Portland faces Pepperdine in WCC Tournament first round with Washington State awaiting the winner

WCC postseason begins in Las Vegas for Portland and Pepperdine

Portland and Pepperdine will open their West Coast Conference men’s basketball postseason Thursday, March 5, 2026, meeting in the first round of the 2026 Credit Union 1 WCC Basketball Championship at Orleans Arena in the Las Vegas area. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. local time, with streaming coverage on ESPN+.

Portland enters as the No. 9 seed after finishing the regular season 13–18 overall and 6–12 in conference play. Pepperdine is the No. 12 seed at 9–22 overall and 4–14 in WCC games.

Bracket stakes: a quick turnaround and a higher-seeded opponent

The winner advances to the second round on Friday, March 6, where No. 8 seed Washington State is scheduled to face the survivor at 6:00 p.m. local time at the same venue. The men’s tournament schedule at Orleans Arena runs from March 5 through March 10, with first-round games on Thursday and the championship set for Tuesday evening.

• Game: Portland vs. Pepperdine (Men’s First Round)
• Date/Time: Thursday, March 5, 2026, 6:00 p.m. PT
• Venue: Orleans Arena (Las Vegas area)
• Next round: Winner vs. Washington State on Friday, March 6

Recent context: Portland’s playmaking and Pepperdine’s perimeter output

Portland has been among the league leaders in ball movement, ranking third in the WCC at 16.6 assists per game. Freshman guard Joel Foxwell has been central to that profile, averaging 6.5 assists per game while carrying a significant workload in the backcourt.

The most recent head-to-head meeting was a high-scoring game in Portland on Feb. 18, when Pepperdine won 95–87 at the Chiles Center. Foxwell scored a career-high 35 points in that contest while setting Portland single-season records for assists and freshman scoring during the game. Pepperdine’s offensive balance and three-point volume were decisive: the Waves made 16 three-pointers and won the rebounding battle 35–22.

Thursday’s matchup pairs Portland’s assist-driven offense against a Pepperdine team that recently demonstrated the ability to swing games with high-volume three-point shooting and second-chance opportunities.

What to watch at Orleans Arena

With a one-game elimination format from the opening round, early efficiency will matter. Portland’s path depends on converting half-court execution into points without allowing Pepperdine to replicate its February three-point output. For Pepperdine, maintaining perimeter accuracy while limiting Portland’s creation opportunities will be critical as the bracket compresses into consecutive-day games.

Both teams arrive with defined statistical identities from conference play, and the first round offers a direct rematch with immediate consequences: survive Thursday, and a second-round date with Washington State follows less than 24 hours later.