SEATTLE (Interstat) — A tight West Coast Conference race brings renewed urgency to the rematch between the Portland Pilots and Seattle Redhawks this Saturday at Key Arena. Just two weeks after Portland (12-16, 5-8 WCC) edged Seattle 54-53 on its home floor, the Redhawks (16-12, 7-6 WCC) will host the return fixture seeking to level the season series and bolster their conference standing. The February 7 contest was a defensive struggle, a theme for both teams in recent weeks. The Pilots, however, are coming off a high-scoring 95-87 loss to Pepperdine on Wednesday, despite a career-night from junior guard Joel Foxwell. He poured in 35 points and added 8 assists, continuing a torrid scoring stretch. Over his last five games, Foxwell is averaging 24.2 points and 7.2 assists, including a 27-point effort in a win over Gonzaga. His playmaking will be central to Portland’s hopes. Seattle looks to bounce back from a narrow 72-70 home loss to Saint Mary’s, also on Wednesday. Forward Jun Seok Yeo led the Redhawks with 20 points in that contest. Yeo, who scored 14 in the earlier loss at Portland, has been a consistent offensive threat, scoring in double figures in five of his last seven outings. His matchup inside will be pivotal. The Redhawks hold the overall season advantage but have lost three of their last five. Portland has struggled for consistency, alternating wins and losses over its past six games. Seattle’s defense, which held Oregon State to 50 points in a win last Sunday, will aim to clamp down harder on Foxwell than it did in the first meeting, where he managed only 5 points but dished 9 assists. Saturday’s tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PST. Following this game, Seattle travels to Pepperdine next Wednesday, while Portland prepares for a road test at Gonzaga.