2020-2021 WCC Games

First WCC game of the 2020-2021 season for the Pilots is tomorrow (Monday, December 28) at 5pm in Malibu against the Waves.

UP was 3-3 in the preseason with 2 wins over Seattle U. and a win over Northwest U., and losses to UO, UW, and Montana State.

PU is 3-1 coming into WCC play with wins over Westmont, Cal State Bakersfield, and New Mexico St., while suffering their only loss at the hands of Cal Baptist.

The preseason WCC Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll has the Pilots finishing 3rd and the Waves 7th:

Team (First Place Vote), Points
1. Gonzaga (7), 79
2. BYU (2), 73
3. Portland (1), 64
4. San Diego, 53
5. Saint Mary's, 44
6. Pacific, 42
7. Pepperdine, 28
8. LMU, 25
9. Santa Clara, 22
10. San Francisco, 20

All men's and women's games are streamed on the WCC Network. https://wccsports.com/

Introducing this season’s Pilots:

Top left to right, #14 senior Jayce Gorzeman; #44 senior Lauren Walker; #22 senior Kristina Woolridge; #5 freshman Emme Shearer.

Front left to right, #34 freshman Jacksen McCliment-Call; #15 senior Maddie Mulheim; #2 junior Rose Pflug; #21 freshman Tyler McCliment-Call; #1 freshman McKelle Meek; #4 sophomore Keeley Frawley; #12 sophomore Alex Fowler; #32 sophomore Kelsey Lenzie; #10 junior Haylee Andrews; #23 sophomore Liana Kaitu’u.

Not pictured:
#30 sophomore Lucy Cochrane (still residing in Australia until the COVID threat abates, but she is taking online UP classes).
#3 senior Josie Matz (not playing but working with the team while student-teaching this year and will grad-transfer in May with the possibility of two years of eligibility remaining).

Nice opener.

Pilots ( read Fowler) started out really cold and the Waves were shooting 69% and were up by 10.

But they got reeled in by the half and then it was Pepp’s turn to go cold. They just could not handle the defensive pressure and didn’t score for almost 5 minutes as the Pilots won this one going away.

Andrew’s 22, Fowler 19, Kaitu’u and Mulheim 10 Each.
I’m not sure Fowler missed a shot in the second half.
Final 74-64.

Switched over to see how the Zags were doing. LMU is up by 2 in the third, giving them a game.

Geezaldinho wrote:Nice opener.

Switched over to see how the Zags were doing. LMU is up by 2 in the third, giving them a game.

It was nice, but it was pretty concerning that PU scored 25 points in the first quarter before the Pilots finally returned from Christmas vacation.

I too switched over to the GU at LMU game and watched the Lions take the Zags to the limit before falling to GU by three points.  LMU had the ball in their frontcourt with 14 seconds to go, but only got off an air ball before the buzzer.

LMU was very impressive in defeat, and from their performance tonight, should be favored over the Pilots at 4pm on Wednesday in LA.

DoubleDipper wrote:LMU was very impressive in defeat, and from their performance tonight, should be favored over the Pilots at 4pm on Wednesday in LA.

The prognosticators are predicting that LMU will beat the Pilots 82-79 at 4pm in LA today.

I disagree.

If UP can limit their turnovers and make free-throws, they'll win by 5 points.

DoubleDipper wrote:If UP can limit their turnovers and make free-throws, they'll win by 5 points.

UP was 16-20 at the line while LMU was 2-5, and UP turned the ball over 6 fewer times than the Lions in their 5 point win, 58-53.

A very low scoring game, but the Pilots shot only 36% while having at least 11 shots blocked underneath the basket.

Anybody figure out what the technical was about?

Good, hard fought win, but it was fortunate that along with all the blocked shots by the Lions there were also a number of fouls allowing UP to win it at the foul line.

The strategy to keep going inside worked with regard to drawing fouls, but I think the win would have been more comfortable if the Pilots had attempted some mid-range shots...

