Preview: Portland Pilots at Pepperdine Waves

MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — Two West Coast Conference men’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Wednesday when the Portland Pilots visit the Pepperdine Waves at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Portland (9-10, 2-2 WCC) enters with a measure of confidence after securing an 82-76 home victory over Oregon State last Saturday, snapping a five-game skid. The Pilots followed that with a 90-89 overtime win against Pacific on Jan. 8. Pepperdine (5-14, 0-4), meanwhile, is mired in a seven-game losing streak, most recently a 80-60 home defeat to San Francisco.

The matchup features two of the conference’s top guards. Portland’s Cameron Williams is averaging 16.2 points in conference play, coming off a 23-point performance against Oregon State. For the Waves, freshman Styles Phipps has been a bright spot, averaging 14.3 points and 4.3 assists over his last three contests, including an 18-point effort against San Francisco.

Portland’s recent success has been fueled by improved offensive output, scoring 80-plus points in three of its last four games after failing to reach 70 in the four games prior. Pepperdine has struggled to find consistent offense during its slump, failing to score more than 69 points in five of its seven consecutive losses.

Defense will be a key concern for the Waves, who rank near the bottom of the WCC in scoring defense. They must contain a Portland backcourt that, beyond Williams, includes Joel Foxwell, who had 18 points and five assists against Oregon State.

This is the first of two regular-season meetings between the programs. They will meet again in Portland on Feb. 18.

Following this game, Portland travels to face Loyola Marymount on Saturday. Pepperdine begins a difficult road swing at Gonzaga on Jan. 21.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST.