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Portland State vs. Southern Utah
Saturday, February 22, 2014 • 2:00 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR

Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Record/Big Sky: 16.7, 10-4 | Head Coach: JR Payne (60-82, 5th year)
Portland State Vikings
Record/Big Sky: 6-17, 4-10 | Head Coach: Sherri Murrell (116-92/7th year)

Portland State vs. Eastern Washington
Monday, February 24, 2014 • 2:00 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR

Eastern Washington Eagles
Record/Big Sky: 12-11, 8-6 | Head Coach: Wendy Schuller (173-204/13th year)
Portland State Vikings
Record/Big Sky: 6-17, 4-10 | Head Coach: Sherri Murrell (116-92/7th year)

Live Video Stream: WatchBigSky.com
Live Audio Stream: GoViks.com •  Play-by-Play: Teri Mariani
Live Stats: GoViks.com

OPENING TIP
    The Portland State Vikings begin a four-game home stand as they play four of their final six games of the regular season at the Peter W. Stott Center. The Vikings are three games out of the seventh and final Big Sky Conference Tournament spot and will need to do some damage in the standings, along with a little help, to avoid missing the tournament for the third straight year.
     The Vikings (6-17 overall, 4-10 Big Sky) open the home stand with the Southern Utah Thunderbirds (16-7, 10-4) Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. The T-Birds are tied for second in the big sky standings. Saturday's game against the Thunderbirds will be the Vikings' annual Cancer Awareness game in association with the Children's Cancer Association, Susan G Komen Oregon, Oregon Health Sciences University, and others. Complementary tickets for those organizations provided by Washington Trust Bank.
     The Vikings will then play host for the final Dam Cup game of the year against Eastern Washington (12-11, 8-6) on Monday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
     Both games will be broadcast live online at WatchBigSky.com. There will also be audio broadcasts online at GoViks.com with Teri Mariani calling the action. A pregame show will start approximately 15 minutes prior to tip-off. Live stats for both games can be found on GoViks.com.
     Portland State is coming off a pair of losses last week at Northern Arizona (84-61) and at Sacramento State (84-80). The Vikings fell behind early against the Lumberjacks and could not come back from a 25-point halftime deficit. Sophomore Emily Easom posted 23 points going 9-for-15 from the floor, 5-for-10 from distance, in the Vikings loss at Sacramento State. The Vikings cut the lead to five points with under a minute left but their comeback ran out of time.

THE SERIES: PORTLAND STATE VS. SOUTHERN UTAH
• All-Time Series: Portland State leads, 10-3 overall and 4-1 in Portland.
• Big Sky Series: Southern Utah leads 3-0 and 1-0 in Portland.
• Streak: Southern Utah has won the last three meetings since joining the Big Sky.
• Last Meeting: The T-Birds took the first meeting of the season 69-60 on Jan. 23. Mikaela Rivard posted a career-high 16 points in the game going 7-for-10 from the floor with a pair of free throws. The Vikings outrebounded the Thunderbirds in the game but SUU held a decisive 48-to-14 scoring advantage in the paint.

THE THUNDERBIRDS: Southern Utah comes in as one of the top three teams in the conference tied for second place at 10-4. The T-Birds have won their last four games and are 8-2 in their last 10 games. They will be playing their third straight road game after defeating Idaho State and Weber state on the road last week. Southern Utah is second in the league with 75.9 points per game this season. The T-Birds are third in the league with a .435 shooting percentage from the floor and shoot a league-best .755 at the line.
     Hailey Mandelko leads the team with 12.3 points per game overall and 14.6 ppg in conference play. She leads the team with 42 three-pointers and is shooting .836 from the line. Lori Parkinson is second on the team with 12.1 points per game.

THE SERIES: PORTLAND STATE VS. EASTERN WASHINGTON
• All-Time Series: Eastern Washington leads 31-26 overall. Portland State leads 15-11 in Portland.
• Big Sky Series: Portland State leads 19-16 overall and 11-5 in Portland.
• Streak: Portland State broke a two-game losing streak earlier in the season. PSU is 7-3 in the last seven.
• Last Meeting: The Vikings played arguably their most complete game of the season against the Eagles on Dec. 29. Portland State led by one at the half (34-33) and then outscored Eastern Washington 52-41 in the second half to win by 12. The Vikings shot .500 in the game going 32-for-64 from the floor and outrebounded the Eagles by 11. Kate Lanz posted her first career triple double, fifth in program history, with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Allie Brock added 20 while Emily Easom added 14 for the Vikings. 

THE EAGLES: Eastern Washington has played well of late despite losing at Northern Arizona their last time out. They are 4-1 in their last five including wins over both Montana Schools. The Eagles are averaging 71.4 points per game and are allowing 70.2 ppg. They are second in the league with a .436 field goal percentage but shoot a conference-best .384 from behind the arc.
     Lexie Nelson leads the team with 16.9 ppg overall and 17.2 ppg in league play. She is shooting .471 from the floor and a league-best .447 from three-point range with a team-high 59 three pointers. She has led the team in scoring 10 times this season. Hayley Hodgins is second on the team with 13.7 ppg and is shooting .432 from the floor. She leads the team with a .875 free-throw mark. Melissa Williams leads the team with 6.0 rebounds per game.

