PORTLAND PILOTS (17-8, 9-2 WCC)
WEEK 15: at Pacific & Santa Clara
 
at Pacific Tigers
(13-10, 5-5)
Day: Thursday
Date: Feb. 15, 2024
Place: Stockton, Calif.
Time: 6 p.m.
Gym: Alex G. Spanos Center
Online Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. UOP
Overall: 16-15 •  Last 5/10: 4-1/7-3
H: 7-5 •  A: 6-8  • N: 3-2
Last: @POR 85, UOP 72 (2024)
 
at Santa Clara Broncos
(19-7, 7-4)
Day: Saturday
Date: Feb. 17, 2024
Place: Santa Clara, Calif.
Time: 2 p.m.
Gym: Leavey Center
Online Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. SCU
Overall: 36-49 •  Last 5/10: 4-1/5-5
H: 19-18 •  A: 13-28  • N: 4-3
Last: @POR 73, SCU 63 (2024)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Portland Pilots are back on the road to take on the Pacific Tigers and the Santa Clara Broncos.
• The Pilots play the Tigers on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. and the Broncos at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17.
• Check PortlandPilots.com for video and stat links.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Pilots are 17-8 on the year and 9-2 in WCC play after picking up wins against both the LMU Lions and the Pepperdine Waves last week. They've won six games in a row.
• For the sixth time this year, the Pilots came back after trailing at halftime, defeating the Lions 58-52.
• Portland's 17 steals against LMU were the most they've forced against a Division I opponent in a game this year.
• Against Pepperdine, the Pilots were in control the whole way through, dominating 78-46. They've held five opponets this year under 50 points scored.
• Pepperdine also didn't make a single 3-pointer against the Pilots, becoming the first team the Pilots have held without a shot made from outside this season.
• Freshman Dyani Ananiev was the leading scorer in both contests, pouring in 16 against the Lions and 19 against the Waves.
 
LUCKY NUMBER 7
• For the seventh time this season, Dyani Ananiev was named the WCC Freshman of the Week. It is the most wins by any freshman in the WCC.
• Ananiev averaged 17.5 points along three steals a game across both contests, leading the Pilots in scoring in both games.
• 14 of Ananiev's 16 points against LMU came in the second half, sparking the Pilots' comeback against the Lions. She added four steals in that game as well.
• Ananiev's 19 points against Pepperdine were the most she scored against a WCC opponent this year and the most a Pilot freshman has scored against a WCC team since the 2019-20 season.
• The Australian is one of the best freshmen in the conference, ranking second among WCC freshmen in scoring (9.1 ppg) and is one of two players to rank in the top 10 in both blocks (0.92) and steals (1.52) per game. She is eighth and ninth in those categories respectively.
• Ananiev is averaging the most points by any Pilot freshman since Alex Fowler in the 2019-20 season.
 
DE-FENSE! *CLAP, CLAP* DE-FENSE!
• Portland's defense has shined this year, with both standout individual and quality team defense leading the way.
• As a team, Portland leads the WCC in steals per game (11.4), turnovers forced per game (20.76), defensive field goal percentage (38.3%) and blocks per game (6.0). They rank sixth nationally in the latter, and are also 18th in steals per game and 21st in turnovers forced per game.
• The Pilots have held 13 opponents under 40% shooting on the year and 10 opponents under 60 points scored. They are second in the WCC in points allowed per game at 60.3.
• Lucy Cochrane owns the school record for blocks in a career at the NCAA Division I level at 250 and is one of the top shot-blockers in the nation.
• Cochrane has swatted away 80 shots this season and was the first player in the nation to reach at least 50 blocks. She currently ranks second nationally in blocks per game (3.33) and total blocks.
• Cochrane is one of eight active players in NCAA Division I with at least 250 career blocks.
• Along with Cochrane, Emme Shearer also currently leads the WCC in total steals (59) and in steals per game (2.36). She has 10 games with three or more steals against Division I teams, two more than the next closest WCC player.
 
OTHER STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• The Pilots lead the WCC in bench points per game (24.4). Portland also leads the WCC in turnover margin (2.92), free throws made per game (13.52) and free throw attempts per game (19.60)
• McKelle Meek is fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.63) and seventh in total assists (88) and eighth assists per game (3.5).
• Maisie Burnham became the 31st Pilot in program history to score 1,000 points for their career earlier this year against Warner Pacific.
• Emme Shearer is just 19 points away from reaching 1,000 points for her career.
• The Pilots have won at least 17 games each of the last three years, marking the first time they've done that since a stretch between 1995-98.
 
