THIS WEEK — The University of Portland women’s basketball team (8-15 overall, 1-7 in the West Coast Conference for eighth place) looks to build off of encouraging performances in southern California last weekend, as the Pilots return home to the Chiles Center to face Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount in a rematch of last weekend’s games.

Portland faces Pepperdine on Thursday (Feb. 10) before taking on Loyola Marymount on Saturday (Feb. 12). Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Chiles Center.

SERIES RECORDS AND NOTES — Portland holds a commanding 20-5 lead in the overall series with Loyola Marymount dating back to the 1987-88 season and have won 13 of the last 14 meetings between the two schools. The Lions earned their first victory in seven years last Friday, defeating the Pilots, 80-72, at Gersten Pavillion in Los Angeles to snap Portland’s 13-game winning streak.

The Pilots have outscored the Lions, 1,765-1,464, in the series and have averaged 70.6 ppg compared to LMU’s 58.6 ppg in the 25 meetings. During Portland’s recent 13-game win streak against LMU, the Pilots have averaged 77.2 ppg against the Lions while Loyola Marymount has averaged just 55.2 ppg.

The series between Portland and Pepperdine has been hard-fought in recent years as the Waves lead in the series, 15-13, dating back to the 1984-85 season. The Waves have claimed victories in the last six games, but not before the Pilots won six in a row from 1995-97. The last win for Portland in the series came in the semifinals of the WCC Tournament in 1997 where the Pilots came out on top, 61-58, in overtime.

Portland holds a slim advantage in scoring against Pepperdine, outscoring the Waves by just 11 points in the overall series (1,858-1,847). The Pilots are averaging 66.4 ppg in the series while the Waves are averaging 66.0 ppg.

THE UNFRIENDLY CONFINES ... FOR THE OPPONENTS -- Despite being swept by Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount in southern California last weekend, the Pilots will look to enact some revenge on their opponents this weekend, and history is on their side.

Since Portland joined the West Coast Conference in the 1987-88 season, the Pilots have never lost to the Lions on the floor of the Chiles Center, posting a perfect 12-0 record. Portland has also experienced similar success against the Waves at home, posting victories in eight of the 12 matches on the Pilots’ home floor during that same span. Pepperdine has won the last two games at the Chiles Center, but not before Portland won six in a row from 1992-97.

Against the Waves, the Pilots have averaged 71.5 ppg at home while averaging 75.6 ppg at the Chiles Center against the Lions. Pepperdine has averaged 64.4 ppg in the 12 games on Portland’s home floor while LMU has averaged just 55.1 ppg in the Chiles Center.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT -- Portland and Pepperdine have fought down to the wire in just about every game the two teams have played against one another, but none have been closer than the last six meetings. In those games, the Waves have come out victorious by a combined 33 points with the largest margin of victory of just 10 points during last year’s West Coast Conference Tournament: a, 70-62, Pepperdine victory.

OUT-STANDISH! -- Portland sophomore forward Tami Standish has been shooting the lights out as of late and has made playing without leading scorer Sarah Green that much easier for the Pilots in the last three games.

Since Green went down with an illness after the Gonzaga game in Spokane on Jan. 26, all Standish has gone on to do is put up three straight double-doubles, including setting a new career-high with 24 points against the Bulldogs on Jan. 29 at the Chiles Center and tying that mark against Pepperdine on Sunday (Feb. 6). During the streak, Standish has averaged 21.7 ppg and 10.7 rpg to go along with eight assists and eight steals.

During that stretch, she shot 60.5% from the floor (26-of-43), 83.3% from the free throw line (10-of-12), and 75.0% from the three-point line (3-of-4) -- including a career-best 3-for-3 against Loyola Marymount.

Before her three double-double performances, Standish pulled down double-digit rebounds against Saint Mary’s (10) and Gonzaga (13) and scored 10 points in the two games before that against San Francisco and San Diego. She is averaging 13.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg in her last seven games.

HEATING UP THE CONFERENCE — The Pilots have a trio of scorers who are smoking the nets with their stellar play this season, ranking in the top 25 in overall scoring and in conference play. Senior center Sarah Green is averaging 15.8 ppg overall this season (#4 in the WCC) and an amazing 17.6 ppg in conference games this season, which would put her in second place in the conference, but she has missed the last three games due to illness and does not qualify.

