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THIS WEEK: Portland State hits the road for two games this week, opening with a 7 p.m. contest at Nevada on Thursday, Dec. 16. The Vikings then travel to BYU for a 2 p.m. game on Saturday, Dec. 18.

GAME NO. 9
Portland State (5-3) at Nevada (6-2)
Thursday, Dec. 16  •  7 p.m. PT
Reno, NV  •  Lawlor Events Center (11,536)

COVERAGE
Radio: AM 1360 KUIK
Internet Audio: kuik.com/GoViks.com
Play-by-Play: Teri Mariani
Live Stats: NevadaWolfPack.com

SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time: Tied 3-3
In Reno: UNR leads 3-0
Streak: UNR 1
Last PSU Win: PSU 65, UNR 61; 11/18/05 at PSU
Last UNR Win: UNR 65, PSU 52; 12/28/06 at UNR

PORTLAND STATE vs. NEVADA STORYLINES
• Portland State and Nevada meet up for the seventh time and the first since Dec. 28, 2006, in Reno. The Wolfpack won that game 65-52 and have never lost at home to the Vikings.
• The Vikings are 1-3 on the road this year, while Nevada is 5-0 at home. The Wolfpack have impressive home victories over Arizona (79-75), San Diego State (63-61) and North Carolina State (74-70).
• PSU is coming off its best rebounding performance of the year, outrebounding Loyola Marymount by 18 (53-35). They will need to be at the top of their game as Nevada is averaging 45.8 rpg and has three players averaging at least 7.0 rpg.
• The Vikings like to shoot the 3-pointer, averaging 19.9 attempts per game, while Nevada only averages 14.8 attempts.
• Nevada has faced one other Big Sky team this season, easily defeating Sac State in Sacramento, 98-72, on Nov. 17.
• PSU is 5-1 against WAC schools under Head Coach Sherri Murrell. Earlier this year, the Vikings defeated WAC foe Hawai`i, 77-66, at the Stott Center.

GAME NO. 10
Portland State (5-3) at BYU (7-3)
Saturday, Dec. 18  •  2 p.m. PT
Provo, UT  •  Marriott Center (22,700)

COVERAGE
Radio: AM 1360 KUIK
Internet Audio: kuik.com/GoViks.com
Play-by-Play: Teri Mariani
Live Stats: BYUCougars.com

SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time: BYU leads 3-1
In Provo: BYU leads 2-0
Streak: PSU 1
Last PSU Win: PSU 73, BYU 64; 11/14/08 at PSU
Last BYU Win: BYU 77, PSU 50; 1/8/05 at BYU

PORTLAND STATE vs. BYU STORYLINES
• Portland State and BYU are playing for the fourth time, with the Cougars leading 3-1. BYU won the first three meetings, before the Vikings took a 73-64 victory in the 2008-09 season opener in Portland.
• PSU is 1-3 on the road, while BYU is 3-0 at home. The Vikings have lost in both of their previous trips to Provo.
• The Cougars defeated Big Sky school Weber State, 70-54, in their last game on Dec. 11.
• Both schools have faced Washington this season. PSU lost 51-50 at UW on Nov. 14, while the Cougars rolled by the Huskies, 80-55, on Nov. 20, in Provo.
• BYU and PSU both like to shoot the 3-ball. The Cougars rank third in the country in 3-pointers made per game (8.7) and are averaging 25.9 attempts per contest, while PSU is 56th in 3-pointers made per game (6.8) and averaging 19.9 attempts.
• Both teams also rank high in three-point field goal percentage defense. The Cougars are ranked 11th, holding opponents to 22.9 percent shooting, while PSU is 22nd, holding the opposition to 25 percent from behind the arc.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE VIKS THIS WEEK: Both games this week will be broadcast in the Portland metro area on AM 1360 KUIK, and will also be streamed over the Internet on kuik.com and GoViks.com, with Teri Mariani calling the action. Links for the Internet audio broadcast can be found on GoViks.com by clicking on the LIVE EVENTS tab, then clicking on LIVE AUDIO/VIDEO. Live stats will also be available. The link can be found on the PSU women's basketball schedule page under the respective game, or by clicking on the LIVE EVENTS tab on the front of GoViks.com, then clicking on the LIVE STATS link.

