Boxscore

Portland, OR - Courtney VanBrocklin and Kelli Valentine each led the Vikings for a half and the result was a decisive 77-66 win by Portland State over Hawai'i in a non-conference game at the Stott Center.

The win improved PSU's record to 4-2 on the season while Hawai'i dropped to 4-3.

Each team battled for control through the first 10 minutes. Finally, Portland State took the lead on a three-pointer by Karley Lampman at the 10:15 mark. That put the Vikings up 16-13 and they didn't trail again.

Late in the half, Portland State took advantage of Hawai'i's sagging 2-3 zone defense. Lampman, Eryn Jones, Courtney Cremer and Courtney VanBrocklin hit successive three-pointers and by halftime the Vikings led 38-26.

VanBrocklin hit six of eight first half shots and had 16 points at intermission.

Hawai'i went back to a man defense in the second half and it made a difference. The Rainbow Wahine converted nine second-half turnovers by the Vikings into 19 points. Twice, Hawai'i was within a point, but the Vikings held on.

Senior forward Kelli Valentine took over offensively, scoring all 15 of her points in the second half. Three straight jump shots by Valentine late in the half, including a three-pointer, gave the Vikings some distance. She added seven rebounds in the game while VanBrocklin grabbed a team-high 10 boards.

Portland State hit eight three-pointers in the game while Hawai'i had just one. The Vikings were also 21-22 at the line, compared to just 9-19 for the Rainbow Wahine.

PSU made 10 straight free throws in the final 2:11 of the game as Hawai'i tried to catch up.

"Courtney scoring in the first half and Kelli scoring in the second half was really big for us," said Viking Coach Sherri Murrell. "It was good to see the execution and confidence we had to hit the free throws down the stretch."

Kamilah Jackson led Hawai'i with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

GAME NOTES: Prior to the game, Kelli Valentine was recognized for being just the 14th woman in Portland State history to score 1,000 career points. Valentine was presented with the game ball from her milestone game vs. Tulane on Nov. 27… Karley Lampman tied her career high with 13 points… also in double figures for PSU was Eryn Jones with 13 points and Shauneice Samms with 11 points… PSU now leads the all-time series with Hawai'i 4-2, including 2-0 in Portland… Viking Coach Sherri Murrell is 5-1 against WAC opponents while at PSU… Portland State travels to UC Irvine for a Saturday game. The Vikings face the Anteaters at 4 p.m. The game will air on www.GoViks.com.