Complete Release in PDF Format

George Fox (0-0 overall) vs. Portland state (0-0 overall)
Friday, November. 9, 2012, 6 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500) • Portland, OR

Live Video Stream: BigSkyTV.org • Play-by-Play: Teri Mariani
Live Stats: vikslive.statb.us

All-Time Series: First Meeting

OPENING TIP
The Portland State women's basketball team will officially tip-off its 2012-13 campaign this Friday night against George Fox University. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. PT start at the Peter W. Stott Center and will be the first game of an opening night doubleheader. The Portland State men's basketball team will start its season against Pacific (OR) at 8:05 p.m. or 30 minutes following the women's game.

The Vikings are led by sixth-year Head Coach Sherri Murrell who's team finished 15-14 overall, 7-9 in the Big Sky for a seventh place finish last season. The Vikings have four returning starters along with nine letterwinners from a year ago.
George Fox is a NCAA Division III member of the Northwest Conference. The Bruins were 32-1 and 16-0 in NWC play a year ago and were the NCAA national runner up under Head Coach Michael Meek.

THE SCHEDULE: Friday's game marks the first of 14 home games this season for Portland State. The Vikings will play 15 games on the road prior to the Big Sky Tournament including a Thanksgiving weekend tournament at Saint Mary's College. PSU will play nine non-conference games and 20 conference games in an expanded Big Sky Conference after welcoming North Dakota and Southern Utah for the 2012-13 season.

OPENERS: Portland State is 18-17 in season openers since the 1977-78 season (the first season with complete records). The Vikings are 8-8 in openers since joining the Big Sky Conference for the 1996-97 season and are 4-1 in the last five seasons under Head Coach Sherri Murrell.

THE SERIES: Friday night's game marks the first regular season match up between Portland State and George Fox.  Murrell coached at George Fox for three seasons compiling a 52-33 overall record and led the Bruins to the NWC semifinals her final season (1995-96).

THE COACHES: Portland State Head Coach Sherri Murrell is in her sixth season at the helm and is 98-60 overall and 53-27 in the Big Sky. Michael Meek is in his third season at George Fox and is 57-7 overall and led the Bruins to the NCAA DIII national championship game last season.

THE BRUINS: George Fox returns 11 letterwinners and three starters from its national runner up team. Hannah Munger, an All-American second team selection, averaged 14.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.8 bpg and shot over .500 from the field a year ago.

COMING UP: The Vikings head on the road for their next game at the University of Oregon on Thursday, Nov. 15. It will be their second trip to the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. in as many years. 

KEYS TO A VICTORY: A key to victory for the Vikings since 2005-06 has been winning the shooting percentage battle. Over the past five seasons, Portland State is 86-10 (.896) when outshooting its opponent, including 74-7 (.913) under Sherri Murrell. PSU went 11-3 in 2009-10, 17-1 in 2008-09 and 17-2 in 2007-08. In 2010-11 they went 17-1, with the lone loss coming in the Big Sky tourney title game against Montana. The Viks outshot the Lady Griz, .382-to-.375, but fell 62-58. Last season, PSU was 12-0.

MILESTONES FOR MURRELL: Sixth-year Head Coach Sherri Murrell reached several milestones last year and is closing in on another one. Most recently she earned her 50th Big Sky victory when PSU defeated Weber State, 76-63, on Feb. 2, 2012. Also, the Vikings' game against Northern Colorado on Jan. 12 was the 400th that she has coached at the NCAA DI level. Overall it was her 485th game as a head coach. The Vikings' 76-69 win at Eastern Washington on Feb. 23, 2012 gave Murrell her 100th league victory at the DI level. Murrell is also approaching win number 100 at Portland State, as she currently has 98.

DOMINANT AT THE STOTT CENTER: Over the past five seasons under Sherri Murrell, the Vikings have posted a 59-14 overall record (.808) and 32-8 Big Sky mark (.800) inside the Stott Center. The Vikings have won 37 contests by a double-digit margin, including 15 victories by at least 20 points. Last year, PSU was 9-5 at home.

QUICK TO 500: Courtney VanBrocklin became the fourth fastest player in PSU history to reach 500 career points vs. Nevada on Dec. 3, 2011. With 14 points she upped her career total to 511. She reached the mark in 37 games, trailing only Kelsey Kahle (2005-09), who reached it in 29 games, Sheri Stemple (1991-92), who did it in 30 games, and Laurie Northrop (1988-92), who accomplished it in 35 games.

INSTANT IMPACT: In each of the past three seasons, a transfer has had an instant impact on the Vikings program. Two years ago, Courtney VanBrocklin and Shauneice Samms both played major roles; last year it was Kate Lanz. Angela Misa seems poised to do the same this year. Samms and VanBrocklin combined for 48 starts, 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds. VanBrocklin led PSU in scoring nine times and in rebounding eight times, while Samms led the team in blocks 13 times and in rebounding five times. Lanz led all players in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles, and led the Vikings in scoring in 14 of the 27 games she appeared in. Both VanBrocklin and Lanz earned Big Sky Top Newcomer honors their first year with the Vikings. 

SEASON PREVIEW
The Portland State women's basketball team has three goals for the 2012-13 season: win the Big Sky Conference, make it to the tournament, and have a banner season. Those goals are not out of reach for this years' squad led by sixth-year Head Coach Sherri Murrell.