THE LAST TIME OUT: In their lone game last week, PSU dominated visiting Loyola Marymount, 65-39, on Saturday, Dec. 11. The Vikings scored the first seven points of the game and led wire-to-wire. Courtney VanBrocklin paced the Vikings with 20 points, going 8 of 11 from the floor and 3 of 3 from behind the arc, while Kelli Valentine added 18 points and nine rebounds.

PORTLAND STATE – NEVADA SERIES NOTES: The all-time series between the Vikings and Wolfpack is knotted up at three wins apiece. Portland State has won all three contests at the Stott, while Nevada is 3-0 against PSU in Reno. These two teams last met up on December 28, 2006, in Reno. Nevada won that game, 65-42, using a 20-4 run to break a 29-29 tie. Nevada led by two, 29-27, at halftime. PSU and Nevada also played in Reno on Nov. 23, 1997, with the Wolfpack winning 63-47, and on Feb. 23, 1991, with UNR winning 92-89.

PORTLAND STATE – BYU SERIES NOTES: BYU leads the all-time series 3-1 and is 2-0 in Provo against the Vikings. Portland State's lone victory in the series came in the last matchup in the 2008-09 season opener on Nov. 14. PSU defeated the Cougars, 73-64, at the Stott Center. The Vikings outrebounded BYU, 44-31, and shot 45.6 percent to BYU's 35.5 percent. Current senior Kelli Valentine recorded the first double-double of her career in the game, scoring 14 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Kelly Marchant added 13 points in her sophomore season. In their other two games in Provo, the Vikings have not faired well. On January 8, 2005, the Cougars defeated PSU 77-50, and on February 13, 1988, BYU claimed a 103-83 victory.

WINNING THE BATTLE OF THE BOARDS: The Vikings outrebounded Loyola Marymount, 53-35, in their 65-39 victory on December 11. The 18-rebound differential was the largest for Portland State since Jan. 12, 2008, when they outrebounded Idaho State by 21.

DEFENSE RULES THE DAY: Portland State played perhaps its best defensive game of the season on December 11 against Loyola Marymount in a 65-39 victory. The Vikings held LMU to 24.2 percent shooting and 0 for 15 from behind the arc. It was the first time that PSU had held an opponent under 40 points since January 25, 1997, when they defeated Eastern Washington 48-36. The Viks also held an opponent without a 3-pointer for the first time since Nov. 14, 2009 (the 09-10 season opener) against Washington.

UNDER 50: Portland State has played 409 games at the NCAA DI level (1996-present) and has held an opposing team under 50 points 31 times. After limiting LMU to just 39 points on December 11, the Vikings have now held an opponent under 40 points twice in their DI era.

MORE ON THE DEFENSE: Through the first eight games of the season, PSU is holding the opposition to 38.1 percent shooting from the floor, including 25 percent from beyond the arc. The Vikings three-point field goal defense has been particularly impressive as UC Santa Barbara (2 of 14), Lewis & Clark (2 of 13), Tulane (2 of 11), Hawaii (1 of 7) and LMU (0 for 15) have shot a combined 11.5 percent (7 of 61). PSU ranks 22nd nationally in 3-point FG defense.

MURRELL AGAINST THE WAC: With all of the conference realignment happening over the past few months of college athletics, there was talk at one point of Portland State joining the WAC. But the Viks are staying put in the Big Sky, even though Head Coach Sherri Murrell probably wouldn't have minded the move. She is 5-1 vs. the Western Athletic Conference at PSU, including a 77-66 win over Hawai`i this year on Dec. 2. Her lone loss came last season at Boise State. PSU has defeated Utah State twice, on Dec. 16, 2007, and Dec. 16, Dec. 2008, Idaho once on Dec. 8, 2007, and Hawai'i on Dec. 20, 2007.

