Preview of NCAA Men’s Basketball: Seattle at Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The Seattle Redhawks visit the Portland Pilots on Saturday in a West Coast Conference matchup featuring teams on contrasting trajectories.

Seattle (15-9) arrives at Chiles Center buoyed by a last-second 83-81 win over Pepperdine on Wednesday. The Redhawks have won two of their last three but remain inconsistent, having followed a three-game skid in mid-January with their recent rebound.

Portland (11-14) is coming off its most impressive victory of the season, an 87-80 upset of conference powerhouse Gonzaga, also on Wednesday. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Pilots, highlighting their potential as a spoiler.

A key matchup will feature Seattle forward Jun Seok Yeo against Portland guard Joel Foxwell. Yeo is averaging 12.8 points over his last six games, including an 18-point performance against Pepperdine. Foxwell has been exceptional for Portland, averaging 21.9 points and 5.7 assists over his last seven contests. He scored 27 points and dished eight assists in the win over Gonzaga.

Seattle’s recent success has been fueled by balance. Against Pepperdine, Will Heimbrodt added 13 points and three blocks, while Maleek Arington distributed eight assists. Portland counters with its own supporting cast; Jermaine Ballisager Webb and James O’Donnell combined for 29 points in the Gonzaga upset.

The Pilots will look to protect their home court, where they are 8-5 this season. The Redhawks are 4-6 in true road games. This game is the first of a home-and-home series between the rivals, who will meet again in Seattle on Feb. 21.

Historically, Seattle holds a 79-73 advantage in the all-time series, but Portland has won three of the last five meetings. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PST Saturday. Seattle visits Santa Clara next Wednesday, while Portland travels to San Diego.