Final Regular Season Game -- @ Pacific @ 3 PM

First time in Stocton for the team....so a new experience in an environment that CAN be very tough on the opponents once the fans get revved-up

This game will mark senior-day for 7 UOP players, so it should be both a well-attended and an emotional affair.

We all know that it is a must-win game if UP is going to have a chance for a first-round bye in Las Vegas.   The Pilots rival for 6th place, USD, will play BYU at home with tip-off slated two hours before the Pilots game, so UP will know if they even have a chance to regain 6th place at game time.

Even with UP's leading scorer and point guard out, Las Vegas is predicting a close game:

UOP by 3 over UP
BYU by 5 at USD
PU by 6.5 over SCU
USF by 3 at LMU
SMC by 1.5 over GU

The game will be streamed on W.tv..............

DoubleDipper wrote:First time in Stocton for the team....so a new experience in an environment that CAN be very tough on the opponents once the fans get revved-up

Sure hope the team goes to Stockton, instead.   

The three relevant games today:

1:00, BYU @ San Diego - as mentioned, a win for USD and the Pilots will finish in seventh and play someone in the first round regardless (ugh). Means a lot for both teams, but BYU needs this to help nail down an at-large. Hoping for BYU on a few levels!

3:00, Pilots @ Pacific - might be a bit of a banged-up Pilots squad right now, but playing tough and I think they can pull this one out on the road. Desperation time for a Pilots team that needs a couple extra days off more than anyone else in the conference. Let's hope that BYU does them a favour.

5:00, Santa Clara @ Pepperdine - Only a relevant game if BYU and the Pilots both win. If SCU then beats Pepperdine, the Pilots move past the Waves for fifth (not a possibility I've seen talked about on here yet, but could certainly happen).

Possibility of a three-way tie at 8-10 given USD/UP/Pepperdine wins, but I think Pepperdine (3-1) would be fifth, USD (2-2) sixth, and UP (1-3) seventh in that situation given the first head-to-head tiebreaker.

DeanMurdoch wrote:
5:00, Santa Clara @ Pepperdine - Only a relevant game if BYU and the Pilots both win. If SCU then beats Pepperdine, the Pilots move past the Waves for fifth (not a possibility I've seen talked about on here yet, but could certainly happen).

Coach noted the 5th place possibility on Twitter.

@CoachReveno wrote:But WCC standings are not determined by effort, or adversity overcome, but wins and losses. Opportunity to finish in top half of WCC Sat.

Updated odds from Las Vegas:

UOP is now favored by 4
BYU is still at 5
PU now at 5.5

In the interesting matchup in Moraga, it's now‘pick’em’

DeanMurdoch wrote:The three relevant games today:

1:00, BYU @ San Diego - as mentioned, a win for USD and the Pilots will finish in seventh and play someone in the first round regardless (ugh). Means a lot for both teams, but BYU needs this to help nail down an at-large. Hoping for BYU on a few levels!

And BYU gets it done!  Come on now Pilots!

Pacific goes the length of the court in less than 4 seconds, and gets a foul call, and the Pilots decide with 2.9 seconds left that a Hail Mary pass is the best chance to score? WTH.

From what I heard, they weren't getting a foul call if the shooter got shot.

Oh so close to being the #5 seed.....but UP must now play on Thursday as #7.

It was not for lack of effort, but if it's to be LMU again at 6 PM in Las Vegas, we know from experience that it's very tough to beat a team three times in a year.....especially if you're facing Anthony Ireland.

It's not the end of the world....take Friday off to watch the women play, and take on BYU on Saturday!

Sure...why wouldn't Santa Clara go and beat Pepperdine, too? That's a real kick in the teeth.

up7587 wrote:Pacific goes the length of the court in less than 4 seconds, and gets a foul call, and the Pilots decide with 2.9 seconds left that a Hail Mary pass is the best chance to score? WTH.

2.9 seconds left, inbounds from the baseline....it's either that, or a Dellavedova-esque heave from about half court. Not much difference in my opinion.

Yuck.

DeanMurdoch wrote:

up7587 wrote:Pacific goes the length of the court in less than 4 seconds, and gets a foul call, and the Pilots decide with 2.9 seconds left that a Hail Mary pass is the best chance to score? WTH.

2.9 seconds left, inbounds from the baseline....it's either that, or a Dellavedova-esque heave from about half court. Not much difference in my opinion.

Did USD ice Alec at the FT line when they won at Chiles? I don't recall, and the play-by-play is not on ESPN site. Anyway, instead of icing the UOP shooter, who just ran full length of the court, and let him catch his breath and relax, how about save some time outs. If he still makes both, and they don't cover the inbounder, which I don't think they did, throw it to half court and call immediate TO. That is what USF did at the end of regulation in Chiles. Admittedly, USF had a little more time. But then you are throwing from mid-court, for a catch and shoot with maybe a second left, rather than heaving into a group where you have 4 and they have 5 guys. I dunno, seems like the odds were very low on that last play.

I haven't had the stomach to watch the game yet (I missed viewing it yesterday), not sure if I will.

I'm pretty bummed that once again, we find ourselves in the play-in game in Vegas. So many close calls this season, that other than the BYU game, seemed like we were on the wrong end of. This was supposed to be one of our "veteran" years after multiple seasons of being the "young team", and the best we can muster is 7th seed? Ugh. Put me in the disappointed camp.

No excuses, but losing two starters for the last three games, all close calls but losses, hurt bad.

That was a tough road trip. There is no doubt that the team played their heart out, is there any more that can be asked of them?

In the St Marys game the starters played virtually the entire game. I wonder if, knowing that the Pacific game was the more "winnable" of the two if they shouldnt have saved some legs for Saturday.

2.9 seconds. Thats enough time to do a couple things. As stated above its enough time to get the ball to half court and call a timeout. It is also enough time for an inbounds pass say to the three point line. Then two dribbles and a deep 3. I remember Butler pulling that off in the FF one year. Either way not a high percentage shot but better than a hail mary into traffic.

The good news is that unlike last years play in game I think the Pilots have a great chance Thursday. LMU played on Saturday with only 6 players. Gabe Levin was evaluated for a concussion, not sure if he sustained one but if so they may be in the same boat this week.
I also like the side of the bracket the Pilots are on. For some reason USF is a tough matchup. I would rather see another shot at BYU, not sure why but heck there has to be a good reason out there!

Not sure if either Alec or Kevin will be available but either way I do know that this team will go down swinging. No quit in this Pilot group.