Junior forward Sharon Rissmiller is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.4 ppg overall (#9 in the WCC) and 14.8 ppg in conference play (#6 in the WCC). Sophomore forward Tami Standish has jumped in the upper half of the top 25 in scoring with two stellar performances last weekend against Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. Standish is averaging 11.3 ppg overall (#13 in the WCC) and 12.8 ppg in conference play (tied for #11 in the WCC).

PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY ITEMS UNATTENDED -- Things may be disappearing all over the arena this weekend as three of the top four teams in the West Coast Conference in steals, and the top eight “Sultans of Swipe” in the league will be skulking around the Chiles Center this weekend.

Loyola Marymount enters this weekend’s match-ups leading the conference in steals with 11.67 spg, Pepperdine is third with 8.62 spg, while Portland is right behind the Waves in fourth with 8.57 spg. LMU has four players in the top 10 in steals led by Rosa Bernasconi, who leads the conference with 3.19 spg. Taryn Reynolds (2.24 -- #3), Kate Murray (2.10 -- #4), and Bryn Britton (1.95 -- T#5) round out the Lions’ contingent.

Portland has three players in the top 10 in steals led by freshman guard Ashlee Giles, who ranks No. 2 in the WCC with 2.59 spg. Junior guard Trish Felts is seventh in the conference with 1.83 spg, while sophomore forward Tami Standish is eighth with 1.63 spg.

Pepperdine’s Rasheeda Clark is tied for fifth in the league with Britton, averaging 1.95 spg so far this season.

A SERIOUS OFFENSE -- After failing to break the 60-point barrier for six of their eight games in January (2-6 record), the Pilot offense has come alive in a big way as of late, scoring 60 or more points in three straight games, and putting up 70 points or more in their last two games. In the Pilots’ first 12 games, Portland scored 60 points-or-more on seven different occasions, including a season-high 79 points against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 5 at the Chiles Center. Opponents have gone on to break the 70-point barrier seven times, and have scored more than 65 points on four other occasions.

When the offense is clicking, the Pilots are 7-4 this season when they score 60-or-more points, 5-3 when they score more than 65 points in a game, and 4-3 when they score 70-or-more points in a game.

SCOUTING THE LIONS -- Loyola Marymount enters this weekend’s game with a 12-9 overall record and a 5-3 mark in conference play, good for third place in the conference. The Lions are on a two game winning streak after sweeping Portland and Gonzaga last weekend and they will face the Bulldogs on Thursday (Feb. 10) before heading south to face the Pilots on Saturday (Feb. 12).

LMU is led by a dangerous backcourt of sophomore guards Bryn Britton and Rosa Bernasconi, who are both scoring in double-figures this season. Britton leads the team, averaging 16.8 ppg which puts her in second place in the conference in that category. She is also the team’s leading shot-blocker, swatting down nine balls this year.

Bernasconi is second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.4 ppg and leads the WCC in steals with 3.26 spg this season. She ranks No. 5 in the conference in scoring and has dished out a team-best 3.42 apg this season while grabbing 6.6 rpg.

SCOUTING THE WAVES -- Pepperdine enters this weekend’s games with an 13-8 overall record and a 6-2 mark in conference play, good for second place in the West Coast Conference, and just one game back of league-leader Saint Mary’s.

Pepperdine swept both of its games last weekend, defeating Gonzaga, 89-76, and Portland, 84-75.

The Waves are led by a pair of double-digit scorers in junior guard Rasheeda Clark and freshman guard Damaris Hinojosa. Clark is averaging a team-high 16.0 ppg this season while grabbing 4.0 rpg and dishing out 3.38 apg. She has led the team in scoring in 10 games this year, including a season-best 23 points in a, 64-45, victory over San Diego back in January. Pepperdine is 6-4 in games in which Clark has led the team in scoring.

Against Portland, Clark scored a team-high 19 points, with 10 of those points in the final seven minutes of the game to hold of a hard-charging Pilot team and secure the win for Pepperdine. She shot 7-of-13 from the field and had six rebounds after scoring just four points in the first half of play.

Hinojosa has been an offensive dynamo in just her freshman season, averaging 13.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 2.19 apg so far this year. She has led the team in scoring in seven games this season, including a season-best 24 points against Mississippi State, a game that Pepperdine lost, 90-80. The Waves are 4-3 in games where Hinojosa has led the team in scoring.

Hinojosa was one of three Pepperdine players with 15 points against Portland on Sunday, doing it on 6-of-13 shooting to go with her seven rebounds and four assists.

