Pilots vs. PU Thursday @ 7 & Pilots vs. LMU Saturday @ 2

The strongest teams in WCC Women’s Basketball are from the same schools as the strongest men’s teams: Gonzaga, St. Mary’s, and BYU. After those three shoo-in teams and San Diego at the top, it’s a crap shoot as to who will end up in the Wednesday “play-in” game in Las Vegas in March.

1. GU 6-1
2. SMC 6-1
3. BYU 4-2
4. USD 5-3
5. SCU 4-3
6. UP 2-5
7. LMU 2-5
8. USF 2-6
9. PU 1-6

At the beginning of the season and league play the Pilots were thought to have a lock on last place….but the team is improving at a good pace. Sure, they’ll be even better NEXT year as this year’s team has NO seniors, and is led statistically by three sophomores and two freshmen, but they even have a chance of making it to number 5 or 6 in the 9 team race THIS year!!

The Pilots (2-5) return from a successful three game road swing (two wins) Thursday playing Pepperdine (1-6) for the first time this year; and on Saturday afternoon LMU (their record is 2-5 before its game on Thursday against Gonzaga) comes to Portland having already lost once to the Pilots in L.A.

I urge all UP fans to show up at the Chiles Center for these next two games (your comments and cheering will be heard when you are one of only 500 or so fans) to urge/yell/cheer on the ladies in their quest to move themselves into a strong 6th place in the WCC, with eyes on even 4th or 5th if the breaks go their way.

2 p.m. Saturday?

up7587 wrote:2 p.m. Saturday?

Other than the men playing at 4:30 at St. Mary's on Root TV and Groundhog day.....what else is there?

Preparing the ingredients for a 47 layer dip for Sunday?

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/how-to-make-the-ultimate-47-layer-dip

DoubleDipper wrote:.....what else is there?

Pre-function?

up7587 wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:.....what else is there?

Pre-function?

Nope, postgame!

It's been a bit of tradition for years to have a beer or two and a burger with this man who attends all the women's home games:

Here:

Well, it wasn't easy....PILOTS WIN 57-51 over Pepperdine.

You'd think 25% shooting and 20 turnovers wouldn't be enough....and it almost wasn't as PU rallied from a 29-13 halftime score to get within 3 points late in the game. Free throws sealed it for the Pilots...23/31.

Amy Pupa took only one shot, but had 19 rebounds and is my MVP of the game.

Pepperdine had a first half as bad as one we had earlier this year. Then we stopped taking care of the ball and almost gave it back.

Two very young teams.

Pepp only shot about 33% themselves.

The WCC standing as of tonight:

1. GU 7-1
2. SMC 6-2
3. BYU 5-2
4. USD 6-3
5. SCU 4-4
6. UP 3-5
7. LMU 2-6
8. USF 2-6
9. PU 1-7

UP has beaten LMU (away); SCU (away); and PU.

The toughest part of the schedule is still ahead.....but if the Pilots can get just 3 more wins......

LMU
SMC (away)
PU (away)
USF
SMC
BYU (away)
GU (away)
BYU

Saturday afternoon's game against LMU is vital!!

Big difference in the Pilots win tonight…..believe it or not….the Pilots Dance Team.

Lots of banging on the floor, yells of “defense,” and other loud cheering easily made for the best atmosphere we’ve seen for a women’s game in the Chiles Center this year.

I made a point of thanking the young ladies after the game…..and told them they were worth at least 10 points to the Pilots. Nice bunch; genuinely all sincere in their thanking me for recognizing and thanking them.

I agree on the Dance Team this year... they are looking great this year, and have taken on a bit of the role of cheer leader. Well done, Ladies!

DoubleDipper wrote:Well, it wasn't easy....PILOTS WIN 57-51 over Pepperdine.

You'd think 25% shooting and 20 turnovers wouldn't be enough....and it almost wasn't as PU rallied from a 29-13 halftime score to get within 3 points late in the game. Free throws sealed it for the Pilots...23/31.

Amy Pupa took only one shot, but had 19 rebounds and is my MVP of the game.

I think I've figured out the Pilots' strategy.

They can't shoot to save their lives and they can't take care of the ball, so they play defense hard enough to make the other team shoot it just as poorly and turn it over just as much.

