Pacific @ Pilots (Feb 9 @ 6:00)

First look at Pacific this year, who have turned a corner since being pretty bad in non-conference. That's tough to do in the WCC but Leonard Perry has them playing well.

Standings are wild right now with just two wins separating 3rd from 9th.

Well, no use crying over spilt milk. Pilots have another game with an early 6:00pm start. Plan for rush hour traffic if you're trying to get to Chiles from the south.

UOP is tied for #5 is the standings. Due to recent developments, the Pilots cannot pass the Tigers in the standings tonight, but they can pull within a half game of them. ESPN analytics has UP as a heavy favorite. They were correct last game, so who knows. Vegas favors Pilots by 5.5. Before I would place a bet I'd want to know what the mental state of this team is now. Guess we'll see tonight.

I can confirm, traffic sucks!

The mid-range jumper is the worst shot in basketball.

Unless it’s Mike Meadows taking it, then that’s fine.

Who told Pacific that black numbers on black jerseys were a good idea?

Some odd stats in this win. Pilots bench scored 9 points, all by Mike Meadows. UOP bench had 24 points.

Pilots were 37.5% on 3s (12-32), thank goodness Gorosito hit 5-10.

Keylan Boone (#20) scored 22 points in 20 minutes for UOP and Pilots had no answer for him. Thankfully he fouled out. Luke Avdolovic came into the game shooting 55% on 3Ps, but was only 1-5 tonight.

Coach Perry was unhappy late in the game, perhaps because they scored 12 points on 16 FT attempts from 14 UP fouls, while Pilots scored 23 on 32 attempts from 25 Tiger fouls.

up7587 wrote:

Coach Perry was unhappy late in the game, perhaps because they scored 12 points on 16 FT attempts from 14 UP fouls, while Pilots scored 23 on 32 attempts from 25 Tiger fouls.

I thought the officiating was pretty good tonight. The FT difference was really just the style of play from each team. Plus, a bunch of those fouls were late when Pac had to foul. I really liked when Robertson decided to go after Boone to get him his 5th. Took a few possessions, but he got it done.

I didn't see it live (just saw him flying to the ground, not what caused it), but Gorosito took what should have been a flagrant at the end of the game.

blacksheep wrote:I didn't see it live (just saw him flying to the ground, not what caused it), but Gorosito took what should have been a flagrant at the end of the game.

Yes, he was fouled and it should have been a flagrant. The UOP player grabbed Juansee and threw him to the ground. Ref was looking at it but ignored it.

Here it is. Pretty much just as up7587 said, Jordan Ivy-Curry just grabs Gorosito and tosses him. Garbage play.

portlandpilots.com wrote:The Pilots kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 81-73 win.

I doubt anyone who watched the game thought the Pilots "coasted" to the win.

As we have found over and over, if the Pilots don't keep the pedal to the medal and get much better at backcourt inbound plays the team's fans and head coach will likely end up in the coronary unit at a local hospital...

Spotted at the game last night were at least 5 players from the late 80's and early 90's, and I am told there will be 35 MBB alums at the SMC game tomorrow.

up7587 wrote:Yes, he was fouled and it should have been a flagrant.  The UOP player grabbed Juansee and threw him to the ground.  Ref was looking at it but ignored it.

As Dean Murdoch said, it was a "garbage play," but what impressed me the most was Juansee, who is known for not backing down regardless of the threat to his well-being, not reacting to the dirty move and escalating the situation.

By the time UP plays at UOP on February 25, the matter will be forgotten.  Anyone who plays street ball in the city knows this kind of move is routine...

DoubleDipper wrote:As Dean Murdoch said, it was a "garbage play," but what impressed me the most was Juansee, who is known for not backing down regardless of the threat to his well-being, not reacting to the dirty move and escalating the situation.

Oh, I imagine there's been a lot of talk about "not reacting" in recent days.

DoubleDipper wrote:

portlandpilots.com wrote:The Pilots kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 81-73 win.

I doubt anyone who watched the game thought the Pilots "coasted" to the win.

Hung on in desperation was more like it. I've often thought that the phrasing used in reviews on portlandpilots.com is fanciful.

They coasted all right.... Not in the good way though. In the not enough effort almost lose the game way.

up7587 wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:

portlandpilots.com wrote:The Pilots kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 81-73 win.

 
I doubt anyone who watched the game thought the Pilots "coasted" to the win.

Hung on in desperation was more like it.  I've often thought that the phrasing used in reviews on portlandpilots.com is fanciful.

I feel it's the same for all "official" school sports sites' reporting. They can't be that negative and say wow we really sucked or wow we almost blew it.

It's a fine line between not talking trash about your own teams and sounding like the Iraqi Information Minister.

As for the wording... I don't think Pepperdine had the ball with it being anything closer than a three-possession game for the last 10 minutes. "Cruising to win" isn't too far off. Yeah it dragged on longer than it should, but I think the Pilots twice called timeout as they were successfully executing an ELOB play which really slowed down the proceedings.

