Sunday, November 11th, 4:00 p.m. (et).

FACTS & STATS: Site: Save Mart Center (15,596) -- Fresno, California. Television: None. Home Record: Portland 0-0, Liberty 0-0. Away Record: Portland 0-1, Liberty 0-1. Neutral Record: Portland 0-1, Liberty 0-1. Conference Record: Portland 0-0, Liberty 0-0. Series Record: First-ever meeting.

GAME NOTES: A couple of teams searching for their first wins of the 2007-08 campaign hit the floor at the Save Mart Center in Fresno this afternoon, as the Pilots from the University of Portland confront the Liberty Flames during the third day of the World Vision Classic. On Friday night, the Pilots were downed by San Diego State in their second game of the season in 78-64 decision. A day earlier, Portland tipped off the campaign with a 75-68 loss to event host Fresno State. As for the Flames, they too are off to an 0-2 start to the new season. On Friday, it was SDSU that put out the Flames in a 62-50 outing, then yesterday the FSU Bulldogs did the dirty work in a 71-62 final. With respect to the all-time series between these two schools, this is the first-ever meeting.

Trailing by just four points at the break, despite shooting only 1-of-8 behind the three-point line, the Pilots allowed San Diego State to run away with the 14-point win on Saturday. Sherrard Watson gave Portland a big lift off the bench with his 19 points in just 19 minutes before fouling out, while fellow reserve Robin Smeulders chipped in 16 points and five boards as well. Nik Raivio contributed 10 points and Luke Sikma tallied eight, to go along with his team-high 10 rebounds and five assists. Although it has only been two games thus far for the Pilots, the squad is beginning to see just who will be the reliable offensive options for this season. Smeulders has knocked down 54.2 percent of his field goal attempts en route to 16.5 ppg and his work on the glass is behind only Sikma who, like his father Jack, has shown a tenacity on the boards that has resulted in 11.5 caroms per contest.

The Flames dug themselves a hole on Saturday when they shot only 1-of-9 from three-point range in the first half, not to mention 38.5 percent from the field in the frame. Anthony Smith dropped in a team-best 17 points, B.J. Jenkins had 16 as the duo combined to shoot 13-of-31 from the floor, leaving the rest of the team to make a combined 10-of-25 from the field. Alex McLean contributed 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, but without a single assist his four turnovers really stood out. Smith has come out firing from behind the three-point line in the early going, hitting just 5-of-16 attempts, while the rest of the team is 8-of-29 out on the perimeter. Along with Jenkins (10.5 ppg), Smith is a double-digit scorer with his 14.0 ppg, but the team has managed only 56 ppg thus far and is shooting only 37.9 percent from the field and is averaging only nine assists per outing.

Already Liberty's TeeJay Bannister has fouled out of both games for the Flames, so confidence in his ability to remain on the floor versus Portland cannot be high. Neither is thinking that the Flames can still earn a win out on the west coast.

Predicted Outcome

University of Portland 74, Liberty 60