MURRELL AGAINST THE MWC: Saturday's game at BYU will mark just the second time a Sherri Murrell coached Viking squad has faced a team from the Mountain West Conference. That other game also came against the Cougars, a 73-64 victory by PSU.

VALENTINE PASSES 1,000: On November 27, senior forward Kelli Valentine became the 14th player in Portland State history to surpass the 1,000-career point barrier when she scored 24 against Tulane. Valentine entered the contest needing nine points but matched her career-high with 24. She is now at 1,063 points. Valentine is also close to joining the 1,000-point, 500-rebound club at PSU, which would make her the 10th player in Viking history to accomplish the feat. Valentine needs 14 more boards to reach the barrier and when she does it, it will mark the third time in the past four seasons that a Viking has joined the elite club. Kelsey Kahle joined it in 2007-08 as a junior, and Claire Faucher became a member last season.

THE STREAK CONTINUES: In addition to setting two school single-season three-point records, the Vikings also finished last year riding a 62-game streak of making at least one three-pointer. Now the streak is up to 70 games after they have made one in every game this season. PSU had a 96-game streak from 2004-05 to 2008-09, but went 0 for 12 from three-point range in the second game of the 08-09 season at Binghamton. During their current streak, PSU has actually made at least two in every game. Three times last season the Vikings made 10 or more treys.

THREE-POINT SHOOTERS: During Sherri Murrell's time at Portland State, the Vikings have not been afraid to shoot the three-ball. Portland State averaged 22.1 three-point attempts last season on their way to setting a new school record with 728 attempts, and so far this year they are putting up 19.9 attempts per game. The Viks have tallied more three pointers made than their opponent in seven contests and in the other they matched Cal with five.

HOISTING UP THE TREYS: One year after setting a new school record with 603 three-point field goal attempts, the Vikings set a new standard during the 2009-10 season with 728 attempts. They broke the school record in the regular season finale at Eastern Washington on March 6 and then hoisted up 79 more at the Big Sky tourney. Two years ago, the Viks attempted 20 or more 3-pointers 13 times. During the 2009-10 season, they did it 23 times, including in each of their seven final games. The Viks also established a new record for 3-pointers made with 238, shattering the old mark of 198 set by the 2007-08 squad. In 2010-11, PSU has put up more than 20 three-balls in four games.

NATIONALLY RANKED: Juniors Eryn Jones and Shauneice Samms are the only Vikings to be ranked in the top 100 in the NCAA statistical rankings. Jones is 36th in assists per game (5.3) and 56th in assist/turnover ratio (1.83), while Samms is 85th in blocks per game (1.6). As a team, PSU is 22nd in 3-point FG defense (25.0%), 56th in three-point field goals made per game (6.8), 82nd in blocks per game (4.1), 83rd in three-point field goal percentage (34.0%) and 98th in assists per game (14.5).

INSTANT IMPACT: Two of Portland State's newcomers this year have had instant impacts on the program. Junior forward Shauneice Samms, a transfer from the College of Southern Idaho, is leading the conference in field goal percentage (65.3%) and blocked shots (1.6 bpg), while ranking second on the team in rebounding (5.9 rpg) and fourth in scoring (10.0 ppg). Guard Courtney VanBrocklin, a sophomore transfer from Boise State who redshirted last year, came off the bench in the season opener at Washington to score the Vikings' first nine points of the game. She has since started every game and leads PSU in scoring (13.3 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg) and steals (1.4 spg), while ranking fifth in the Big Sky in scoring and seventh in rebounding. She also has recorded both of PSU's double-doubles this year.

MONEY AROUND THE BASKET: Only once in their recorded history have the Vikings had a player finish the year shooting better than 60 percent, and that came way back in 1977-78 when Lynn Holzfuss shot 63.3 percent (69 of 109). While there is a lot of season left, junior Shauneice Samms is looking like she might break that barrier. Through eight games, Samms has been money around the basket, shooting 65.3 percent (32 of 49), which leads the Big Sky Conference.