LAS VEGAS – The Portland Pilots (19-9, 8-7 WCC) opened their WCC Tournament run with a dominant 69-44 win over the Loyola Marymount Lions (11-19, 4-13 WCC). The win is the largest for the Pilots in the WCC Tournament since the 1996-97 season.
The win pushes the Pilots to the semifinals of the WCC Tournament. This is the second time since Michael Meek took over as head coach of the Pilots that Portland has advanced this far. The last time they advanced to the semifinals was 2020, when they won the championship.
Alex Fowler led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds, including a 9-of-12 performance from the free-throw line.