Pilots @ PU Thursday @ 8 and @ LMU Saturday @ 3

The highlight of the WCC season for the Pilots so far has been the win over BYU and the sweep of the LA area schools before Christmas in Portland.  What's it going to take for the UP to get back on the winning side of the ledger and beat those teams again?  In my estimation, it's going to take a couple of teammates to step-up and play to their potential while Alec and D'Marques continue to hit from all over the court.

It doesn't matter who it is....but if others will take the pressure and the defenders off those two and Bryce, then the Pilots have a good chance of pulling off the upsets.  (PU is favored by 10 points tonight).  The most likely candidates to break out are Jason and Gabe, but it would be a great boost if Ray and Philipp could disrupt PU's inside game while grabbing (and holding) some rebounds on both ends of the court.

It's also about time for Jarrel to break out and play to the potential many of us expected....could this be his weekend?  It might have to be!

This game will be aired nationally on ESPNU....

I was about to put money on there not being a PN post before tonight's tip-off. Good thing I didn't

I'm not sure why this team is so up and down, but I sure hope they can get it figured out. I was pretty happy that I bought my plane ticket to Vegas after the BYU game, now not so much.

I don't disagree with anything DD said, though it seems incomplete. One win in almost six weeks - it doesn't seem fair to name half the players and wish they would get out of their slumps or step up a little more (no matter how politely it's said). I assume Rev would agree that it takes some leadership from the coaches - perhaps new plays, new rotations, new defenses. We keep doin' the same ole thing and gettin' the same ole result. We have sufficient talent at both the player and the coaching level, but we haven't put them together very well of late.

We have sufficient talent at both the player and the coaching level, but we haven't put them together very well of latemost years.

Terry Cahill wrote:THEY FOULED UP BY THREE!!!

I thought that comment would come from 7587!

How about Alec, being heckled all game for an early airball, with a pull up three late to give us back the lead.

Terry Cahill wrote:THEY FOULED UP BY THREE!!!

Finally.

Meeting tonight, just finished watching the DVR.  Was glad to see the foul up 3.  Need to work on that inbounds play; love throwing it into the backcourt, but you have to touch it.  Bounce it off someone.  Pressley was blatantly held, which is why he couldn't get to it.  So I was sure glad to see they didn't call a foul on that last shot (and yes he traveled).

This was a critical win, because USD won again. Pilots are now a 1/2 game behind SCU and UOP, a 1/2 game ahead of USD, and a game ahead of LMU.  Another win on Saturday would sure be helpful.  

As far as step up players, Jarrel got it done for sure. Gabe and Jazz got some key hoops.  Alec and D'Marques are the key guys now.  Bryce struggled, but got a critical hoop and 2 key FTs. Good thing 7 PU players totaled only 16 points, because Pilots had no answer for Raines, and Stacey Davis always looks like Charles Barkley against UP.  

Not sure if I've ever seen a team better from 3P (56.3%) than FT (55.6%, and worse if you consider two misses were front end of 1and1s).  Pilots got away with it.

DoubleDipper wrote:It's also about time for Jarrel to break out and play to the potential many of us expected....could this be his weekend?  It might have to be!

Jarrel was the key tonight....his 13 points in the first half and his very timely rebounds and block in the second made all the difference for a team looking for that one player to step-up and make a difference.

Also very pleased with Gabe's play.....it wasn't easy underneath against the bigger Waves and their two man wrecking crew, but as ineffective as Ray and Philipp may have been, Gabe and Jarrel were very effective.....their key plays at timely moments made all the difference.

Crazy finish....sometimes I think it would be a lot more fun if there were no referees, but I know for sure the games would be shorter.

Message for Saturday:

blacksheep wrote:How about Alec, being heckled all game for an early airball, with a pull up three late to give us back the lead.

Have to admire the dedication of the Pepperdine student section for sticking with that one even after Alec hit shot after shot after shot.

I was able to watch the first 25-30 minutes of the game, but had to call it a night since the game wouldn't finish until 1am out here. I was pleased to see the Pilots win, but extremely displeased with the number of offensive rebounds that Pepperdine kept getting in the 1st half.

sure if I've ever seen a team better from 3P (56.3%) than FT (55.6%, and worse if you consider two misses were front end of 1and1s).  Pilots got away with it.

I'm not sure the last time I saw two teams combine for less that 50% from the line.

And I'm not sure when the last time the Pilots hit more threes than foul shots.

A road sweep? Obviously, I know nothing about sports, considering one week ago I said,

Given that the only home games left are GU, SMC and UOP, getting another win will be difficult.

Way to go Pilots, a season sweep of the L.A. schools!

And we are 100% when we are up by 16 with five minutes left.

Apparently Rev told the guys to just go out and play....'cause that's what they did.

Regardless of the stats, to me the much needed supporting player of the game was Jarrel....it just seems he's gained more confidence in himself and the system over the last couple of games.....and his athleticism is shining through.

I think the Pilots sank 15 3's today....that has got to be a UP record for a road game (heck, maybe even road or home).

And when did the Pilots last sweep LMU and PU for the season?  I think Kramer and Luke were just sophomores the last time the Pilots swept in LA.....

Terry Cahill wrote:You just never know what you're going to get from these Pilots on a night-to-night basis. Compelling, frustrating, pick your adjective here.

Pilots are 5 - 8 in league.  But against the top four teams they are 3 - 2.  That is nuts.

Today, they outrebounded LMU 40-28, with the two centers total 1 total RB. And speaking of bombs away, D'Marques took 13 shots, 12 from 3P. Jazz took 5 shots, all from 3P.

DoubleDipper wrote:And when did the Pilots last sweep LMU and PU for the season?

On the radio broadcast, the Jasons (Swygard and Brough) mentioned that the last sweep of the L.A. schools was the first of Rev's 20 win seasons; I think they said 9 years ago.

What do you know?! A little life left in this program. I won't let myself get too excited, but this was a great weekend of Pilot hoops.

Geezaldinho wrote:And we are 100% when we are up by 16 with five minutes left.

I can confirm that this is correct. We've found the secret recipe for guaranteed wins!

DoubleDipper wrote:I think the Pilots sank 15 3's today....that has got to be a UP record for a road game (heck, maybe even road or home).

From the UP twitter feed during the games,

@PortlandPilots wrote:MBB: Pilots 11-20 from three-point range. School record for makes in a game is 16.

p.s. Is a Pilot road sweep this weekend more surprising than Leicester City winning 3-1 at Manchester City today?

up7587 wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:And when did the Pilots last sweep LMU and PU for the season?

On the radio broadcast, the Jasons (Swygard and Brough) mentioned that the last sweep of the L.A. schools was the first of Rev's 20 win seasons; I think they said 9 years ago.

Hmm, I guess I should have considered the Jason's as a simulcast with the video feed we were watching.....that WCC feed was accompanied by the LMU radio broadcast....not the normal sports nerd/jock tandem.

Huh. I evidently should have paid closer attention to the start time. Got my gin and tonic ready to go here 8 minutes before the standard 7pm tip. Pretty optimistic for the win.

I mean, I'm glad we won, but now I have to figure out what i'm going to watch with this G&T. D'oh!!

Rochin54 wrote:Huh.  I evidently should have paid closer attention to the start time.  Got my gin and tonic ready to go here 8 minutes before the standard 7pm tip.  Pretty optimistic for the win.

I mean, I'm glad we won, but now I have to figure out what i'm going to watch with this G&T.  D'oh!!  

Gin and tonic? How old are you?

Maybe you can find some Perry Mason reruns to watch.