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Portland's 2025-26 Seniors.

Women's Basketball

Pilots Host Waves, Gonzaga for Final Home Contests

PORTLAND, Ore. – The final week of the regular season is here, with Portland Pilots Women's Basketball set to host the Pepperdine Waves and the Gonzaga Bulldogs in their last home games this season. They'll play the Waves on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. and the Bulldogs on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. Saturday's game is a doubleheader as well, with the men's team set to play the San Diego Toreros before that at 1 p.m.
 
Thursday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ while Saturday's will be on ESPNU, the lone national TV game this season for Portland. Saturday is also Senior Night for the Pilots, with the student-athletes in their last year with the program being honored. Check PortlandPilots.com for tickets, live stats, video and audio options for both contests.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Pepperdine Waves (17-11, 8-8 WCC)
Day: Thursday
Date: Feb. 26, 2026
Time: 6 PM
Place: Portland, Ore.
Arena: Chiles Center
Video: ESPN+
Audio: PortlandPilots.com
Stats: PortlandPilots.com

POR vs. PEPP
Overall: 41-39 •  Last 5/10: 4-1/8-2
H: 26-12 •  A: 14-25 • N: 1-2
Last: POR 68, @PEPP 86 (1/24/2026)
 
Opponent: Gonzaga Bulldogs
Day: Saturday
Date: Feb. 28, 2026
Time: 5 PM
Place: Portland, Ore.
Arena: Chiles Center
TV: ESPNU
Audio: PortlandPilots.com
Stats: PortlandPilots.com

POR vs. GON
Overall: 30-64 •  Last 5/10: 1-4/2-8
H: 14-29 •  A: 10-34  • N: 6-2
Last: @GON 69, POR 55 (1/10/2026)
 
PEEK INTO THE PORT
  • The Portland Pilots are 16-12 on the year after splitting the action last week against the Oregon State Beavers and the Seattle U Redhawks.
  • The Pilots battled while shorthanded against the Beavers, but ultimately fell 64-54, and then eked out a road victory over the Redhawks 65-61 up in Seattle.
  • Lainey Spear once again led the Pilots in scoring at 19 points against the Beavers, coming just one shy of her career high. She added six rebounds as well.
  • Nicole Anderson was crucial in the contest as well, scoring 12 points and hitting three 3-pointers. She's hit at least three 3-pointers in 12 games this year, the most by any Pilot in a single season since the 2018-19 season when Maddie Muhlheim did so.
  • Dallow grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds in the game, becoming the third Pilot this season to grab that many rebounds in a contest. Rhyan Mogel's six rebounds were also a career high.
  • Against the Redhawks, Spear once again led the way for Portland with 15 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Spear has led the Pilots in scoring the last three games and has now scored in double digits 10 times this season.
  • Mogel and Anderson were the two other double-digit scorers with 12 and 10 points respectively.
  • Anderson's now at 52 made 3-pointers on the year, which are the 13th most by a Pilot in a single season.
  • Tiffany Barbosa stuffed the stat sheet in her second career start, scoring six points and adding nine rebounds and five steals. Her five steals and nine rebounds were both career highs.
  • The Pilots had 15 steals and 29 forced turnovers against the Redhawks, their highest totals in both categories since the last time they played the Redhawks. 10 of their 15 steals came in the second quarter.
  • The Pilots lead the conference in blocks per game (5.6), turnovers forced per game (20.6) and steals per game (11.0) and ranks second in assists per game (17.0) and bench points per game (23.3).
  • Nationally, Portland's 10th in blocks per game, 27th in turnovers forced per game and 33rd in both assists per game and steals per game.
  • Julia Dalan leads the nation in blocks per game (3.4) and is still ninth nationally and first in the WCC (65) despite missing most of the last month of basketball.
  • Dalan's 65 blocks are the most by a Pilot freshman since Rosemary Adams had 66 in the 1990-91 season. Dalan is two blocks away from breaking Portland's freshman record.
  • Dyani Ananiev currently leads the conference at 63 steals and 2.5 steals per game. Ananiev is the leading scorer for the Pilots at 10.7 points per game, followed closely behind by Florence Dallow at 10.1 points per game.
  • Spear has also racked up the takeaways this year at 2.0 steals per game. Spear had eight steals earlier this year against Seattle U on Jan. 17, the most by a Pilot since 2017.
  • Spear was one steal shy of the program record for steals in a game. The last player to reach nine steals in a game was her mother, Kristin, who played with the Pilots from 1996-99 and reached nine steals in a game in 1997.
  • Anderson is averaging 9.4 points per game in conference play alone and shooting 39.4% from 3-point range. She has the most 3-pointers by a Pilot in a single season since Maddie Muhlheim in the 2019-20 season (60) and the 13th most in program history.
  • Mogel ranks fourth in the WCC in both total assists (127) and assists per game (4.7) while also ranking second in assist/turnover ratio at 1.81.
  • Mogel was the fastest Pilot to 100 assists in a season since Haylee Andrews in the 2021-22 season.
  • 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 376-109 in his career dating back to his time at George Fox. He is 146-74 in his time with Portland.
  • Meek ranks ninth among all active coaches in NCAA Division I with at least five seasons of experience in winning percentage at .775
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
  • The Pepperdine Waves are 17-11 overall and 8-8 in WCC play, earning big wins over the San Diego Toreros and the Santa Clara Broncos last week.
  • The Waves beat the Pilots in their first matchup of the year 86-68 down in Malibu.
  • 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 14.5 points per game. Shorna Preston ranks second in the conference in rebounding at 8.6 boards per contest.
  • Katie Faulkner is in her second season as head coach of the Waves. She is 25-33 in her two seasons so far.
  • The Gonzaga Bulldogs are 21-8 on the year with a 13-3 record against WCC opponents. They most recently beat the Washington State Cougars and the Pacific Tigers to attain the best record in the league.
  • The Pilots battled the Zags in Spokane in their last matchup, with the Pilots falling 69-55.
  • Last season, the Zags grabbed a share of the WCC regular season title with the Pilots, posting a 24-11 record overall and a 17-3 WCC record. The Bulldogs took both contests against the Pilots last season.
  • The Bulldogs were picked to finish second in annual preseason coaches poll, with Zeryhia Aokuso making the All-WCC Preseason Team.
  • Lauren Whitaker is the leading scorer for the Zags, averaging 19.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. She is currently leading the conference in both categories.
  • Whitaker has matched the conference record for WCC Freshman of the Week honors, garnering 12 wins in the category this season.
  • Lisa Fortier is in her 12th season with the Zags, sitting at fifth among all active coaches in overall win percentage at .791. She is 310-82 in her coaching career.
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