I’LL MEET YOU HALFWAY -- With inexperience and injuries weighing them down, the first half of the conference season for the Pilots has been a bumpy one, posting the second-worst record through eight games in its 13 years in the league. Portland went 0-8 in its first eight conference games in 1991 en rotue to a 1-13 record in the WCC.

However, all is not lost and Portland hopes history is on its side. In 1994, the Pilots began conference play with a 1-5 record and posted victories in back-to-back games against Pepperdine and LMU at the Chiles Center to finish the first half of league play with a 3-5 record. Portland went on to finish 7-7 in conference that year for fourth place.

CENTURY MARK FOR SOLLARS? -- Since officially joining the WCC back in the 1987-88 season, head coach Jim Sollars has led the Pilots to an overall conference record of 99-77 and looks to eclipse the century mark in victories this season against conference foe Pepperdine on Thursday.

Under his guidance, Portland has had five seasons of 10-or-more conference victories and have had eight non-losing seasons since joining the league. He ranks second among active WCC coaches in conference victories (99) and third among active coaches (seventh overall) in conference winning percentage (.563). He trails only Santa Clara’s Caren Horstmeyer and Kelly Graves of Saint Mary’s -- a former Portland assistant under Sollars -- in that category. Sollars is also approaching a milestone of his own in career victories, collecting 387 career wins (387-267, .592) in 23-plus years of coaching.

CAN I GET YOU SOME WINDEX WHILE YOU’RE UP THERE? -- As a team, Portland stands seventh in the conference in rebounding, but Pilot individuals have been cleaning up on the boards all by themselves this season.

Senior center Sarah Green is fourth in the West Coast Conference in rebounds (8.5 rpg) and is third in the conference in offensive boards with 3.61 rpg. She stands in fifth place in the league in defensive rebounds with 4.89 rpg.

Tami Standish is also among the league leaders in rebounds, ranking No. 4 in rebounding (7.6 rpg) and ranking second in offensive rebounds with 3.74 rpg.

In conference games, Standish ranks third in WCC games with 8.9 rpg while leading the conference in offensive rebounds with 4.50 rpg.

PILOTS TAKING IT RIGHT DOWN TO THE WIRE -- Portland just could not get over the hump in close games last season, posting a 3-9 record in games decided by 10 points or less. Of those 12 games, seven were decided by five points or less as the Pilots were just 2-5 in those contests. Of those losses, two games had to be decided in overtime as Portland fell to rivals San Diego and Pepperdine on the road.

This season, Portland has fared a little better when games have come down to the wire. The Pilots are a combined 4-3 this season in games decided by 10 points or less and are 4-0 in games decided by less than five points with victories over San Diego State, Idaho, Montana State, and Gonzaga.

THE NUMBERS NEVER LIE -- When it comes right down to it, the numbers never lie and, for the most part, Portland has been winning all of the small statistical battles this season. However, that has not neccessarily translated into a Pilot victory. Here is how Portland has fared in various key statistical categories:

When the Pilots... Record
Outscore their opponents 8-0
Have less turnovers 6-3
Have a higher FG Percentage 6-4
Have more assists 7-1
Outrebound their opponents 5-4
Have a higher FT Percentage 5-7

STOP!! THIEF!! -- The Pilots again played the role of magicians last season, making not only the basketball, but the hopes of other teams disappear in the process.

Portland led the league in steals for the third consecutive year last season and averaged 11.3 steals per game after averaging 13.1 spg during the 1997-98 season. Nancy Pompili’s 2.3 steals per game led the West Coast Conference for the second straight season, while Kristen Hepton’s 2.2 spg was second. Portland’s staring five averaged 8.1 of the team’s 11.3 steals per game.

Portland has led the WCC in steals on two other occasions: in 1996-97 (12.5 spg, 12.9 in conference games) and in 1994-95 (10.9 spg).

PEPPERDINE 84, PORTLAND 75 -- Portland sophomore forward Tami Standish tied a career-high by scoring 24 points while grabbing 12 rebounds for her third-straight double-double of the year, but it was not enough to hold back Pepperdine as the Waves held on to defeat the Pilots, 84-75, on Sunday afternoon in a West Coast Conference game at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, CA.

It was the third consecutive double-double for Standish, who also scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Loyola Marymount on Friday night.

Junior forward Sharon Rissmiller was also in double-figures for the Pilots, scoring 17 of her career-high 24 points in the first half and grabbing seven rebounds, while junior guard Trish Felts added 12 points and seven assists. Freshman Ashlee Giles, who scored a career-high 18 points against LMU, added 10 points off the bench for Portland.

