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THIS WEEK: The Portland State women's basketball squad travels to Eastern Washington on Saturday, Jan. 8, to face the Eagles in the Big Sky Conference opener for both schools. The contest is part of the Dam Cup, a rivalry series started this year between the two Northwest universities.

GAME NO. 14
Portland State (7-6, 0-0 Big Sky) at Eastern Washington (4-8, 0-0 Big Sky)
Saturday, Jan. 8  •  2:05 p.m. PT
Cheney, WA  •  Reese Court

COVERAGE
Internet Audio: GoViks.com
Play-by-Play: Teri Mariani
Video: Big Sky TV
Live Stats: GoViks.com

SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time: EWU leads 27-22
BSC Games: PSU leads 16-12
At EWU: EWU leads 16-8
At EWU BSC Games: EWU leads 8-6
Streak: EWU 1
Last PSU Win: PSU 67, EWU 60; 1/30/10 @ PSU
Last EWU Win: EWU 78, PSU 68; 3/6/10 @ EWU

PORTLAND STATE vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON STORYLINES
• Portland State and Eastern Washington meet up on Saturday in the Big Sky Conference opener for both schools. It is also the first women's basketball game of the season in the inaugural Dam Cup rivalry series between the two universities.
• The Eagles were picked second in both Big Sky preseason polls, while the Vikings were tabbed for third in both.
• Last season, EWU claimed its first conference regular season championship with a 12-4 mark. PSU finished fifth at 9-7, but won three straight at Reese Court to take home its first ever Big Sky tournament title.
• Both teams struggled during the preseason but have played well the past few weeks. Portland State has won two straight to climb back above the .500 mark at 7-6, while Eastern Washington has won three of its past five after stumbling to a 1-6 start.
• EWU is 4-2 at home this season and is riding a three-game winning streak. The Viks are 1-5 in road games and have lost five straight.
• Last March 6, the Eagles defeated PSU, 78-68, to snap a five-game losing streak in the series. PSU had also won two in a row at Reese Court before that March loss.
• PSU is 3-0 in Big Sky openers under Sherri Murrell, while Eastern Washington has won its past two conference openers. The Vikings will open with someone other than Sac State for the first time since the 2006-07 season.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE VIKS THIS WEEK: Saturday's game at Eastern Washington will be feature live audio and video through Big Sky TV and live stats. Links for Big Sky TV can be found on GoViks.com by clicking on the LIVE EVENTS tab, then clicking on LIVE AUDIO/VIDEO. Fans wanting a Portland State flavor can listen to the game through GoViks.com, with Teri Mariani calling the action. That link can also be found on the LIVE AUDIO/VIDEO tab. The live stats link can be found by clicking on the LIVE EVENTS tab on the front of GoViks.com, then clicking on the LIVE STATS link.

THE DAM CUP: The Portland State Vikings and Eastern Washington Eagles have begun a five sport rivalry cup called The Dam Cup this season. The Dam Cup will celebrate the friendly rivalry between the states of Oregon and Washington within the Big Sky Conference. The so-named rivalry refers to the four dams linking Oregon and Washington that one passes on the 339-mile drive from the Portland State campus to the Eastern Washington campus. Located along the Columbia River, they are Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Dam, The John Day Dam and the McNary Dam. The five sports competing for the cup are football, women's soccer, women's volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball. The Dam Cup is based on a point system, with points only rewarded for regular season contests. Each women's basketball match between the Eagles and Vikings are worth two points apiece for a total of four points possible. Currently, PSU holds a 5-4 lead in points.

THE LAST TIME OUT: Freshman forward Allie Brock had a career night and helped key a big second half by Portland State as the Vikings rolled by visiting Corban University, 96-55, on Monday night at the Stott Center. PSU led by just nine at halftime, but scored 56 second half points to win their final non-conference game. Brock and senior Kelly Marchant were two of the main catalysts in the Vikings' second half scoring outburst. Brock scored 12 of her career high 15 points over the final 20 minutes, while Marchant easily had her best game of the season, pouring in 15 of her 22 points in the second period. The Vikings  owned a 52-32 edge in points in the paint and blocked eight shots, getting a career-best six from Courtney Cremer. Courtney VanBrocklin added 19 points and three steals. PSU shot a season-best 56.8 percent, including 65.9 percent in the second half, with Brock, Marchant and VanBrocklin combining to go 25 of 41 from the floor for a 60.9 percentage. PSU set new season-highs for points in game, points in a half, field goals made, assists, blocked shots and fewest turnovers

BLOCK PARTY: The Vikings, along with Montana, are the only schools to have three players rank amongst the Big Sky leaders in blocked shots per game (through Jan. 2). Junior Shauneice Samms is seventh, averaging 1.1 per game, while senior Courtney Cremer is 10th (0.9) and junior Katy Wade is 11th (0.9). Cremer is enjoying a resurgance defensively after recording only five blocked shots last season. In her first two seasons on the Park Blocks, Cremer had 23 and 27 blocks, respectively. On Dec. 28, Cremer had two blocked shots against Portland, giving her 66 for her career and moving her into 10th place all-time at PSU. Then on Jan. 3, Cremer turned in a career performance against Corban, blocking six shots to finish one off the PSU single game record. Portland State finished with eight in the contest, their most since recording 13 against Oregon State on Dec. 29, 2009.

