-high 3.5 assists per game. Those assist numbers ranked seventh and eighth in the WCC respectively.
• Other returners for the Pilots include Ananiev, Lainey Spear, Rhyan Mogel, Natalie Fraley, Florence Dallow, Melika Samia and Emma Strelein.
• Spear and Mogel were part of the standout freshman class from last year along with Ananiev. Spear played in 30 games for Portland in her first year, averaging 2.1 points and 1.6 rebounds off the bench, playing primarily in the frontcourt.
• Spear's mother, Kristin Spear (nee Hepton) is a former Pilot herself, having scored over 1,000 points for her career here and making the All-WCC First Team three times.
• Mogel, meanwhile, played in all 34 games last year off the bench, averaging 2.6 points per contest. Her 37 steals were the second most by any Pilot off the bench.
• Spear and Mogel are both local products, with Spear leading the Beaverton High School Beavers and Mogel Clackamas High School.
• Fraley transferred to Portland last season after spending a year at Utah State. Playing in 33 games, she averaged 2.9 points per game and 1.6 rebounds.
• Dallow earned her first minutes for the Pilots after redshirting her freshman year. She played in 21 games, average 3.9 points per game for Portland before suffering an injury late in the season.
• Samia was out last season with a knee injury. Eddy played in three games before suffering a knee injury herself.
• Eddy is a local product having gone to Saint Mary's Academy and is the granddaughter of legendary NBA coach Rick Adleman.
• Strelein played in 13 games last season for Portland.
 
THE NEWBIES
• Along with the returners, the Pilots add five newcomers, with two transfers and three freshmen.
• The transfers for the Pilots are Trista Hull, a forward/center from Boise State, and Alexis Mark, an in-conference transfer from LMU.
• Hull, a Yakima native, spent three years with the Broncos and averaged 4.2 points and 5.6 rebounds last season in 32 games. She was second on the team in rebounds per game and total blocks as well (42).
• Mark, meanwhile, earned All-WCC Honorable Mention last season with the Lions, averaging 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest. That rebounding average ranked fifth in the WCC.
• Three freshmen join the Pilots this year: Ella Zimmerman, Tiffany Barbosa and Caitlin Monahan.
• From Redondo Beach, Zimmerman was a dominant force inside for Redondo Union High School. She earned several honors during her high school career, last year being an All-CIF Division I selection.
•Zimmerman was also the Daily Breeze All-Area Player of the Year in the 2022-23 season and the 2022-23 Basketball Bay League MVP that same year.
• Barbosa is an international prospect hailing from Stockholm, Sweden. The lengthy guard has experience with the Swedish national team, playing most recently with the U-20 squad.
• Barbosa's Sweden squads have won the Nordic Championships each of the last four years. She earned All-Star honors in the most recent Nordic Championships.
• Monahan is a PNW native from Mercer Island up in Washington. Monahan She was a three-time All-Kingco selection at the 3A level.
• Monahan's grandfather, Terry Monahan, is also a men's basketball alumni for the Pilots.
 
THE COACHES
• The Pilots are under the guidance of sixth-year head coach Michael Meek. Meek ranks ninth in career winning percentage (337-92, .786) among active NCAA DI coaches.
• 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.
• Sixth-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.
• Assistant Coach Jerod Gibson joins the staff after serving as head coach for Linn-Benton Community College the last five years, posting a 72-49 record as their coach.
• Rounding out the staff is director of operations Kianna Hamilton and graduate assistant Nicolas Duacara. Hamilton played last year for the Pilots in 27 games, averaging 4.8 points and compiling 32 steals.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The Princeton Tigers are 5-2 on the season while the UTEP Miners are 4-1.
• The Tigers were the Ivy League champions for the fourth year in a row last season while the Miners finished 12-19 and 6-10 in the C-USA.
• Carla Berube is in her sixth year with Princeton while Keitha Adams is in her 18th year and second stint with UTEP.

---

Get Your Tickets Now!
Secure your spot now for any upcoming Portland Pilots ticketed home event by visiting PortlandPilots.com/Tickets or by downloading the Portland Pilots App.  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.