Portland Pilots (12-15, 5-9 WCC) vs. Pepperdine Waves (7-20, 2-12 WCC)
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Portland, Ore.
Arena: Chiles Center
TV: KUNP-TV / ESPN+
Live Coverage Links: Video | Radio | Stats
Tickets: PortlandPilots.com/Tickets

Portland Pilots (12-15, 5-9 WCC) at Seattle U Redhawks (16-11, 5-9 WCC)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Seattle, Wash.
Arena: Redhawk Center
TV: ESPN+
Live Coverage Links: Video | Radio | Stats

THIS WEEK
• The Pilots return home to host the Pepperdine Waves on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. tip-off at Chiles Center.
• Portland will then visit the Seattle U Redhawks on Saturday at 7 p.m. in a game hosted at the Redhawk Center.

GAME COVERAGE
• Wednesday's game will be televised live on KUNP-TV locally, while all WCC games are aired live on ESPN+. Bryan Sleik and Jennifer Mountain will be on the call Wednesday.
• Pilot radio this season includes all men's and women's basketball home games, as well as select road games, streamed live on PortlandPilots.com with Jason Swygard calling the action. Wednesday's game will not be aired.
• Live coverage links for Portland games can be found at PortlandPilots.com.

LAST TIME OUT: San Diego 71, Pilots 58 (Feb. 11, 2026— San Diego, Calif.)
• Portland went just 2-for-19 from three-point range and the San Diego Toreros caught fire in the second half Wednesday at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
• The Pilots led by four at the half but never found their rhythm on offense, while the Toreros shot 55 percent in the second period and knocked down 12 of 26 three-pointers overall.
• Dante Censori-Hercules scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while James O'Donnell added 12 off the bench and Joel Foxwell finished with 10 points for Portland.
• Despite shooting just 1-for-11 from three-point range in the period, Portland held San Diego to 36 percent overall and forced eight turnovers to take a 31-27 lead at the half.
• San Diego scored the first seven points of the second half and slowly built a double digit lead. The Pilots would cut the deficit to seven multiple times but were never able to threaten down the stretch as USD drilled 7-of-13 second half three-pointers.

A WIN FOR THE AGES
• Portland's upset of No. 6 Gonzaga was the highest ranked win in program history (AP Poll), the first against a Top 10 team since 1968 and first win against a ranked opponent dating back to January 9, 2014 when the Pilots defeated No. 22 Gonzaga 82-73 in Portland. It snapped a 24-game losing streak to ranked opponents and 20-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.
• Portland defeated No. 8-ranked Oklahoma City (74-63) for the program's only other Top 10 win at the Division I level. The Pilots are 2-33 all-time against Top 10 teams and 0-10 against teams ranked No. 1.

FRESHMAN PHENOMS
• Freshman PG Joel Foxwell garnered WCC Player of the Week and was one of five players in the nation named an Oscar Robertson Player of the Week by the USBWA on Feb. 10 after leading the Pilots to a pair of iconic wins. He also took him his league-leading sixth WCC Freshman of the Week honor.
• In the win over Gonzaga, Foxwell dominated with 27 points, four rebounds and eight assists. He was 11-of-18 from the field and collected a steal. He followed with five points, eight rebounds, nine assists and two steals against Seattle U, including a clutch three-pointer in the final minute to set up the buzzer-beating game-winner by fellow freshman Dante Censori-Hercules.
• Foxwell is leading the team in scoring (15.1) and assists (6.9). He is No. 5 nationally in total assists (185), No. 10 in assists per game – No. 1 among freshmen –  and one of two players nationally averaging at least 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists (Quinn Denker, Northern Colorado).
• Foxwell, Jeremiah Fears (Michigan St.) and Josiah Davis (CSUN) are the only players with multiple games of 15 or more assists, while he is one of six players with a 20-point, 15-assist game (vs. Santa Clara). Foxwell has set the UP freshman record for assists and with 409 total points is on pace to beat Austin Rapp's freshman scoring record (428) from a year ago.
• His 15 assists versus Santa Clara on Dec. 30 matched a career high as well as the program record for assists in a game set by Tyler Robertson in a Dec. 10, 2022 home win against New Orleans. He matched his high with 27 points against Saint Mary's on Jan. 24 and Gonzaga on Feb. 4. He has nine 20-point games, four double-doubles and has dished out 10 or more assists six times.
• Freshman F Timo George had been a consistent force for the Pilots as the team's No. 2 scorer (12.5), which is third among league freshmen, while his 4.9 rebounds per game are also second among WCC freshmen. He reached double figures in 11 of 15 games despite playing just 19.9 minutes per game.
• George was two field goals made shy of NCAA qualification in FG percentage. His 69.5 percent from the field would rank No. 2 nationally and lead the WCC. He was 7-for-7 from the field with 14 points and four rebounds at halftime vs. Santa Clara on Dec. 30 before suffering a shoulder injury and has not played since.
• Dante Censori-Hercules has been effective as a defensive stopper and rebounder. He has started the last six games, scored last second game-winner vs. Seattle U and had a season high 12 points with eight rebounds at San Diego.
• Redshirt freshman G NaVaughn Long has also worked his way into the rotation over the last few weeks and has drilled 5 of 9 three-pointers in limited minutes.

