Skip To Main Content

University of Portland Athletics

Schedule

Tiffany Barbosa scans the backcourt against BYU.

Women's Basketball

Pilots Take on The Beach This Thursday

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Portland Pilots are back on the road, heading to sunny California for a showdown against Long Beach State. The two teams play on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
 
OPPONENT INFORMATION
Opponent: Long Beach State Beach (0-8, 0-2 Big West)
Day: Thursday
Date: Dec. 11, 2025
Time: 6 PM
Place: Long Beach, Calif.
Arena: LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid
Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com
 
POR vs. LBSU
Overall: N/A • Last 5/10: N/A
H: N/A • A: N/A • N: N/A
Last: N/A
 
PEEK INTO THE PORT
  • The Portland Pilots are 4-5 on the season after falling to the BYU Cougars 87-53.
  • The Pilots were led by freshman Julia Dalan, who had 13 points, four rebounds and five blocks in the contest.
  • Dalan has 32 blocks this season and is averaging 3.6 blocks per game, ranking second and first nationally in both categories. Dalan's block total is the second highest among freshmen as well.
  • Through just nine games this year, Dalan has the most blocks by any Pilot freshman since Alex Fowler in the 2019-20 season. Fowler reached 32 blocks over the course of a whole season.
  • Anchored by Dalan's stout interior defense, the Pilots rank second in the conference in blocks per game and 12th nationally (6.4).
  • The Pilots currently lead the WCC in both steals per game (11.4) and turnovers forced per game 22.00). They are 46th and 27th nationally in the two respective categories.
  • Dyani Ananiev has 26 steals at 3.3 per game to lead Portland in the category. Her steal total ranks second in the conference and her average first.
  • Ananiev's 10.8 points per game and 86 points total both lead the Pilots. Nine different Pilots are currently averaging five points or more.
  • Florence Dallow is the only other Pilot averaging over 10 points a game at 10.1 points.
  • The Pilots were picked to finish fourth in the WCC this season, with Dyani Ananiev named to the All-WCC Preseason Team.
  • Ananiev played in just 10 games last season, averaging 7.4 points per contest along with 1.8 steals. She was a 2023-24 All-WCC Freshman Team selection.
  • The Pilots return eight players from last year and add seven newcomers.
  • Of the eight returners, none started a game last year. Rhyan Mogel and Lainey Spear are the only two players to have played in every game, with Mogel's 20.6 minutes leading all returning players.
  • Florence Dallow, Natalie Fraley, Tiffany Barbosa, Ella Zimmerman and Caitlin Monahan also all return.
 
A LOOK BACK AT HISTORY
  • The Pilots had a historic season in 2024-25, finishing 31-5 overall and 17-3 in WCC play to win a share of the 2024-25 WCC Regular Season Title. It's their fourth title, either tournament or regular season, in six seasons.
  • Their 31 wins were a program record and their 17 wins in WCC play were also a new high for the program.
  • Last year, they made the WCC Championships final for the fourth time under head coach Michael Meek and also qualified for the WBIT for the first time in program history.
  • In the WBIT, they beat the Stanford Cardinal and the Seton Hall Pirates on the road to advance to the quarterfinals before falling to Villanova Wildcats in that round. The wins were the first ever road playoff wins for the Pilots, the first win ever over Stanford and the first ever over a Big East squad.
  • Portland led the way in numerous statistical categories last season, leading the conference in points per game (75.7), scoring margin (12.4), steals per game (10.3), turnover margin (4.56), free throws made (16.44), free throw percentage (16.44), free throw attempts (21.08), assists per game (17.3) and assists-to-turnover ratio (1.16).
  • Nationally, they were fifth in free throws made per game, 16th in free throw percentage, 21st in assists per game and free throw attempts, 34th in assist-to-turnover ratio and steals per game and 35th in points per game and turnovers forced per game (19.47).
  • The Pilots set numerous program records at the Division I level, with the most points (2,726), points per game (75.7), field goals made (946), free throws made (592), free throw percentage (.780), rebounds (1,288), defensive rebounds (844), offensive rebounds (444) and assists (620).
MEEK AT THE HELM
  • Michael Meek is in his seventh season as head coach of the Portland Pilots.
  • Meek has been dominant through six seasons, winning WCC Tournament titles in 2020, 2023 and 2024 and the regular season title in the 2024-25 season.
  • Meek has won at least 20 games in five of his six full seasons as head coach of the Pilots, including a program record 31 wins overall and 17 WCC wins in the 2024-25 seasons.
  • Meek is 364-101 in his career dating back to his time at George Fox. He is 134-67 in his time with Portland.
  • Meek ranks eighth among all active coaches in NCAA Division I with at least five seasons of experience in winning percentage at .781.
 
ABOUT THE BEACH
  • Long Beach State sits at 0-8 currently and 0-2 in the Big West, most recently losing to the UC San Diego Tritons 75-45 on the road.
  • Last season, the Beach went 16-14 overall and 12-8 in the Big West, taking sixth in the conference.
  • The Beach were picked to finish sixth again in the annual Big West Preseason Coaches Poll.
  • Jaquoia Jones-Brown is the leading scorer for the Beach at 16.2 points per game.
  • Amy Wright is in her third season as head coach of the Beach. She is 31-40 in her three seasons so far.
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 University of Portland Athletics can do so by clicking here. Your gift helps our over 300 student-athletes compete at the highest level – on and off the field - in the rapidly changing world of intercollegiate athletics. All gifts to Pilot Athletics are 100% tax deductible.

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.
Print Friendly Version
Skip Ad

Sponsors