Whatever works, right?

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:I think I've figured out the Pilots' strategy.

They can't shoot to save their lives and they can't take care of the ball, so they play defense hard enough to make the other team shoot it just as poorly and turn it over just as much.

Whatever works, right?

Are you talking about the men's team or the women's team? It only seems to be working on one of them...

Final score from Chiles Center as the Pilots win their 3rd straight: Portland 65, LMU 63!

PilotNut wrote:Final score from Chiles Center as the Pilots win their 3rd straight: Portland 65, LMU 63!

A fun game to watch…..some very good play and lots of noise.

Down 45-35 midway through the second half, the Pilots hustled their way through a 24-6 run and then overcame some missed free throws and some very inopportune turnovers to seal the deal with solid defense.

The Pilots shot over 50% in the second half, including 5/10 behind the arc. Amy Pupa pulled down 10 rebounds, but I’ve got to give my player of the game votes to sophomore Kari Luttinen and freshman Ellen Nurmi who consistently hit crucial shots and combined for 29 points.

Yep, the Pilots are on a 3 game winning streak……..

The WCC standings through today’s play:

1. GU 8-1
2. SMC 6-2
3. BYU 6-2
4. USD 7-3
5. UP 4-5
6. SCU 4-5
7. LMU 2-7
8. USF 2-7
9. PU 1-8

Realistically, UP may only have one or two more wins in the regular season, PU away and USF at home, but you just never know……

very inopportune turnovers

Is a turnover ever opportune?

up7587 wrote:

very inopportune turnovers

Is a turnover ever opportune?

Haha, yea, I suppose, but one definition of inopportune is: occurring at an inconvenient time.

With UP up 62-61 midway through the shot clock with :29 seconds left in the game, UP guard Jasmine Wooton turned the ball over by passing it directly to a cutting LMU player who converted an uncontested lay-up putting LMU ahead 63-62 with :27 seconds left…..that turnover came at an extremely inconvenient time that was really very inopportune moment in the game!!

If that same turnover had happened with 15 or 10 minutes to play, it would have just been one of the Pilots 17 turnovers, but as it was………

Fortunately for the Pilots, on the ensuing tightly contested inbounds play Jasmine took the ball the length of the court for a lay-up that put the Pilots back on top to stay.

Ask Geezer if the turnover was inopportune…..he was stilling muttering about it after the final buzzer

DoubleDipper wrote:

Ask Geezer if the turnover was inopportune…..he was stilling muttering about it after the final buzzer

The last one was definitely intempestiva.


You have to admit the Kardiac Kids keep things interesting. As Jasmine was coming up the court I was screaming "take care of the ball"... I think she heard " pass them the ball".

But she took charge for the last shot and then got the last rebound, so you can't say she wasn't trying.

Today for every bad thing they did ( there was no shortage) they did some nice things. It makes you think if they keep improving and figure out how to get the turnovers under 10 or so they could have some winning seasons. They are very young.

PurpleGeezer wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:

Ask Geezer if the turnover was inopportune…..he was stilling muttering about it after the final buzzer

Today for every bad thing they did ( there was no shortage) they did some nice things. It makes you think if they keep improving and figure out how to get the turnovers under 10 or so they could have some winning seasons. They are very young.

Without the unforced turnovers, the Pilots would have won the game handily, instead of needing nearly last second heroics.

Go Pilots.

wrv wrote:Without the unforced turnovers, the Pilots would have won the game handily, instead of needing nearly last second heroics.

Go Pilots.

Well, maybe....

These young Pilots (2 juniors, 3 sophomores, 2 freshmen play the bulk of the minutes) would not be winning if they weren't PUSHING the pace which will often result in turnovers until they get even more experience with this new pace of play.

The Pilots are averaging less than 15 seconds a possession in WCC play....and the success they are having is in large part due to their up-tempo play and defense!

Six weeks ago they were pushing, turning the ball over, and not scoring.....now they've figured out how to put the ball in the hoop regardless of the turnovers. Sometimes this fast pace will drive you nuts, but the Pilots are really beginning to see some huge dividends from the work the staff and players have put in.

Tough games ahead........