The Portland Pilots men’s basketball team is set to host the Pepperdine Waves on Wednesday, February 18, at the Chiles Center in Portland. The game will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast locally on KUNP-TV as well as streamed on ESPN+. Bryan Sleik and Jennifer Mountain are scheduled to provide commentary for the televised coverage.
Following their home game, the Pilots will travel to Seattle to face the Seattle U Redhawks on Saturday, February 21, also at 7:00 p.m. Both games offer live coverage options including video, radio (for select games), and live statistics available through PortlandPilots.com.
In their most recent outing against San Diego on February 11, the Pilots struggled offensively, converting only two of nineteen three-point attempts. Despite leading by four points at halftime and holding San Diego to a low shooting percentage in the first half, Portland was unable to recover after San Diego opened the second half with a scoring run. Dante Censori-Hercules contributed 12 points and eight rebounds for Portland in that game.
Earlier this season, Portland achieved a significant milestone by defeating No. 6 Gonzaga—marking its highest-ranked win in program history according to the AP Poll and ending a long streak without victories over ranked opponents or Gonzaga specifically.
Freshman point guard Joel Foxwell has been recognized for his performance with multiple weekly honors from both the West Coast Conference (WCC) and national organizations. He currently leads the team in scoring and assists while approaching several freshman records for both points and assists at Portland. Foxwell’s notable performances include matching program records for assists in a single game and delivering clutch plays during key wins.
Another freshman, Timo George from the Netherlands, has made an impact as one of the team’s top scorers before being sidelined by injury. His shooting percentage would rank among national leaders if he met qualification thresholds. Dante Censori-Hercules has provided defensive strength and timely scoring contributions since joining the starting lineup.
Cameron Williams has emerged as a consistent contributor after transferring from Trinity Valley JC where he was part of a national championship team. He leads Portland in rebounding while averaging double figures in scoring.
Senior center Jermaine Ballisager Webb has started ten consecutive games, providing solid numbers across points, rebounds, and assists—including key contributions during upsets earlier this season.
Portland’s roster continues to reflect international diversity with players representing seven countries; nine are international student-athletes. The coaching staff maintains recruiting ties particularly with Australia—a trend evident over recent seasons under head coach Shantay Legans.
The program added two new assistant coaches this offseason: Mark Berokoff brings extensive head coaching experience at various collegiate levels; Anthony Separovich joins alongside Decclan Mclean who was promoted internally after serving as a graduate assistant.
Pepperdine enters Wednesday’s matchup having recently ended a six-game losing streak with a narrow victory over LMU but holds just one win away from home this season. Aaron Clark leads Pepperdine’s offense among four players averaging double-digit points per game under second-year head coach Ed Schilling.
Historically, Pepperdine leads its series against Portland with 70 wins compared to Portland’s 44; Pepperdine won their previous meeting earlier this year by four points.
Tickets for upcoming home events can be purchased through PortlandPilots.com/Tickets or via the official app.