A HISTORIC 2022-23 SEASON
• The Pilots are coming off one of their best seasons in recent program history, having finished 23-9 overall and 15-3 in WCC play. It was their best win total since 1996-97 and their highest WCC win total ever.
• On top of that, the Pilots won the WCC Tournament Championship with a gallant 64-60 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The championship win was their second in four seasons under head coach Mike Meek.
• The Pilots qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the second time in four years and played in their first NCAA Tournament game since 1997 years against the Oklahoma Sooners.
• Head coach Michael Meek has now reached at least 20 wins three of the past four seasons, and the Pilots have earned 20 wins six different times at the NCAA Division I level.
• Their second-place finish in the conference is their best since the 1996-97 season.
• From last year's squad, the Pilots return seven players, including WCC All-Preseason Team members Maisie Burnham and Emme Shearer.
• Burnham was an All-WCC Second Team selection last season after averaging 11 points  and 4.2 rebounds per contest. She, along with Alex Fowler, also made the All-WCC Tournament after scoring 19 points in the championship game against the Zags.
• Emme Shearer earned All-WCC Honorable Mention after averaging 10 points a game and scoring 321 total points. She was one of two Pilots to record a double-double last season, doing so with 12 points and 10 boards against LMU.
• After having never scored more than 20 in a game for her career, Shearer scored at least 20 three times, including a career-high 21 points twice against San Francisco.
• The Pilots led the WCC in assists per game (16.9), field-goal percentage (45.7), steals per game (9.6) and turnovers forced per game (17.31). Their assist average and field goal percentage ranked 16th and 19th respectively in the nation.
 
THE RETURNERS
• The Pilots return four of five starters from last year, with Burnham and Shearer returning as well as Lucy Cochrane and McKelle Meek.
• Cochrane was the best shot blocker in the conference, averaging just over 2.6 blocks per contest and totaling 56 on the year. Her block total officially led the WCC and was 18 more than thse next closest player despite having played seven games fewer
• Although she didn't qualify due to games played, her block average would've ranked first in the WCC and ninth nationally.
• Meek started the final 13 games of the season for the Pilots and averaged 5.3 points and three assists on the year. She led Portland in assists in 11 games last year, the most times on the team.
• Meek's 91 assists were the second most on the team and also ranked sixth in the WCC. She also ranked third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8) and ninth in assists per game.
•The final three returners for the Pilots are Emma Strelein, Florence Dallow and Melika Samia
• Strelein saw her first action of her college career last year, playing in 17 games last year.  She scored a career-high four points against Willamette.
• Dallow, a redshirt freshman, 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 Nortfh 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 NEWBIES
• Along with the returners, the Pilots add eight newcomers, with five transfers and three freshmen.
• Kennedy Dickie joins Portland from fellow WCC conference mate San Francisco. She was a two-time All-WCC Second Team selection who averaged 9.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest.
• Dickie's 251 rebounds ranked third in the conference and her rebounding average was good for fourth. She helped lead the Dons to a 19-13 record.
• Kianna Hamilton joins the Pilots from Long Beach State, having helped lead the Beach to a 23-10 record. She earned All-Big West Honorable Mention.
• Hamilton was a disruptive force defensively, averaging 2.21 steals per contest with 73 total steals. Those totals ranked third and first in the Big West respectively.
• Hamilton also has a chance to eclipse 1,000 points for her career, currently sitting at 924.
• Natalie Fraley joins Portland after playing her freshman year at Utah State. She was a Mountain West All-Academic honoree in her first season.
• Anna Eddy makes her return to Portland after spending the last three seasons at Seattle Pacific, redshirting her freshman year.
• Eddy averaged 7.8 points and 3.1 rebounds over two years at Seattle Pacific and scored a career-high 26 points last year against Stanislaus State. She is a local product having gone to Saint Mary's Academy, and is the grandaughter of legendary NBA coach Rick Adleman.
• Three freshmen join the Pilots this year: Lainey Spear, Dyani Ananiev and Rhyan Mogel.
• Spear is a legnthy 6-2 forward hailing from Beaverton. She was a first team All-Metro League selection each of the last three years and the Metro League Player of the Year in 2021-22. She led the Beavers to their first ever state championship in 2022 and won the Metro League Championship three times.
• Spear's mother, Kristin Spear (formerly Hepton) is a former Pilot herself. A 1,000-point scorer for her career, Spear's 39.4% career three-point percentage is third among Pilots who only played Division I, and she was also a three-time All-WCC First Team selection.
• Mogel was the Mt. Hood Conference Player of the Year for Clackamas High School in 2022 and a multi-time all-first team selection. She was also named the Mt. Hood Conference Defensive Player of the Year her senior season.
• Last year, Mogel led Clackamas High School to a 26-4 record and a 6A State Championship.
• The final freshman joining Portland is Australian Dyani Ananiev, a versatile wing who was named the rookie of the year in 2021-22 with her club team, Wyndham, as well as the league's leading scorer.
• In 2023, Ananiev averaged 19.2 points per game on 59.6% shooting and 38.6% shooting from deep. She averaged 7.7 rebounds a contest.
 
THE COACHES
• The Pilots are under the guidance of fifth-year head coach Michael Meek.
• Meek ranks seventh in career winning percentage (325-87, .789) 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.
• Fifth-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.
• Haylee Andrews ('23) joins the staff as the director of operations immediately after graduating this past season. Andrews is one of the most accomplished players in program history, a four-time All-WCC team selection and the second most assists by any Pilot at the Division I level.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The Pacific Tigers are 13-10 on the year and 5-5 in WCC play. They lost to the Pilots earlier this year 85-72 at the Chiles Center.
• The Santa Clara Broncos also fell to the Pilots earlier this season 73-63 in Portland. They are 19-7 overall and 7-4 in WCC play.
• Bradley Davis is in his ninth year in charge of the Tigers while Bill Carr is in his eighth with the Broncos.

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