From upsets to a historic performance: looking back at Zags-Pilots rivalry

The WCC has some of the most historic and longstanding rivalries in college basketball lore. From Santa Clara and San Francisco to Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine, some matchups date back as early as the 1930s. Basketball legends Bill Russell and William Averitt headlined a few of the premier programs at the time, before John Stockton in the 80s and Steve Nash in the 90s took the conference to new heights.

With GU’s emergence over the last two decades, many of the historic rivalries have been replaced with battles against Saint Mary’s and BYU. But long before the Gaels and Cougars, the Portland Pilots were the Bulldogs’ biggest competition in the 1970s. The proximity between the schools made for ideal travel conditions, and nearly 50 years later, the two have faced off more than 100 times. Saturday’s matchup will mark the 171st meeting all-time, and while each team is heading in different directions, it’s still fun to reminisce.

Here’s the most memorable games between the Zags and Pilots over the last 20 years.

4. Pilots stun Kevin Pangos and No. 18 Zags in Portland – Jan. 9, 2014

The 2013-14 campaign was a roller coaster ride. After a season that saw the first No. 1 ranking in program history, only to lose in the Sweet Sixteen, expectations were still lofty for Mark Few’s squad. Kelly Olynyk was gone, but in came 6-foot-10, scoring machine Kyle Wiltjer from Kentucky to lead an offense that featured Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. in the backcourt.

Despite losses to Dayton and Kansas State, the Bulldogs were still a lock for the NCAA Tournament with a perfect run through the WCC. Four straight home wins preceded a nationally televised game against the Pilots, who had loss the previous 20 meetings with their Northwest rival. Surely the streak wasn’t going to end on this night.

And then it did.

Portland jumped out to an 11-3 lead early before taking a double-digit advantage late in the first half. A slow start from Pangos and company was too much to overcome a 17-point deficit, as UP’s Bryce Pressley and Thomas Van der Mars combined for 22 second-half points to secure the victory. Trailing the entire game, the Zags dropped its first game in Portland since 1996.

It would also be the last Pilots’ win in the rivalry.

3. Zags’ WCC streak snapped at hands of Pilots – Feb. 20, 2003

Before shocking the Zags in Portland, the Pilots played spoiler a decade earlier in similar fashion when the two met for a late-season battle in Spokane. Led by Blake Stepp and a young Ronny Turiaf, GU was riding a 21-home game winning streak against conference foes and sat atop the WCC standings. A strong finish to the year looked inevitable when matched up against a 9-15 UP team that had lost nine of its 11 conference games.

None of that mattered on this night, however.

Just like in 2014, the Pilots seized control of the game early while holding off multiple GU scoring runs. The lead ballooned to 16 in the first half following a technical foul on a rambunctious Coach Few. The Zags cut the deficit in half heading into the locker room, but 3-pointers from Adam Quick and Dustin Geddis took the wind out of GU’s sail.

As each team traded runs down the stretch, it became a single-digit game with less than three minutes remaining following a Stepp 3-pointer. A dunk by Turiaf made it a one-possession game, but it was too little too late as a turnover by Stepp costed the Zags a chance to take the lead.

Despite 29 points and 17 rebounds from Turiaf, the Pilots held on to win their first game in Spokane since 1990.

2. Stepp and Turiaf withstand Portland rally – Jan. 24, 2003

Before the stunner in The Kennel, it was the Zags who nearly blew a late-game lead to the Pilots a month earlier that same season.

The first half was dominated by Stepp, who scored 22 of his game-high 31 points and helped GU sustain a comfortable lead throughout. With a double-digit advantage late, all that was left to do was tie a bow on what had been a dominant showing from Stepp and Turiaf, who had 27 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

But the Pilots weren’t done yet.

A 10-2 run capped off by Casey Frandsen’s 3-pointer made it a three-point game with 55 seconds left on the clock. Cory Violette quickly answered with a clutch jumper, and after a pair of free-throws from Winston Brooks, the Bulldogs led 70-64 with 10 seconds left. UP’s Quick cut the lead in half the next possession, but Josh Resiman needed to knock down two free-throws to end it for good.

He missed both.

Luckily Karl Aaker’s game-tying heave from half court was off, as the Zags narrowly escaped with the win while Stepp and Turiaf combined for 58 of GU’s 70 points.

1. Adam Morrison lights up Pilots – Jan. 28, 2006

Adam Morrison had GU basketball all over college basketball headlines everywhere during his electric collegiate career. From his 43-point performance in a triple overtime thriller against Michigan State in Maui, to his game-winner against Oklahoma State in the Battle of Seattle, the floppy-haired assassin provided an abundance of memorable moments in program history.

During his Co-National Player of the Year campaign, he racked up five 40-point games, three of which came in less than a month’s time. After scoring 41 on the road against the Dons, Morrison and the No. 7 Zags came home to face the Pilots in what would be a historic game for the newly built McCarthy Athletic Center. UP were down two starters due to injury, but nothing was going to stop the kid from Mead High School on this night.

A 5-for-5 start from the floor gave GU a 14-0 advantage early on. While J.P. Batista got into foul trouble, Morrison carried the offensive load as he scored 30 of the Bulldogs’ 41 first half points, a school record. He went on to finish with 42 points, the most by an individual in the McCarthy Athletic Center, while shooting 14-for-26 from the floor and knocked down 19 free throws on the night.

GU would win the game 81-64 and improve to 17-3 on the season and undefeated in conference play.