By John McCarty
While most students were enjoying quality family time or stuffing their faces with the usual Thanksgiving Day fare, the men's basketball team was battling through the 76 Classic. The Pilots beat UCLA and no. 16 Minnesota before falling to no. 8 West Virginia in the championship round.
Their performance earned them the first top 25 ranking in 50 years, but the celebration was short-lived after a tough loss to River City Rival, Portland State.
According to Head Coach Eric Reveno, PSU is known for their shooting capabilities, and the Vikings lived up to their name, tying a Chiles Center record with 15 three pointers throughout the game.
The Pilots led for most of the game but couldn't hold on with five turnovers in the last 10 minutes of the second half. The Vikings wore the Pilot offense down with their full court press and fought aggressively for their share of the rebounds.
"We've got a target on our backs," Reveno said. "We've got to learn to live with that and even enjoy it."
The 76 Classic takes place every year. Six of the eight teams in the 76 Classic went to the NCAA Tournament last year. Tournament contenders West Virginia, Minnesota, Butler and Clemson are all currently ranked in the top 25.
The Pilots were handed their first loss of the season by no. 8 ranked West Virginia in the championship round of the 76 Classic. Despite taking the lead early on, West Virginia dominated the boards with 41 total rebounds and the Pilots struggled to make three pointers.
The Pilots fought hard in the second half to come within 10 of the Mountaineers before running into foul trouble.
West Virginia went 14 for 19 on free throws in the last four minutes to seal their victory 84-66.
"It was cool to prove we could hang with a no. 8 team like West Virginia," senior forward Ethan Niedermeyer said. "We went into the tournament knowing we were good and it was a chance for us to show people that we are good."
Prior to playing West Virginia, the Pilots proved their mettle in a 61-56 upset of no. 16 Minnesota Gophers. Though the Pilots are known for their lights out three point shooting, they demonstrated that they weren't a one trick pony with 42 rebounds and solid defense. Minnesota is the second ranked team the Pilots have defeated in the last 28 years. Senior point guard T.J. Campbell had a game-high 23 points and shot 60 percent from the field.
"Playing Minnesota was a good opportunity to prepare to face athletes of that caliber," Campbell said.
After besting the University of Oregon Ducks 88-81 at the Chiles Center, the Pilots travelled down to Anaheim for the 76 Classic and stomped on UCLA to advance to the second round.
"Playing UCLA was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We believed we had a chance and it was a big win for the program," junior forward Luke Sikma said.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Pilots were up 74-47 against the Bruins, tying Illinois for their biggest loss at the hands of an unranked team.
The Pilots tenacious zone defense held the Bruins off and the unrelenting offensive pressure kept the Bruins on the defensive the entire contest. The Pilots shot a dangerous 54 percent from the field and were 11 for 19 on three pointers.
According to Reveno, the Pilots performance in the 76 Classic should improve the team's confidence.
"I'm impressed with the team," he said. "I knew we could do well, but the question was would we?"
The Pilots currently stand at 5-2 and, despite their loss to PSU, they have big hopes for this season and their sights set on the WCC Championship.
"We are trying to take the season one game at a time," Niedermeyer said. "I think it's realistic for us to win the WCC."