The Pilots trailed by five points at, 39-34, heading into the lockerroom at halftime, but came out smoking in the second half, using a 10-4 run to start the period to take their first lead of the game at, 44-43, with 15:21 left in the half. After Pepperdine’s Anna Lemke mader a basket to put the Waves back up by a point, Standish came back down the court once again and hit a jumper on a ball that was headed out of bounds, but saved by Rissmiller, to give Portland the lead once again.

However, the Waves’ offense poured it on, using a 14-3 run to go up, 59-49, and take control of the game. The Pilots did not give up, closing to within four points with 7:01 left in the game on a pair of free throws by Rissmiller, but could not come any closer. Pepperdine’s Rasheeda Clark scored 10 of her team-high 19 points in the final seven minutes to seal the victory for the Waves.

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 80, PORTLAND 72 – Freshman guard Ashlee Giles scored a career-high 18 points and led three other Pilots in double-figures, but it was not enough as Loyola Marymount downed Portland, 80-72, Friday night in a West Coast Conference match-up at Gersten Pavillion in Los Angeles, CA.

It was the Lions’ first win over the Pilots in seven years — a span of 13 straight victories by Portland dating all the way back to the 1992-93 conference season.

Giles broke her previous career-high of 17 points set against Cal State Fullerton by hitting 8-of-13 from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range, in 17 minutes.

Sophomore forward Tami Standish notched her second consecutive double-double and the third of her career by scoring 17 points and grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds. Junior forward Sharon Rissmiler scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds while junior guard Trish Felts scored 10 points and dished out six assists.

Portland held the early lead at 4-0 in the opening three minutes but could not hold back LMU’s offense as the Lions regrouped to go on a 19-4 run to take a commanding 25-8 lead and never look back. The Pilots answered back with an 11-3 run of their own to close to within six points at, 30-24, with just under 3:00 remaining, but could not get over the top. Portland outscored Loyola Marymount, 46-43, in the second half, but could come no closer than six points in the final period of play.

The Lions were led by guard Taryn Reynolds, who scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds, while forward Dana Hunter notched her fifth double-double of the year with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

PILOTS ON THE INTERNET -- Portland women’s basketball fans can follow all the action on the hardwood this season as the Pilots drive towards a West Coast Conference Championship and another trip to the NCAA Tournament through various websites on the Internet.

You can check out the latest Pilot happenings on the University’s athletic website at www.up.edu/athletics and also at the newest website for college basketball junkies at www.ncaabasketball.net. Both sites provide schedule information and results as well as game recaps and other team news updated by the Portland Sports Information Office. You can also choose the Pilots as “Your Team” to ensure that you don’t miss a beat with Portland women’s basketball.

When the West Coast Conference schedule gets underway in January, Pilot fans can also access the WCC home page at www.wccsports.com to follow Portland through the conference season and check out how the other teams in the league are faring as the Pilots drive towards another WCC crown and a trip to the postseason.

TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT COMBINATION -- Thanks to various injuries, Portland Head Coach Jim Sollars has had to be very creative with his starting lineups to start out this season and finding the right combination of players has proven to be a tougher task than trying to break into the vault at Fort Knox. Portland has had to use 13 different starting lineups through its 23 games this season.

LINEUP (RECORD)
Rissmiller/Reeder/Green/Felts/Stringer (1-0)
Rissmiller/Reeder/Green/Moldenhauer/Felts (1-1)Rissmiller/Reeder/Green/Standish/Felts (0-3)
Rissmiller/Harz/Green/Standish/Felts (1-0)
Rissmiller/Harz/Green/Moldenhauer/Felts (0-1)
Rissmiller/Felts/Green/Standish/Harz (0-1)
Rissmiller/Standish/Green/Felts/Giles (2-3)
Standish/Finch/Green/Felts/Giles (1-0)
Rissmiller/Standish/Reeder/Felts/Giles (1-1)
Rissmiller/Standish/Green/Felts/Moldenhauer (0-1)
Rissmiller/Standish/Green/Swinton/Felts (0-2)
Rissmiller/Standish/Swinton/Felts/Moldenhauer (1-0)
Rissmiller/Standish/Asher/Felts/Moldenhauer (0-2)

WINNING IN THE WCC -- Portland has had a very successful run since joining the West Coast Conference, posting winning records against five of its seven WCC opponents since the 1987-88 season. In the other two remaining rivalries, the Pilots have posted a 13-16 record against San Francisco and trails in the overall series with Pepperdine, 15-13.

