PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — A tight West Coast Conference women’s basketball race continues Thursday when the Portland Pilots host the Saint Mary’s Gaels at the Chiles Center.

The matchup is a quick rematch of a Dec. 28 game in Moraga, California, where Portland (11-10) edged Saint Mary’s (13-9) 63-59. That result gives the Pilots a mental edge, but both teams have navigated inconsistent conference play since.

The Gaels arrive with momentum from a 67-53 road win at Seattle on Saturday. Saint Mary’s has won two straight but is just 4-5 in its last nine games. Guard Malia Latu is a key facilitator, averaging 6.0 points and 3.1 assists per game. She is coming off a well-rounded performance against Seattle with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes.

Portland looks to rebound from a difficult 86-68 loss at Pepperdine the same day. The Pilots have dropped three of their last four. Freshman guard Ella Zimmerman provides a scoring spark off the bench, exemplified by her season-high 18 points in the loss to Pepperdine. Her production will be vital against a Saint Mary’s defense allowing just 60.2 points per game.

Saint Mary’s relies on a methodical pace and ranks among the nation’s leaders in fewest turnovers. Portland will counter with a more up-tempo attack, seeking to improve its 7-3 home record.

Beyond league positioning, the game holds importance for potential tiebreakers in the WCC standings. The Gaels’ upcoming schedule is daunting, making a road win here crucial. Portland aims to stabilize its season before a challenging February stretch.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PST Thursday. The game will be broadcast on the WCC Network.