WILLIAMS DOING WORK
• Cameron Williams recorded his first double-double of the year with 14 points and 12 rebounds at Pepperdine on Jan. 14. He previously logged his fifth 20-point game of the season with his 23-point performance against Oregon State and has reached double figures 14 times.
• Williams is shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 78.8 percent at the foul line. His 11.6 points are third on the roster and he is grabbing a team-high 5.1 rebounds.
• Williams, a first team JC All-American and national champ with Trinity Valley JC last season, has adjusted well to the Division I level.

BALLISAGER WEBB PROVIDING BOOST
• Senior C Jermaine Ballisager Webb is averaging 7.7 points and 3.9 rebounds and has started the last ten games. He had a career high 18 points versus Oregon State, erupted for 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the upset of Gonzaga and followed with 12 points and six boards against Seattle U.

INJURY AND ILLNESS IMPACT
• Portland has dealt with numerous injuries and illness. Riley Parker (foot) and Timo George (shoulder) are out for the season, while Carlin Briggs (knee) is still returning from offseason surgery.
• UP was down to eight scholarship players last month and activated grad assistant Sam Noland, who previously played at Pacific Lutheran before joining the staff. He has played in all six games since. Matus Hronsky (ill) returned to the lineup last week, but Mikah Ballew was missed the last two games.
• Head coach Shantay Legans was added to the injury list with a torn Achilles suffered on Jan. 26 when he was filling in at practice for the shorthanded squad.

LEGANS' LATE SEASON SUCCESS
• Shantay Legans' teams have consistently performed well late in the season throughout his head coaching career. His overall record February 1 or later during his nine seasons is 63-34 (.649).

NATIONAL TEAM DUTY
• Four different players have been regular representatives on their home country's national teams either at the youth or senior level.
• Jermaine Ballisager Webb (Denmark) played on youth national teams from U15 on and represented the Senior National Team this Summer at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds over four games as Denmark secured a qualifying spot.
• Timo George (Netherlands) helped the Netherlands U20 National Team to a fourth-place finish at the 2024 FIBA EuroBasket where he averaged 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He also represented the Netherlands at the U18 European Championships in 2023.
• Matúš Hronský (Slovakia) represented Slovakia at the 2021 U20 European Championships where he averaged 15.8 points in five games. Hronský also played for Slovakia's Senior National Team at the 2021 World Cup where he scored eight points in four games.
• Dante Censori-Hercules (Canada) also trained this Summer with the U-19 National Team.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
• Portland's current roster features players from seven different countries including nine international student-athletes.
• The Australian pipeline continues to flow with four Pilots hailing from Down Under: Riley Parker, James O'Donnell, Carlin Briggs and Joel Foxwell.
• Throughout his five-year tenure with the Pilots, Legans has had nine different Aussies on the roster and 21 total international players from 12 different countries.