Opponent Record
vs. Gonzaga 23-15
vs. Loyola Marymount 20-5
vs. Pepperdine 13-15
vs. Saint Mary’s 13-12
vs. San Francisco 13-16
vs. Santa Clara 16-14
vs. San Diego 19-13

BREAKING RECORDS ... AND WE DON’T MEAN THE VINYL KIND -- Senior center Sarah Green enters the 1999-2000 season as one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in school history, but with 10 games left in the season, she is looking to etch her name in a few more categories in the Portland record books.

MAKING HER MARK
Sarah Green in the Pilot Record Books
Category
Points 1,304 (No. 7 - Next: Amy Claboe - 1,354 pts)
Points Per Game 12.4 ppg (No. 9 - Next: Laura Sale - 13.1 ppg)
Rebounds 702 (No. 4 - Next: Jodi Harding - 732 rebounds)
Blocks 155 (No. 4 - Next: Wendy Toonen - 201 blocks)
Field Goal % .466 (No. 8 - Next: Jolene Barton - .470 FG%)
Free Throws 287 (No. 5 - Next: Kristin Hepton - 292 FT)
Field Goals 505 (No. 8 - Next: Amy Claboe - 528 field goals)

In addition, Green is also looking to make a name for herself in the West Coast Conference annals. She stands tied for sixth in conference history with her 155 blocks, needing just one blocks to take over sole possession of sixth place and 16 to take over fifth all-time. Green also has her named etched into the Portland single-season record books for blocked shots, ranking No. 9 with 53 blocks last season and No. 10 with 40 blocks during the 1997-98 season.

GREEN-ER PASTURES -- Portland senior center Sarah Green is one of the West Coast Conference's best players and was named the season's first Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 22. The award was the fourth such honor for the Portland native, having earned the honor three times during her sophomore season and also earned WCC Player of the Month honors that December.

In addition, Green was also selected by the conference's coaches as part of the "2000 WCC Dream Team" as the center. Green has made the All-Tournament teams at all three regular season tournaments this season and has posted six double-double’s on the year -- the most by any one player in the WCC. She has scored in double-digits in 15 of Portland’s 20 games this season, and has grabbed double-digit rebounds in seven games this year, including a season-best 16 against Cal State Fullerton.

EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK -- The 1990s will be long remembered as the final decade of the millenium, but it also holds a special place in the heart of Pilot basketball players as the past 10 years have been very kind to the Portland women’s basketball program. During that stretch, the Pilots have posted a 176-129 (.577) overall record in the decade that includes six straight winning seasons, four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, a trip to the WNIT, three West Coast Conference crowns, six seasons with 15-or-more victories, and the conference’s only undefeated league record (14-0 back in 1996-97).

SEASON’S GREETINGS -- Things have not gone too well for Portland when it comes to opening conference play since joining the WCC in 1987. The Pilots are a combined 5-8 in West Coast Conference openers during that stretch, posting a 4-2 record at the Chiles Center while winning just once in seven chances in league openers on the road.

Portland has opened conference action against Santa Clara twice in 14 seasons, losing last Thursday at Toso Pavillion, and again back in 1988 at home in overtime, 68-66, in Portland’s first-ever WCC game. The Pilots are 2-1 against Saint Mary’s, 1-3 against San Francisco, 1-1 against Loyola Marymount, and 0-2 against Pepperdine in conference openers. Portland has lost its last three WCC openers (two to Pepperdine and one to Santa Clara) by a combined total of 23 points.

DARN IT JIM, I’M A DOCTOR, NOT A BASKETBALL PLAYER -- You would be hard-pressed to find a player on the Portland roster that has not fallen victim to the injury bug this season, as the Pilots have lost one player to a season-ending injury and have had a handful of others who were hobbling. The Pilots have lost six players this season to injury and have combined to miss 74 games since the start of the season. Here is a list of some of the major injuries the Pilots have had to deal with and how mauch time each player has missed because of it:

Player Time Missed
Jennifer Swinton (Dislocated Kneecap)17 games
Kristin Stringer (Torn ACL) Out for the Season
Tami Standish (Stress Fracture)4 Games
Ashlee Giles (Groin, Illness)6 Games
Jordan Hubbard (Stress Fracture)19 games
Sarah Green (Illness)5 Games