Portland State University Athletics

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – Early turnovers plagued the Portland State women's basketball team in its 99-72 loss at CSUN Friday afternoon to open the 2016-17 season.
                                                              
Portland State (0-1 overall) struggled to get into a rhythm offensively with 10 first quarter turnovers, which turned into 13 CSUN (1-0) points. The turnovers helped the Matadors build a 13-point lead after the first 10 minutes, which the Vikings were unable to overcome.
 
Portland State briefly led 7-6 after three-pointer from redshirt sophomore G Sidney Rielly. CSUN quickly retook the lead with an old fashioned three-point play to go up 9-7. After sophomore F Pia Jurhar tied the game at 9-9, the Matadors went on a 10-4 run to go up 22-13. They extended their lead and led 31-18 at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Vikings shot well in the first, going 6-for-12 from the floor and 5-for-8 at the free-throw line. Unfortunately for Portland State, those percentages did not hold up throughout the rest of the game and the Vikings finished shooting .333 (22-for-66) from the floor and .300 (3-for-10) from three-point range, and .568 (25-for-44) from the line.
 
CSUN went on several runs in the second quarter to extend its lead. After the Vikings went on a 6-0 run to pull the Matadors' lead to six points, CSUN went on an 8-2 run to rebuild its advantage. A jumper late in the quarter by redshirt sophomore F Courtney West made 58-34 game at the half.
 
Rielly scored all of her team-leading 12 points in the first half, with much of her damage coming at the free-throw line, where she went 5-for-6. She would end the game with five rebounds, also a team high.
 
West had 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the first 20 minutes. She added a basket in the second half to match Rielly's 12 points for the game. She also finished with five rebounds, three on the offensive glass.
 
The Vikings, who led the Big Sky with 42.5 rebounds per game a year ago, pulled down 40 boards on the day but gave up 51 to the Matadors. CSUN was able to turn its 15 offensive rebounds into 17 points, while Portland State was only able to tally eight second chance points.
 
Redshirt sophomore G Ashley Bolston was the only other Viking with double-digit points in the game, with 10. She was limited to just 19 minutes of action in the game after getting into foul trouble early in the first half. She went 3-for-6 from the floor and 4-for-6 at the line. She tallied four assists and two steals but accounted for six of the Vikings' 26 total turnovers in the game.
 
Trailing by 24 at the half, the Vikings were able to get their young roster a lot of quality minutes. Every player who was dressed for the game played and scored. Freshman F Caroline Wich came off the bench for six points and a pair of rebounds in the game.
 
CSUN shot .528 (38-for-72) from the floor and had five players score in double-figures. The Matadors biggest advantage in the game came in the paint, where they out-scored the Vikings 50-to-24. Nautica Morrow led the team with a game-high 18 points, while Channon Fluker recorded a double-double with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
 
Portland State hits the road again next week for a midweek matchup at Boise State on Wednesday, Nov. 16. Tip-off is slated for 4:30 p.m.
 
NOTES:
• Portland State had seven players score their first points in a Vikings uniform.
• Sidney Rielly, Courtney West, and Ashley Bolston each recorded their first double-digit scoring games at PSU.