Watching the LMU coach during the game reminded me of watching Rex Walters when he was at USF, and apparently one of the refs had finally had enough.  I wouldn't have waited so long.

Drawing on my time as high school ref, when the technical foul was called on the bench the Lions were in possession of the ball and UP was awarded two free-throws. If a LMU player had committed the technical foul on the court it would have been a turnover and the ball would have gone to the Pilots after the free-throws. I think that is why we saw the three refs huddle after the shots...to clarify the rule.

DoubleDipper wrote:

If UP can limit their turnovers and make free-throws, they'll win by 5 points.

58-53  NAILED IT DD!

Two wins and no positive COVID tests (fingers crossed) counts as a fantastic trip to Los Angeles in my book right now.

I agree with you DD, they had a lot of shots inside blocked or at least tipped. I think they might have had more luck outside.

It gets much more difficult for the Pilots tomorrow (Saturday) in their short turnaround game against UOP at 2pm.

https://wccsports.com/watch/?id=6211780363001

The Tigers have always been tough for UP, and beat them twice last season before the Pilots big win in the quarterfinals in Las Vegas last March.

UOP is 1-0 in WCC play after beating SMC on Wednesday.  In that game, senior Valarie Higgins and Australian freshman Sam Ashby combined for 50 points.

Last season Higgins averaged 22 points in 3 games against UP, but the Pilots have been successful at getting Higgins and other UOP starters in foul trouble, and that could be the strategy tomorrow.

In addition to beating SMC, UOP (3-1) has also beaten LSU and UNLV this season after suffering and opening game loss to #1 Stanford.

The Tigers' RPI rating is #55, the Pilots are #139.  The Tigers play a very physical style of basketball, and it's again going to be up to UP to convert at the foul line and maintain their composure against the bigger and more physical Tigers.

wrv wrote:We'll dang, game postponed. Note we remain scheduled to play SMC Tuesday, so the Covid protocols may be because of Pacific. Sympathetic to whomever was exposed or even positive, but hope Pilot women do not endure further cancellations.

Too bad either way.

UOP Athletic Department wrote:With an emphasis on the continued health and safety of the student-athletes and staff in both programs, Saturday's scheduled women's basketball game between Pacific and Portland has officially been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols...

Despite the cancelation, the Tigers will still make the trip to Spokane to face No. 23/23 Gonzaga on Monday, with tip-off scheduled for 6:00 pm PST at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

A game official or tracking situation, perhaps?

Game on!

SMC is playing at UP  now!!

https://wccsports.com/index.aspx

wrv wrote:Though a nice win, it is apparent the Pilots need to work on reducing turnovers.

Having watched all the games this season, and all but five last season, I thought just the opposite...the Pilots have really been taking care of the ball since the Christmas break.

In their preseason D1 games the Pilots averaged over 21 turnovers per game, but in their first three WCC games they have had only 11 against PU, 13 against LMU, and 13 today against SMC.

I find it difficult to be concerned about 13 turnovers when the team puts all 14 available players on the floor and wins by 23 points going away.

But yes, with #21 Gonzaga in Spokane next up, limiting turnovers and fouls is going to be important.

Maybe you meant to tweet this to Trump....

By my calculation, the Pilots had not beaten Gonzaga since January 31, 2002 (at least 37 straight losses) until last March when they upset the #11 Zags, 70-69, in Las Vegas.

Now as they get ready to meet again, are the Pilots good enough to start a good old GU/UP rivalry or is GU just out for revenge, and will UP go back to its losing ways? 

Saturday’s 2pm game in Spokane can be watched online at https://wccsports.com/index.aspx

This time GU is ranked #21 in the nation with an RPI of 35 while UP’s RPI is 134.  

GU (9-2/4-0) is favored over UP (5-2/3-0) by 18 points.

Oh my, Gonzaga is VERY, VERY good!

Bigger and stronger than UP, the Pilots never had a chance against GU's suffocating defense.

Can the UP men stay within 32 points of #1 GU this evening?