BUILDING A WINNING ROSTER
• The Portland coaching staff focused on building the 2025-26 roster with experienced players from winning programs and Portland's five transfers fit the bill.
• Junior transfers Garrett Nuckolls and Cameron Williams were the top two scorers for Trinity Valley JC, which won the JUCO Division I national title last year.
• Riley Parker was a starter and team captain for St. Francis, which won the Northeast Conference Tournament to reach the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
• Senior F Matúš Hronský spent three years with Duquesne and played in two NCAA Tournament games in 2024, while sophomore C James O'Donnell was a key contributor for San Francisco, who won 25 games and played in the NIT.
• Additionally, Portland's three true freshmen all played for high level clubs or have national team experience: Timo George prepped at IMG Academy in Florida, Joel Foxwell played with pros in the Australian NBL and NBL1, while Dante Censori-Hercules competed at Hodan Prep, which has multiple alums playing in the NBA.

ABOUT THE RETURNERS
• Portland returns six players from last year's roster, three of which redshirted.
• Mikah Ballew averaged 4.9 points as a freshman in 31 games. Jermaine Ballisager Webb started eight games, appeared in 29 and averaged 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 64 percent from the field. RS-sophomore G Kelson Gebbers played 19 games and averaged 1.7 points and 1.1 rebounds.
• Carlin Briggs, NaVaughn Long and Preston Lee each utilized their redshirt season. Briggs is returning from a knee injury and working his way back into playing shape.

STAFF UPDATE
• Portland added two new assistant coaches to staff this offseason in Mark Berokoff and Anthony Separovich, while Decclan Mclean was promoted to an assistant coach after serving two years as a graduate assistant.
• Berokoff brings vast experience to the bench with more than 400 career wins along with multiple state and national championships as a head coach. Berokoff most recently served four seasons as head coach at NAIA Oklahoma City University.  He led Randall University to three national titles and five national semifinals appearances in nine years (2012-21) at the National Christian College Athletic Association Division II level while serving as both head coach and athletic director.
• Separovich and Mclean are Australians that have helped solidified a strong pipeline for the Pilots Down Under. Separovich served as the AUSA Hoops Program and Recruiting Director from 2022-25. He was instrumental in recruiting, mentoring and guiding boys and girls players from Australia to earn college scholarships in the U.S. More than 500 student-athletes represented AUSA in AAU Tournaments across the U.S. in 2025. He helped place more than 100 student-athletes at U.S. colleges over the past three years, including a record 50 in 2024.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE (7-20, 2-12 WCC)
• The Waves knocked off rival LMU by a 90-89 margin on Saturday to snap a six-game losing streak. Pepperdine is 1-10 in true road games this season. The Waves recorded non-league Division I wins against New Orleans, CSU Bakersfield and Rice.
• Aaron Clark (14.6) leads four Waves averaging double figures.
• Head coach Ed Schilling is in his second year at the helm.

PORTLAND-PEPPERDINE SERIES HISTORY
Series: PEP leads 70-44
H / A / N: 27-28 / 15-38 / 2-4
Streak: L2
Last Meeting: Pepperdine 67, Pilots 63 (1/14/26 at Pepperdine)

WE'RE RIVERBOAT PILOTS, NOT AIRPLANE PILOTS!
• Though a 1935 student contest resulted in the nickname "Chinooks" (after the Native American tribe that inhabited the area, and the largest of the salmon species in the Willamette River), the "Pilots" was chosen by presidential fiat. From that day forward, The Bluff had a new mascot, and he was Wally Pilot.
• When the University changed its name from Columbia University (its earliest sports teams were known as the Cliff dwellers or the Columbias), to the University of Portland in 1935, the name and University had already begun to adapt a more "nautical motif," suitable for a campus site overlooking the Willamette River. At the same time, the Pilot athletic teams became associated with Wally (a stylized riverboat pilot), and the pilot's wheel became the logical logo.
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