PORTLAND PILOTS (21-12, 10-6 WCC)
WEEK 20: NCAA First Round -- Kansas State
 
vs. Kansas State Wildcats
(25-7, 13-5 Big 12)
Day: Friday
Date: March 22, 2024
Place: Manhattan, Kan.
Time: 1:30 p.m. PT
Gym: Bramlage Coliseum
TV: ESPNNEWS
Online Video: WatchESPN
Stats: PortlandPilots.com

POR vs. KSU
Overall: 0-0 •  Last 5/10: 0-0/0-0
H: 0-0 •  A: 0-0  • N: 0-0
Last: N/A
 
THIS WEEK
• The Portland Pilots are dancing once again, this time as a 13-seed taking on the 4-seed Kansas State Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
• The two teams play on Friday, March 22 at 1:30 p.m. PST on ESPNNEWS.
• Check PortlandPilots.com for video and stat links.
 
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 first win over the Zags this year, their third over the Zags in the WCC Tournament in the last five seasons and their first over a ranked opponent this season. 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 this 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 averages a team-high 12.2 points per game and also led the WCC in total steals (73) and steals per game (2.2). She is the first Pilot to record at least 70 steals in a season since Kate Andersen in the 2019-20 season. Burnham averages 11.6 points per game for the Pilots and was in the top 20 in the conference in both steals per game (1.45) and points per game. This is the second year in a row Burnham has made the All-WCC Second Team. Ananiev is the first Pilot since Shearer in 2020-21 to make the All-WCC Freshman Team. She averages 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.
 
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 (11.0), turnovers forced per game (19.85), defensive field goal percentage (39.3%) and blocks per game (5.6). They are ranked eighth nationally in blocks per game and were also 16th in steals per game and 26th in turnovers forced per game. 15 times this year the Pilots have swiped at least 12 steals in a game against a Division I opponent. The next closest total for a WCC team is seven. The Pilots have held opponents under 40% shooting on the year 17 times and opponents under 60 points scored 12 times. They are third in the WCC in points allowed per game at 61.9. Lucy Cochrane owns the school record for blocks in a career at 270 and is one of the top shot-blockers in the nation. Cochrane has swatted away 100 shots this season and was the first player in the nation to reach at least 50 blocks. She ranks third nationally in both blocks per game (3.13) and second in total blocks (100). Cochrane is one of seven active players in NCAA Division I with at least 270 career blocks and is currently seventh in career blocks among active players. Cochrane claimed the Pilots' block record with four blocks in the championship against Gonzaga. Along with Cochrane, Emme Shearer also currently leads the WCC in total steals (73) and in steals per game (2.21). She has 14 games with three or more steals against Division I teams.
 
OTHER STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
The Pilots lead the WCC in bench points per game (22.0) and free throws attempted per game (17.79). Portland also ranked second in the WCC in turnover margin (2.03). McKelle Meek is fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.84) and eighth in assists per game (3.4) and total assists (114). Maisie Burnham and Emme Shearer became the 31st and 32nd Pilots respectively to score 1,000 points in their careers earlier this year. The Pilots have won at least 20 games each of the last three years, marking the first time they've done that since a stretch between 1994-95 and 1996-97. This is the first time they've had back-to-back seasons of 10 conference wins or more since between the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons.
 
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 Michael 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 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.
 
THE RETURNERS
The Pilots return four of five starters from last year, with Emme Shearer and Maisie Burnham returning as well as Lucy Cochrane and McKelle Meek. From last year's squad, the Pilots return seven players. 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. 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 led the WCC and was 18 more than the 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 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. 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 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 NEWBIES
Along with the returners, the Pilots add seven newcomers, with four 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. 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 977. 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 granddaughter of legendary NBA coach Rick Adleman. Three freshmen join the Pilots this year: Lainey Spear, Dyani Ananiev and Rhyan Mogel. Spear is a lengthy 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. 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 (329-91, .783) 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.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
The Kansas State Wildcats are 25-7 on the year and finished Big 12 play 13-5. They took third in the conference, falling to the Texas Longhorns in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament. Ayoka Lee leads the Wildcats, averaging 20.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Jeff Mittie is in his 10th season as head coach of the Wildcats.

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