COMING UP: The Vikings host their final two home games of the season next week when they host North Dakota and Northern Colorado. Portland State was swept on the road against the two schools earlier this season.

HOT SHOTS
• SO G Emily Easom posted 23 points with a season-high five three-pointers last time out against Sacramento State. Easom leads the team with 12.4 ppg.
• Easom has posted double-figure points each of the last three games and nine of the last 11. She has posted five 20-point performances.
• SR G Kate Lanz posted her first career triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high 10 assists at Eastern Washington (12/29).

NOT SO HOT
• SR F Angela Misa is out for the second straight season with a left knee injury.
• Portland State has not had a double-double since Misa's injury.
• Portland State has lost seven of its last eight games.  
• Portland State is giving up 79.7 points per game while opponents are shooting .454 from the floor and .347 from distance. PSU's -14.1 scoring margin is worst in the Big Sky.

NEWS & NOTES
Easom Continues Hot Shooting
Sophomore G Emily Easom has been the Vikings' hottest shooting over the second half of the season. She leads the team with 12.4 ppg and has scored 20-plus points five times this season including a career-high 27 points against Montana State (2/8). She has scored 16.3 points per game over the last 10 games and is shooting .486 from the floor and .393 from three-point range with a team high 24 three-pointers.
• Easom is averaging a career-high 12.4 points per game this season, more than doubling her average of 5.4 from a year ago.
• Easom has been productive and durable this year by starting in every game and playing a team-high 32.0 minutes per game.
• Easom leads the team with 37 three-pointers and is second with 81 field goals this season.

Easom Goes Big Again
Sophomore G Emily Easom has set career scoring marks twice this season. She did it again with 27 points against Montana State (2/8). Easom went 6-for-13 from the floor with a trio of three-pointers. She did a lot of her damage at the free-throw line going 12-for-13, both career marks. It was the fourth time Easom has gone for 20 points this season. Easom added 23 points in the Vikings' last game against Sacramento State (2/15).

Back-to-Back on the Boards
Portland State outrebounded its opponent in back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Vikings outrebounded the Lady Griz, 29-to-23 (+6), on Feb. 6 and then the Bobcats, 44-to-36 (+8) on Feb. 8.

Stingy Defense
Portland State held Montana State to just 19 first-half point on Feb. 8. The 19 points is the lowest total by an opponent in any half this season.

Rirvard's Big Night
Junior forward Mikaela Rivard put together a career night at Southern Utah (1/23). Rivard posted a career-high 16 points going 7-for-10 from the floor. Her seven field goals was also a career high. In addition, she played a season-high 31 minutes in her second start of the season.

Big Win at Home
The Vikings picked up a big win at home on January 16 defeating Sacramento State, 83-80. The Hornets entered the game averaging 94.1 points and 14.4 three-pointers per game. The Vikings held the Hornets to just six three-pointers while shooting a season-high .567 from the floor (38-for-67). Sophomore G Emily Easom posted a career-high 26 points leading the Vikings to the win. Portland State held a decisive 43-to-27 rebounding advantage that helped the Vikings outscore the Hornets 21-to-4 in second chance points.

Making the Most
Guards Lauren Holt and Delanie Parry each made their first career start against Sacramento State and both made the most of it. Holt scored a career-high 18 points going 8-for-9 from the floor with a team-high eight rebounds. Parry put up seven points while pulling down seven rebounds. She also accounted for a team-high seven assists and three blocks.

Misa Out Again
Senior F Angela Misa has suffered a left knee injury that will keep her out for the rest of the season. It is the second straight year that Misa has had her season cut short due to a knee injury. Misa was averaging 10.9 points and a team-high 9.0 rebounds per game for the Vikings. At the time of the injury she had a league-high six double-doubles including three straight. She suffered the injury at Montana State on January 9; Misa had 15 points and 13 rebounds against the Bobcats before leaving the game.

Misa Leader on the Boards
Senior F Angela Misa will finish her Portland State career as the Vikings' all-time leader in rebounding average. She has averaged 9.8 rebounds per game for a career total of 333 in just 34 games. She also averaged 10.9 ppg.

Vikings Come Back after Slow Start
Portland State came back to win against Weber State (1/4) despite starting the game 0-for-11 from the floor. The Vikings trailed by only three points at the half. They came out and shot .500 (15-for-30) in the second half to win their first conference game at home.

Lanz's Triple-Double
Senior G Kate Lanz posted her first career triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high 10 assists at Eastern Washington (12/29). She went 5-for-19 from the floor with a three-pointer while going 11-for-12 at the free-throw line. She also picked up a block in 36 minutes played.

