PORTLAND PILOTS (3-12, 1-3 WCC)
WEEK 10: at Saint Mary's / at LMU
 
Saint Mary's Gaels (7-8, 2-2 WCC)
Day: Thursday
Date: Jan. 12, 2017
Place: Portland, Ore.
Time: 6:30 PM
Gym: McKeon Pavilion
Video: TheW.tv
Stats: SMCGaels.com
 
POR vs. SMC
Overall: 20-42  •  Last 5/10: 0-5/3-7
H: 13-16  •  A: 6-23  •  N: 1-3
Last: @SMC 95, POR 53 (2/20/16)
 
Loyola Marymount Lions (6-9, 1-3 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Jan. 14, 2017
Place: Los Angeles, Calif.
Time: 2:00 PM
Gym: Gersten Pavilion
Video: TheW.tv
Stats: LMULions.com
 
POR vs. LMU
Overall: 31-30  •  Last 5/10: 1-4/5-5
H: 19-10  •  A: 12-17  •  N: 0-3
Last: LMU 85, POR 72 (3/3/16 @ Las Vegas)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots stay on the road this week with West Coast Conference games at Saint Mary's on Thursday night and at Loyola Marymount on Saturday afternoon.
• The game with the Gaels is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif.
• Saturday's game in Los Angeles vs. the Lions will tip-off at 2 p.m. at Gersten Pavilion.
 
LAST WEEK
• Last Thursday at the Chiles Center the Santa Clara Broncos used a second-half run to pull away and claim a 56-44 win over the Pilots.
• Julie Spencer just missed a double-double with team-highs of nine points and nine rebounds for the Pilots, while Kaylie Van Loo swiped a career-best eight steals.
• The eight steals missed matching a UP program record by one.
• On Saturday in Spokane, Wash., the Pilots remained within reach of Gonzaga all game long before the Bulldogs prevailed 67-55; the Pilots led in the first quarter and were still within five points with six minutes left to play before succumbing to the Zags.
• Holly Blades connected on four three-pointers and led Portland with 16 points, while Van Loo chipped in with 12 points and seven assists.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Kaylie Van Loo just missed matching a program record when she recorded eight steals against Santa Clara on Jan. 5; Tami Standish holds the program record of nine steals, which she set in 2000.
• Van Loo, a senior point guard, has been a steady presence on the floor for the Pilots, averaging 12.0 points and a league-high 7.0 assists in four WCC games; she also leads the WCC in overall assists (5.4 apg) and is third in minutes played (36.1 mpg).
• Sophomore Julie Spencer is cleaning up the glass during the first few games of the West Coast Conference slate, averaging 10.3 boards per contest; her career-high 18 rebounds against Pacific (Dec. 31) are the most by a Pilot since Amy Pupa collected 19 during a game in 2013.
• Spencer has scored a career-high 14 points three times, has two double-doubles on the season and is fourth in the WCC in overall rebounding (8.2 rpg).
• Fellow sophomore Darian Slaga is also having a stellar second season on The Bluff, leading the team in scoring with a 11.7 points per game mark.
• Slaga, who had come off the bench every game this season before starting at Pepperdine (Dec. 31), scored a career-high 24 points against UW on Nov. 27; that's the most points scored by a Pilot since Cassandra Brown scored 26 in February of 2015.
• Senior Holly Blades matched a program record when she buried seven three-pointers, out of just 10 attempts, during Portland's win over UAA at the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 27; Jennifer Wassom is the only other Pilot to notch seven three's in 2005.
• Blades was named to the Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament Team after the Pilots advanced to the title game, with the help of her career-high 21 points against UAA.
• Blades ranks fourth in the WCC in three-pointers made (9) against league opponents.
• As a team against conference foes, the Pilots are first in three-pointers made (29), rank second in three-point percentage (.372) and are third in steals (39, 9.8 spg).
• Kaylie Van Loo also throws the javelin for the UP track & field team, and she was the first thrower in Portland women's track & field program history to compete at NCAA Nationals last spring; she earned All-American Honorable Mention with an 18th-place finish at the 2016 NCAA's.
• Van Loo just missed qualifying for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials by one spot.
• Third-year head coach Cheryl Sorenson, who was previously an assistant for the Pilots, assumed the reins of the program after long-time head coach Jim Sollars retired following the 2013-14 season.
• Sorenson starred collegiately at Washington and was a high school All-American at nearby Clackamas High School.
• Two of Portland's opponents are currently ranked in the national polls, while two others are receiving votes.
• Portland has been to four NCAA Tournaments (1994-97), two WNIT's (1998 & 2009) and one WBI (2010).
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• The Gaels lead the WCC in rebounding (41.9 rpg) and field goal percentage (.442)
• Junior guard Stella Beck (13.2 ppg) leads four Gaels averaging double digits in points and sophomore forward Megan McKay (8.0 rpg) is the team's top rebounder, while also scoring 11.9 points per contest.
• 11th-year head coach Paul Thomas has won more than 200 games at SMC.
• Three Lions are scoring in double figures, and senior forward transfer Jackie Johnson leads the league in blocks (2.3 bpg), is second in rebounds (9.3 rpg) and is third in scoring (15.9 ppg).
• Charity Elliott is in her fifth season as head coach at LMU.