If the Vikings want to achieve their goals and make it back to the Big Sky Tournament, they will have to rely on the experience gained from their nine returning letterwinners and four returning starters.

Portland State's key loss from a year ago will be the absence of guard Eryn Jones from the backcourt who ended her career on the Park Blocks as arguably the best three-point shooter in Portland State history. Jones left Portland State as the 15th member of the Vikings' 1,000-point club. She ended her career with 1,350 points, seventh most all-time. She also finished in the top five in three-point field goals made, attempted, and three-point percentage.

The Vikings returns last year's Big Sky Conference's Top newcomer, junior G Kate Lanz. The Vancouver, Wash. native led the Vikings in scoring with 15.6 points per game and rebounding with 7.3 rebounds per game in her first year for the Vikings after sitting out the previous year due to NCAA transfer rules.

Lanz will be moving to her natural position of point guard with senior G Courtney VanBrocklin and sophomore G Allison Greene also getting time at point.

VanBrocklin is back for her final year on the Park Blocks after leading the Big Sky in free throw percentage, shooting .901 from the stripe in 2011-12. She was the only other player, other than Jones and Lanz, to average double-digits last season scoring 13.2 points a contest.

Probably the biggest difference between last year's squad and this seasons' Vikings team will be the addition of size to the lineup. The Vikings add junior transfer F Angela Misa to the roster this year. She too had to sit out a year after transferring to PSU. Misa, who stands at 6-0, is not the tallest on the squad, but is a “beast” inside according to Murrell.

“We will definitely be bigger and stronger in our inside game,” Murrell added. “I haven't seen a stronger and more athletic post in our conference than Angela. She is a beast inside and should help us open our outside game because of the attention she will attract inside.”

The Vikings have had transfers make an immediate impact over the past few years. VanBrocklin transferred from Boise State and stepped into the lineup two years ago, as did Lanz last season. Misa should continue the trend and be a force to be reckoned with in the paint this year in the Big Sky.

THE RETURNERS
To go along with Lanz and VanBrocklin, the Vikings return seven other letterwinners from a year ago.

Senior G Karley Lampman averaged 24.9 minutes and 7.4 points per game in 2011-12 playing in all 29 games while making 24 starts. She shot .395 from the field and is one of the most athletic players on the team, which she showcased last year coming in third on the squad with 34 steals. She also has “one of the best jump shots around” according to Murrell.

Greene averaged nearly 17 minutes a game last season making starts in the final six contests. She has proven to be a valuable asset for the Vikings in the back court and will see significant action there this season. She averaged just under five points a contest a year ago but that should increase this season.

“We have some talent in every position but I believe when Allison Greene and Mikaela Rivard are on their games, they are the difference makers on our team,” Murrell said.

Sophomore F Mikaela Rivard saw limited action last year averaging less than 10 minutes a game but she made the most of her time. Rivard, who is an excellent perimeter shooter, will be able to take advantage of the attentio opposing defenses give to Misa down low.

Junior F Allie Brock and sophomore F Keaton McFadden both add depth down low for the Vikings. Brock is one of the team's best defenders according to Murrell while McFadden is a tremendous rebounder. She was fourth on the squad in rebounds last season with 104, which included 43 offensive boards. She is a “big time rebounder and has improved greatly on finishing under the basket offensively,” Murrell said.

Sophomore guards Lariel Powell and Jordan Henry will both see action in the backcourt for the Vikings. Powell is explosive offensively and very aggressive on the defensive side while Henry is a threat from behind the arc.

THE NEWCOMERS
Murrell added depth and size to the roster with three signings for the 2012-13 season. The Vikings add freshman F Maddie Black, freshman G Emily Easom, and freshman C Aleigh Krug. They will also add Misa to the mix this year as well as walk-on sophomore G Cynthia Arata.

Black, a native of Tigard, Ore., will add depth for the Vikings at the forward position and adds to the teams' overall height standing at 6-0. She was a four-year starter at Tigard HS and a First Team All-State selection and Pacific Conference Player of the Year as a senior averaging 14 points and eight rebounds. “Maddie is a scorer,” Murrell said. “I believe once she learns our system and gets comfortable, she will flourish.”

The Vikings also add Easom from San Rafael, Calif. She played varsity basketball three years at Marin Catholic HS and averaged 15.5 points per game and set a school record with 61 three-pointers made as a junior on her way to being named first team all-league. Easom should provide an outside threat for the Vikings with the loss of Jones.
“I'm really impressed with Emily's ability to come in as a freshman and contribute to our team right away,” Murrell said. “She is aggressive and smart.”

The third signee for the Vikings is Krug, a 6-3 center from Truckee, Calif. in Krug. She was a three-year starter at Truckee HS and earned first team all-state and first team All-Mount Rose League honors as a junior averaging 12.6 points per game and 8.6 rebounds.

“Aleigh is a nice addition to our inside game,” Murrell said. “She has a great touch around the basket and her size will cause problems on the defensive end.”

Arata, a walk-on from Windsor, Calif. will be a valuable practice player for the Vikings but will have to sit out this season after transferring to PSU from Santa Rosa JC.