Historic Triple-Double
Senior G Kate Lanz's triple-double at Eastern Washington (12/29) was the first of her career and the first by a Viking since Claire Faucher posted 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 steals at Montana State on March 5, 2009. Faucher posted three triple-doubles during her career. Kim Manifesto posted the only other recorded triple-double for the Vikings in 1994.

Player of the Week Honors For Lanz
Senior G Kate Lanz's triple-double at Eastern Washington (12/29) propelled her to her first Big Sky Player of the Week honor this season and third of her career. It was the first Big Sky POTW award by a Viking since Courtney VanBrocklin on Nov. 20, 2012. Lanz was also named the CollegeSportsMadness.com Mid-Major Player of the week as well as the College Sports Madness Big Sky Player of the Week.

"I Love It When a Plan Comes Together"
The Vikings were clicking on all cylinders in their 86-74 win at Eastern Washington (12/29) to start Big Sky play. PSU shot a season-high .500 from the floor including going 17-for-30 (.567) in the second half. The Vikings scored 52 points in the second half, a season high, while scoring a season-high 86 points. Kate Lanz (22 points) and Allie Brock (20) each scored over 20-points in the game. It was the first time this season that PSU had two players with 20-plus points.

At Home
The Vikings have excelled at the Peter W. Stott Center under seventh-year head coach Sherri Murrell. Portland State is 70-29 (.707) overall and 38-18 (.679) in Big Sky Conference play under Murrell. PSU has had four double-digit home win seasons since she took over before the 2007-08 season. PSU, however, is 4-6 at home this season.

Brock Going Big
Allie Block led the Vikings with 20 points in their loss at Oregon (12/14). Brock went 8-for-14 in the game, which tied her season-high in field goals made. She also went 4-for-8 at the free-throw line and pulled down five rebounds. It was Brock's fifth double-digit scoring performance of the season and the second time that she surpassed the 20-point mark. Brock is averaging a career-high 11.8 points per game so far this season while averaging 5.4 rebounds per game, also a career high.

Getting Back into Form
Senior G Kate Lanz scored a game-high 21 points with eight rebounds in the Vikings' season-opening loss to Saint Mary's (CA) (11/10). It was Lanz's first appearance since having her season cut short last year by a season-ending knee injury. After posting back-to-back 20-point performances to start the season, Lanz posted her third with 20 points against Columbia (12/1). She also posted 10 rebounds and a career-high nine assists for a near triple-double.

Powell's Performance
Junior G Lariel Powell posted a career-high 16 points against Columbia (12/1). She went 5-for-11 from the floor and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line. She added a then-career-high two three-pointers.

Bring on Brock
Senior F Allie Brock posted her first double-double of the season, second of her career, with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Seattle University (11/22). She went 6-for-14 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Brock has scored in double-digits in five of the eight games this season. Her double-double was the first by a Viking this season.

Brock's Big Day
Senior F Allie Brock posted a career-high 23 points in 30 minutes against Corban (11/26). She went 8-for-16 from the floor including 4-for-5 from three-point range. She entered the game just 1-for-11 all-time from distance. She went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line while adding five rebounds. Her 23 points is the most this season by a Viking.

Hot from the Line
Portland State went 24-for-27 from the free-throw line against Seattle University (11/22). Three Vikings went 4-for-4 from the line while Kate Lanz went 6-for-7 against the Redhawks.

QUICK NOTES FOR 2013-14
• Portland State returns eight letterwinners and three starters from a year ago. The Vikings add six newcomers to the roster including four freshmen, a junior transfer, and a Portland State volleyball player.

• Portland State lost a pair of starters at the end of the season. The Vikings lost Courtney VanBrocklin who led the team in points 14 times last year and finished with a team-high 14.7 ppg. She finished her career as the 16th member of the Portland State 1,000-point club.

• In her seven seasons at Portland State, head coach Sherri Murrell ranks second all-time in wins with 110. She led the Vikings to their only 20-win seasons at the DI level (2007-08, 2008-09 and 2010-11). Under Murrell, the Vikings have gone 70-29 overall and 38-18 in the Big Sky at the Peter W. Stott Center.

• Murrell has a knack for bringing in talented transfers. Over the past three seasons, Murrell has brought in three players that went on to be named the Big Sky's Top Newcomer. Courtney VanBrocklin (2010-11), Kate Lanz (2011-12), and Angela Misa (2012-13) all earned Top Newcomer honors under Murrell.

• Head Coach Sherri Murrell has announced the signing of Shelbi Sanders and Alicia Carline to National Letters of Intent for the 2014-15 season.
     Sanders, a 6-foot-2 forward from Hermiston High School, averaged seven points and nine rebounds per game last year. She helped her team to a first place finish at the Nike Interstate Shootout and a third place finish at the 5A OSAA State Tournament. Sanders is an athletic, physical player, who possesses good basketball fundamentals.
     Carline, a 6-foot-3 post player from Feilding, New Zealand, is in the middle of her sophomore season at Gillette College in Gillette, WY. She has helped her team to a 1-1 record to start this season and is averaging 14.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 2.0 steals while shooting .540 from the floor and .780 from the free-throw line.