BLOWOUT WINS: Portland State's 41-point defeat of Corban on Jan. 3 was their largest margin of victory since they knocked off Idaho State, 97-57, on Jan. 12, 2008. It was also just the second time PSU has defeated a team by at 40 or more points since they joined the Big Sky for the 1995-96 season. Portland State also has two other blowout wins at home this season, defeating Lewis & Clark by 27 (74-47) and Loyola Marymount by 26 (65-39).

TOPPING THE 90-POINT BARRIER: PSU surpassed the 90-point barrier for the first time this year in their 96-55 win over Corban on Jan. 3. It marks the sixth consecutive season they have scored at least 90 points in a game. Under Sherri Murrell, the Viks have topped 90 points eight times, going 5-3. In the eight seasons prior to her arrival they did it just twice (once in 2005-06, once in 2006-07), including going six straight seasons without doing so from 1999-2005. Since joining the Big Sky, PSU has gone over 90 points 11 times. 

50 IN A HALF: For the first time this year, Portland State scored more than 50 points in a single half when they scored 56 in their 96-55 victory over Corban on Jan. 3. The 56 points is a new record in the Sherri Murrell era, surpassing the 55 points PSU scored in a half against Idaho State on Feb. 14, 2008. Portland State has now scored 50 or more points in a half ten times under Murrell, doing so three times in each of her first three seasons.

NATIONALLY RANKED: Junior Eryn Jones and sophomore Courtney VanBrocklin are the only Vikings to be ranked in the top 100 in the NCAA statistical rankings as of Jan. 2. Jones is 16th in 3-point field goal percentage (44.8%), 41st in free-throw percentage (86.5%) and 77th in assists per game (4.5), while VanBrocklin is 66th in free-throw percentage (84.1%). As a team, PSU is 83rd in three-point field goals made per game (6.3) and 99th in three-point field goal percentage (33.5%).

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 75 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, while their season high this year is eight, accomplished twice.

FINISHING THE JOB: Since the 2005-06 season, Portland State has won 87.1 percent (74-11) of its games when taking a lead into intermission. In 2005-06 they were 6-1, followed by a 9-0 record the next year. In Sherri Murrell's first season, PSU went 21-3, then 21-1 in 2008-09 and 12-4 last year. They took a 27-25 lead into the break in this year's season opener at Washington, but eventually fell 51-50, and are currently 5-2 when leading at intermission in 2010-11.

MORE KEYS TO A VICTORY: Another key to victory for the Vikings since 2005-06 has been winning the shooting percentage battle. Over the past five seasons, Portland State is 61-9 (87.1%) when outshooting its opponent, including 49-6 (89.1%) under Sherri Murrell. PSU went 11-3 last season, 17-1 in 2008-09 and 17-2 in 2007-08.

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, was leading the conference in field goal percentage (61.8%) but fell out of the rankings this week because she does not have enough field goal attempts to qualify. Samms does rank seventh in blocked shots (1.1 bpg), while ranking third on the team in rebounding (4.3 rpg) and fourth in scoring (7.3 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 rebounding (5.8 rpg) and steals (1.7 spg). In the Big Sky she ranks seventh in scoring, ninth in rebounding and 12th in steals. She also has recorded both of PSU's double-doubles this year.

BASKETBALL JONES: Junior guard Eryn Jones is the only returning Viking to play in all 79 games the past two-plus seasons and has started 22 straight games dating back to last year. Jones is a deadly 3-point shooter and led the team in 3-point field goal percentage last season with a 38.8% mark. Her current career percentage of 40.2 ranks her third all-time at PSU and her 77 career three-point field goals (through her sophomore season) is the most by a Viking over their first two seasons since Jenni Ritter sank 86 from 2005-07. Jones is off to a fantastic start in 2010-11 and is 16th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at 44.8% (up to 45.0% after the Corban game). Over the past five games alone, Jones is 13 of 23 from behind the arc for a 56.5 percentage. Additionally, Jones is ranked in the top 10 of six categories in the Big Sky (through Jan. 2), including first in free three percentage (86.5), second in 3-point field goal percentage (44.8), third in minutes per game (33.5), fifth in assists per game (4.5) and 3-point field goals made per game (2.2), and sixth in scoring (13.0 ppg).