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Rhyan Mogel sizes up her defender on Seattle U.

Women's Basketball

Pilots off to Southern California for Road Contests Against LMU, Pepperdine

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Portland Pilots are back on the road for a pair of road contests against LMU Lions and the Pepperdine Waves. The Pilots play the Lions first on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. followed by the Waves on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m.
 
Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
 
Game Information
Opponent: LMU Lions (11-7, 5-2 WCC)
Day: Thursday
Date: Jan. 22, 2026
Time: 6 PM
Place: Los Angeles, Calif.
Arena: Gersten Pavilion
Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com

POR vs. LMU
Overall: 45-38 •  Last 5/10: 5-0/9-1
H: 27-14 •  A: 16-20  • N: 2-4
Last: @POR 80, LMU 61 (1/4/2025)
 
Opponent: Pepperdine Waves (11-8, 2-5 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Jan. 24, 2026
Time: 2 PM
Place: Malibu, Calif.
Arena: Firestone Fieldhouse
Video: ESPN+
Stats: PortlandPilots.com

POR vs. PEPP
Overall: 41-38 •  Last 5/10: 5-0/8-2
H: 26-12 •  A: 14-24 • N: 1-2
Last: POR 77, @PEPP 75 OT (2/10/2025)

A PEEK INTO THE PORT
  • The Portland Pilots are 11-8 overall and 5-2 in WCC play after an undefeated weekend that featured wins over the Santa Clara Broncos on the road and the Seattle U Redhawks at the Chiles Center.
  • Against the Broncos, the Pilots trailed by as much as 13 points but put together a stellar second-half comeback to take down one of the top teams in the conference.
  • Dyani Ananiev scored a career-high 22 points and added five rebounds and two steals. She's the first Pilot to score at least 20 points in a game this season.
  • Florence Dallow also reached a career high with 17 points while Rhyan Mogel added 15 points to round out the double-digit scorers.
  • Julia Dalan was crucial inside, blocking eight shots to match her career high set this season. It's the second time she's had at least eight blocks in a game this year, making her the only player in the nation to reach that total twice this year.
  • Dalan's 65 blocks on the year puts her just one shy of the Pilots' single-season block record for a freshman set back in the 1990-91 season by Rosemary Adams. Dalan needs one block to tie the record and two blocks to break it.
  • Since 2009-10, Dalan is one of just 11 freshmen to have put together at least two games with eight blocks or more. Only seven players in the WCC total have ahd multiple games of eight blocks or more in a season since that same year.
  • As a team, the PIlots posted 10 blocks, their highest total against a Division I opponent.
  • Against the Redhawks, Portland dominated from start to finish in an 83-57 rout.
  • Lainey Spear led the way with a standout performance on both ends of the floor, scoring a career-high 17 points and posting eight steals.
  • Spear's eight steals are the most by a Pilot in a game since Kaylie Van Loo hit the same total in 2017 and was just one shy of matching the program record. Spear's mother, Kristin Hepton, hit the program record mark in 1997.
  • Spear was also one of 42 NCAA Division I players to reach the mark and the only WCC player to do so.
  • Dyani Ananiev scored just eight points but added six rebounds and a career-high six assists.
  • Nicole Anderson and Florence Dallow both had 14 points as well, with Anderson's 14 matching a season high as well as her four 3-pointers.
  • The Pilots hit numerous season highs against either WCC teams or Division I teams in the game as well. Their 22 assists were the most against a WCC team this season while their 32 forced turnovers and 18 steals were both season highs against a Division I team this year.
  • The Pilots lead the WCC currently in blocks per game (6.5), turnovers per game (21.84), assists per game (17.7) and steals per game (11.8) and also rank second in scoring margin (9.9), defensive field goal percentage (37.9%) and bench points per game (26.9).
  • Nationally, they are fifth in blocks per game, 20th in turnovers forced per game, 25th in assists per game, 30th in steals per game and 31st in bench points per game.
  • Dalan leads the nation in both blocks per game (3.4) and total blocks (65).
  • Ananiev leads the WCC in both total steals (49) and steals per game (2.72) and is 35th and 37th nationally in the two respective categories. Spear lags not far behind, ranking fourth with 41 steals and second with 2.2 steals per game.
  • Dallow ranks third in the conference in free throw percentage and 37th nationally at 86.8%.
  • Mogel is third in the WCC in both assists per game (5.0) and total assists (90), ranking 38th and 43rd nationally.
  • The Pilots were picked to finish fourth in the WCC this season, with 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 371-105 in his career dating back to his time at George Fox. He is 141-70 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 .779
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
  • The LMU Lions are 11-7 overall and 5-2 in WCC play. They sit in a tie for fourth currently with wins over the Oregon State Beavers and the Pacific Tigers.
  • Last year, the Lions were just 14-16 overall and 7-13 in WCC play, finishing ninth in the WCC. The Pilots took both contests against the Lions last season.
  • The Lions were picked to finish ninth again in the WCC in the annual coaches preseason poll and had one player named to the WCC Preseason Team: Maya Hernandez.
  • Hernandez is second on the Lions in scoring at 14.6 points per game as well as 5.6 rebounds. Jess Lawson is the leading scorer for the Lions at 15.1 points per contest, crossing the 1,000-point mark earlier this year.
  • Lawson is averaging 8.1 rebounds per game, good for third in the conference.
  • Aarika Hughes is in her fifth year as head coach of the Lions. She's 54-84 in her time with the Lions
  • Hughes is a former player under Portland coach Mike Meek, who coached Hughes during his time with the Southridge High School Skyhawks in Beaverton.
  • The Waves, meanwhile, are 11-8 overall and 2-5 in WCC play, beating the San Diego Toreros before falling to the Oregon State Beavers narrowly. Their 9-3 record in nonconference play was their best in 45 years.
  • Last year, the Waves went just 8-22 overall and 3-17 in WCC play to finish 10th in the conference.
  • The Waves were picked to finish 10th in the annual WCC preseason coaches poll this season.
  • Elli Guiney leads the Waves in scoring at 14.3 points per game. Shorna Preston ranks second in the conference in rebounding at 9.4 boards per contest.
  • Katie Faulkner is in her second season as head coach of the Waves. She is 19-30 in her two seasons so far.
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