Final Run to the WCC Tournament

PORTLAND PILOTS (9-17, 2-10 WCC)
vs. PEPPERDINE WAVES (12-11, 7-5 WCC)
Date: Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Portland, Ore.
Arena (Capacity): Chiles Center (4,852)
Live Video/Audio/Stats: PortlandPilots.com (free)

POR vs. PEPP
Overall Series: 19-34
Here: 12-12
There: 6-20
Neutral: 1-2
Last 5/10: 2-3/5-5
Last 1: @PEPP 66, POR 63 (January 7, 2012)

PORTLAND PILOTS (9-17, 2-10 WCC)
vs. SANTA CLARA BRONCOS (10-15, 3-9 WCC)
Date: Saturday, February 18, 2012
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Portland, Ore.
Arena (Capacity): Chiles Center (4,852)
Live Video/Audio/Stats: PortlandPilots.com (free)

POR vs. SCU
Overall Series: 26-32
Here: 14-10
There: 10-20
Neutral: 2-2
Last 5/10: 2-3/7-3
Last 1: @SCU 78, POR 63 (January 5, 2012)

Sophomore Alexis Byrd hit a tough go-ahead lay-up in overtime and the Pilots denied Pepperdine in the closing seconds as Portland rallied for a 58-56 win over the Waves in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game on Thursday night at the Chiles Center. The Pilots scored the final six points in regulation to tie the score and force the extra stanza.

Twice during overtime Pepperdine was able to claim a two-point lead, but the Pilots responded both times as senior Natalie Day and sophomore Cassandra Brown each hit game-tying lay-ins. Then with 45 seconds left and the score tied at 56-56, Pepperdine’s Lauren Bell missed two free throws, setting up Byrd’s game-winner.

With the shot clock winding down, Byrd went baseline, made her way through a couple of defenders and converted a reverse lay-up to give the Pilots the two-point edge with 17 seconds left. The Waves then called time out to set up a final shot, but Jazmine Jackson’s short jumper was off the mark as the buzzer sounded.

The Pilots win their second straight game to improve to 10-17 overall and to 3-10 in the WCC. Pepperdine drops to 12-12 and to 7-6 in the conference.

Day finished with 21 points on the night to lead the Pilots. She hit three three-pointers and has scored in double figures every game this season. Byrd was 4-for-6 from the field, hit a three and four free throws to finish with 13 points.

Brown added eight points, with four of them coming down the stretch when it appeared the Waves had the game in hand with a 51-45 lead and 1:54 showing on the clock. First Byrd hit a pair of free throws to make it a four-point game, then Brown followed with two free throws of her own to pull UP within two.

On Pepperdine’s ensuing possession, Brown made a steal at mid-court, headed the other way and made a close-range shot to tie the score at 51-51 with 32 seconds remaining. The Waves then turned to Jackson for a potential game-winner, but she missed and Portland’s Cassandra Thompson corralled the rebound as the Pilots went to overtime for the first time this year.

DoubleDipper wrote:WOW, that was crazy. Despite some of the worst officiating imaginable, and being down by 5 with less than 2 minutes to go, the women pulled out a win in overtime tonight 58-56. Z finally reached the 1,000 point milestone, but just barely, scoring just 2 points while still trying to get back in game-shape after a knee injury.

A really good game to watch, too few people saw it. But for those of us who were there, including Caleb, a very loud shirtless student wearing a cape who was really getting the middle-schoolers worked up, it was fun and pretty noisy.

upsailor wrote:Nothing that comes from the women's bench surprises me.

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:Well now! The women may have just saved the band's trip to Vegas (the band leaves Wednesday night...IF one or both Pilot teams play Thursday). They beat USF on the road 77-63 tonight. Natalie Day got a double-double with 28 and 12. She's been one of my favorites. When she's on you can't stop her.

Now it comes down to Saturday against USD.

[T6] SCU 4-11
[T6] UP 4-11
[8] USF 3-12
[9] LMU 3-13 (locked in to the 8/9 game)

USF is at Santa Clara, but let's just get the win and not have to worry about it. Hope people can make it out for a big game.