STOCKTON, Calif. – Following a quick trip to Provo on Tuesday, the Pacific women's basketball team (5-5, 3-4) will return home to the Alex G. Spanos Center this weekend as they welcome two of the top teams in the conference in No. 18/17 Gonzaga and Portland.
Set to take their home court for the second straight weekend, the Tigers will aim to get back to .500 in Stockton after falling to BYU, 81-60, on Tuesday afternoon.
GAME DETAILS:
Game One-
Date: Thursday, January 28, 2021
Matchup: No. 18/17 Gonzaga (13-2, 8-0) at Pacific (5-5, 3-4)
Location: Stockton, California
Venue: Alex G. Spanos Center
Time: 7:00 p.m. PST
Links:
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Live Stats
Game Two-
Date: Saturday, January 30, 2021
Matchup: Portland (7-6, 4-3) at Pacific (4-3, 2-2)
Location: Stockton, California
Venue: Alex G. Spanos Center
Time: 12:00 p.m. PST
Links:
Watch |
Listen |
Live Stats
THINGS TO KNOW:
- Looking get back to .500 on their home floor, the Tigers will be hungry to battle the Bulldogs on Thursday as they seek to win their second straight at the Spanos Center after defeating Pepperdine, 61-45, last Saturday, Jan. 23.
- Moving into the weekend, Pacific currently leads the WCC in free throw percentage as a team (76.2 percent) while also ranking in the top three in fewest turnovers (164) and turnovers forced per game (17.16).
- Spearheading the offense, two players average double-figures for the Tigers, who are led by redshirt senior Valerie Higgins at 17.1 points per game, good for third in the WCC. Higgins also leads Pacific in rebounds per game with an average of 8.1, which currently ranks fourth in the conference. Additionally, fellow senior Brooklyn McDavid averages 11.6 points per game while also coming in as the team's second-leading rebounder by grabbing 6.0 boards per contest.
- Registering eight total against BYU on Tuesday, Higgins also leads the WCC in steals, sitting fourth in Division I amongst active players in career steals (286). Currently, she also ranks sixth in the nation in steals per game with an average of 3.67.
- Creating the tempo, senior Lianna Tillman leads UOP in total assists (43) and assists per game, averaging 4.3 per contest, good for second in the WCC.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:
- Gonzaga extended their win streak to 12 consecutive games with a 79-61 victory on the road in Portland this past Sunday, Jan. 24. On her third field goal of the game against the Pilots, Jill Townsend became the 24th player in program history to eclipse the 1,000 career points.
- Heading into Week 10, Gonzaga is ranked 18th in the AP Poll and 17th in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs have now been ranked or have received votes for 48 consecutive weeks, dating back to Dec. 3, 2018.
- Gonzaga averages 18.2 assists per game as a team, leading the WCC and ranking 12th in the nation. In 2020-21, GU has recorded at least 15 assists in all but one contest, having notched 20 or more assists in six of their games.
- Climbing the ranks throughout the season, Gonzaga is in the midst of a five-game road swing, marking their longest road trip of the season.
- Overall, the Bulldogs hold the 14-5 series lead over the Tigers, including being winners of the last nine straight. Pacific last defeated Gonzaga on Dec. 31, 2016 in a 65-63 win in Spokane.
SCOUTING THE PILOTS:
- Squaring off for the first time since last March, the Tigers currently hold a 15-9 advantage over the Pilots in the all-time series lead. Looking for revenge, Portland was victorious over Pacific the last time out, taking down UOP in the third round of the WCC Tournament, 76-69, on Mar. 7, 2020. However, the Tigers were winners of six straight before this loss, including holding an 8-2 overall record against Portland in their last ten matchups.
- In the last week, Portland fell to Santa Clara on the road (85-64) on Saturday, Jan. 16 before recently being defeated by Gonzaga this past Sunday, 79-61.
- The Pilots have compiled 20 or more assists five times this season and currently rank 28th in the nation and second in the conference with an average of 16.9 per contest. Defensively, Portland is fourteenth nationally in steals per game with an 11.2, which leads the WCC in 2020-21.
- Junior Haylee Andrews is on the verge of notching 1,000 career points as she enters the weekend sitting at 957 total points. Despite the loss to Gonzaga this past Sunday, she paced the Pilot offense by scoring a season-high 25 points against the Bulldogs.
FOLLOW US:
For more updates and more information on the 2020-21 Pacific women's basketball team, be sure to follow @Pacific_Hoops on Twitter, @pacificwbb on Instagram and @PacificWomensBasketball on Facebook.
