Wednesday, March 18th, 10:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Alex G. Spanos Center (6,150) -- Stockton, California. Television: None. Home Record: Portland 12-2, Pacific 10-4. Away Record: Portland 6-9, Pacific 7-7. Neutral Record: Portland 1-1, Pacific 2-1. Conference Record: Portland 9-5, Pacific 10-6. Series Record: Pacific leads, 19-8.

GAME NOTES: First round action of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament will take place tonight at the Alex Spanos Center, as the Pacific Tigers host the University of Portland Pilots. The Pilots are making their first postseason appearance in 1996 and just the third overall postseason showing since moving to Division I play back in 1959. This season the Pilots collected a solid 19-12 ledger, but the team dropped three of its last four games heading into this event, and that includes a loss to Saint Mary's in the West Coast Conference Tournament. As for the Tigers, they also finished with a 19-12 ledger on the season, and their 10-6 league mark was good enough for a second place tie in the Big West Conference. Pacific fell to CS Northridge in the BWC Tournament, but it was just the first loss in the last six games for Pacific. This will be the first postseason appearance for Pacific since taking on Boston College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament back in 2006. The Tigers hold a comfortable 19-8 edge over Portland in the all-time series, but the last meeting took place way back in 1989. In that matchup the Tigers defeated the Pilots, 80-66.

The Pilots fly into this event with four players averaging double figures, beginning with Nik Raivio, who is posting 15.7 ppg. Raivio, who is shooting 44.5 percent from the field, is also pacing the team with 6.6 rebounds per matchup. Jared Stohl has only started seven of the 31 games this season, but the guard is still netting 11.3 ppg. Running the show on the floor has been T.J. Campbell, who has dished out a team-best 149 assists, while also posting 11.0 ppg. Robin Smeulders has been a solid force in the paint for Portland, as the big man is chipping in 10.7 ppg, to go along with 5.9 rpg. As a whole, the Pilots are producing a mediocre 70.1 ppg, while shooting a very strong 46.4 percent from the floor. At the other end of the court, Portland is surrendering 66.8 ppg, while allowing the opposition to convert just 43.3 percent of the time.

The Tigers' ferocious play defensively is most likely what led Pacific to this point in the season, as the team is limiting the opposition to just 62.1 ppg. However, Pacific has forced just 389 turnovers on the season, and has collected just 189 steals. Offensively, the Tigers do not have a prolific scoring source, as the team is being paced by Bryan LeDuc. LeDuc has only started in two of the 31 contests, and is netting just 11.5 ppg. Chad Troyer is the only other player registering double figures, and comes into this matchup wit 10.9 ppg, despite shooting only 40.3 percent from the floor. As a whole, the Tigers have scratch and clawed for every point this season, averaging just 66.3 ppg, despite shooting a strong 46.1 percent from the field.

The Tigers have played tough throughout the season and have enjoyed plenty of success in the past against Portland. However, look for the Pilots to soar past the Tigers, with Raivio leading the way.

Predicted Outcome

Portland 71, Pacific 66