WCC Basketball Fans

Portland 71, Seattle 55

Given the final score of this game, most people would think this game was over before it started, but they would have been wrong (almost) and missed what was a really good game at Key Arena in Seattle.
The key point to realize in the wake of the Portland Pilots’ win over the Seattle University Redhawks on Saturday night is that Portland just has had more long-term team development because S.U. just hasn’t had the same amount of time to get to the same level over of other Division I schools. It’s really what beat the Redhawks as much as Portland in what was a tough defense-oriented match-up that’s sure to become a new rivalry in the Pacific Northwest.

When Portland opened the game with a 10-0 run, Seattle coach Cameron Dollar realized he made a mistake by going with all of his biggest players for his starting lineup. He quickly changed to a small but faster defense-minded roster on the floor. Though it did help, the Redhawks’ offense still suffered due to a lack of dependable outside shooting. While Portland put out good defensive energy, the Pilots’ offense was well-rounded and organized. Seattle looked like it was in bad trouble going into the game’s second TV timeout (the under-12-minute timeout of the first half), but the Redhawks’ Aaron Broussard seamed to decide that the game wasn’t going to get away from Seattle U. This response from the upperclassman inspired his teammates they began playing like a cohesive unit that was getting ready for a conference tournament, not some new independent team that won’t be eligible for the NCAA Tournament until 2013.

Seattle’s increased defensive intensity made Eric Reveno, Portland’s head coach, call a timeout even though his team was still in the lead. The Pilots were having trouble scoring and he wanted to talk about it. As the first half was winding down, the two teams again looked more even than in the game’s opening minutes. Portland hit some shots in clusters but not on a consistent basis; Seattle’s defense kept the home team in the game. With a score of 34-26 at halftime, the Pilots still had the lead, but they failed to land a knockout punch.

Both teams started the second half looking very determined to win this game. SU’s Sterling Carter caught fire and hit 2 of 3 shots from downtown. Meanwhile, Portland’s Nemanja Mitrovic banged right back with a few baskets of his own, plus other shots made by teammates that showcased Portland’s depth. Portland’s resilience made Dollar reach for a timeout with 16:54 to go, but it didn’t help because Portland made two baskets before the first TV timeout of the second half while Seattle made none, leaving the margin where it was at the break: eight points, at 55-47, for the visitors from the state of Oregon.

Then once again it felt like Dollar was showing why he is becoming a very respected coach on a national level. After the timeout Seattle’s defensive intensity looked like it had doubled somehow. Again Portland didn’t score for over four minutes, but Seattle’s shooting went cold and the Redhawks couldn’t really capitalize on PU’s drought. Both teams had reason to be dissatisfied with the progress of the game: Portland was bothered by Seattle’s relentless and scrappy defense, while Seattle was becoming angry at its own inability to score. All the combined frustration almost caused a fight at one point between Seattle’s Carter and Portland’s Luke Sikma. By the time it got down to the third TV timeout at the 7:49 mark of the second half, the game definitely remained exciting for everyone in attendance, but the Pilots still had a multi-possession lead of 53-42.

Things took a turn for the worse for Seattle shortly thereafter, because Portland’s bench took over while Alex Jones, Seattle’s only real scoring big man, fouled out at the 4:22 mark with only seven points for the night. The game was pretty much over at that point, with Portland draining as much clock time as it could on each possession and Seattle continuing to fail to hit three-point shots. An inexperienced Division I roster just couldn’t make a real comeback, and Portland was able to bounce back from a painful loss on Thursday to archrival Gonzaga.

David Savage
DFN Sports Staff Writer