As it at Chile’s
2 half’s - thought for a nano minute (10 minute mark) might leave by half. They could not score and were bailed out by rebounding.
Different team 2d half. Came out on fire. Where did that other team in purple come from?
Defense turned it around and then the shots started falling. Gordosito, Chika ( Defense) and Jack Perry .... we got rolling.
This was much closer than the score.
We still are having way too much difficulty inbounding against the press at the end of the game.
Good article inPamplin Tribune today - still no coverage in daily O

Dean Murdoch wrote:It's a fine line between not talking trash about your own teams and sounding like the Iraqi Information Minister.

As for the wording... I don't think Pepperdine had the ball with it being anything closer than a three-possession game for the last 10 minutes. "Cruising to win" isn't too far off. Yeah it dragged on longer than it should, but I think the Pilots twice called timeout as they were successfully executing an ELOB play which really slowed down the proceedings.

With 3 minutes to go, the lead was 15 points. Six straight UOP points in one minute closed it to 9. At 1:47 Moses made a three, the Pilots' last basket, for a 12 point lead. After that the Pilots made two and missed two free throws, and UOP closed the gap to six points (75-69) with 0.27 seconds left. Fortunately, they got the ball to Moses and Juansee on those late ELOB plays, and they made six more free throws to close it out.

And a Joey St Pierre sighting! Had to put 5 on the floor. Still want to know the reason he doesn’t appear at all.

Re: St. Pierre… After two seasons, I think it is clear that Legans’ style of play does not include a regular role for big guys. Vucinic, St. Pierre and Lowell are all talented and could be playing major roles on a team that plays a different style. I’ve gotta think that future recruits for the interior positions will take note of this and decide against UP.

NoPoNeighbor wrote:Re: St. Pierre… After two seasons, I think it is clear that Legans’ style of play does not include a regular role for big guys. Vucinic, St. Pierre and Lowell are all talented and could be playing major roles on a team that plays a different style. I’ve gotta think that future recruits for the interior positions will take note of this and decide against UP.

Hmmm. Legans did Ok with 6'10" 240# Tanner Groves at EWU, starting him every game in 2020-21, playing him 27 mpg, and getting 17 ppg from him. Took a couple years for Groves to reach that level of performance. Might have as much to do with the player as with the coach's style.

Re St Pierre.
I dont t think you win in the WCC or otherwise without at least 2 bigs- one in and one ready to backstop.
Yes, there are times to go small but we can’t really go big without Joey.
Coach put him on the team - a scholarship I think- and has chosen to sit him for most of the season.
Against Gonzaga, I don’t think he played.
As good as our starting 5 can be, we get killed on the boards.
Watching Gorrosito defend their bigs was inspirational - and he did get some rebounds - but as a team we need more size.

Snus Junction wrote:Re St Pierre.
I dont t think you win in the WCC or otherwise without at least 2 bigs- one in and one ready to backstop.....
As good as our starting 5 can be, we get killed on the boards.
Watching Gorrosito defend their bigs was inspirational - and he did get some rebounds - but as a team we need more size.

I think Snus makes a good point.  Last year, we didn't have a deep bench and we were winning with a small lineup.  Neither of those things are true this year.  Besides the question of where are the bigs, I'll add a few more:
Why isn't Applewhite getting more minutes?
Why is Lowell getting none?
Why is Sjolund the first out regardless of how he's playing?
Why is Robertson the last out regardless of how he's playing?  He's a great player, but maybe on an off-night, he ought to have some help.

bullwinkle wrote:

Snus Junction wrote:Re St Pierre.
I dont t think you win in the WCC or otherwise without at least 2 bigs- one in and one ready to backstop.....
As good as our starting 5 can be, we get killed on the boards.
Watching Gorrosito defend their bigs was inspirational - and he did get some rebounds - but as a team we need more size.

I think Snus makes a good point.  Last year, we didn't have a deep bench and we were winning with a small lineup.  Neither of those things are true this year.  Besides the question of where are the bigs, I'll add a few more:
Why isn't Applewhite getting more minutes?
Why is Lowell getting none?
Why is Sjolund the first out regardless of how he's playing?
Why is Robertson the last out regardless of how he's playing?  He's a great player, but maybe on an off-night, he ought to have some help.

All good questions...asking myself the same thing. Do we know why Applewhite didn't come into the game until late in the 2nd half?

At this point in the season I am concerned about the transfer portal. I can see Gortisimo getting several offers. Probably others,
Bullwinkle I agree on all counts.
Applewhite is a solid player . Lowell is solid but needs minutes if he is to show it. Both transfer portal candidates.
Sjoolnd and Roberson need more minutes.
Back to main point - We need a couple of bigs to compete with the Zags and others.
At this point give Joey St Pierre the minutes to prove himself, or not. He really hasn’t had the chance..