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Portland State University Athletics

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Ashley Torres Negron
Scott Larson

Women's Basketball Written By Ryan McCall

Vikings Look for First Road Win at Idaho, Eastern Washington

Portland State Vikings (3-20, 1-11 BSC)
at Idaho Vandals (18-7, 10-3 BSC)
February 18, 2016 • Moscow, ID
Live Stats | Live Video 
Portland State Vikings (3-20, 1-11 BSC) 
vs. Eastern Washington Eagles (17-8, 11-2 BSC)
February 20, 2016 • Cheney, WA 
Live Stats | Live Video

Complete Release in PDF Format

THE OPENING TIP

     Portland State embarks on a tough road trip against two of the top teams in the Big Sky Conference this week. The Vikings open the week at third place Idaho on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. PT. They then head to Cheney, Wash. where they will take on second place Eastern Washington on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m.
     The Vikings picked up their only Big Sky Conference win to date against the Eagles on Jan. 28 at the Peter W. Stott Center. Portland State defeated Eastern Washington, 81-79, giving the Eagles their first league loss of the season. 
     Portland State was firing on all cylinders against Eastern Washington. The Vikings had six players, including all five starters, in double-figures. Freshman F Pia Jurhar led the Vikings with 18 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore G Cici West added 11 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. The Vikings shot .418 from the floor as a team and hit 10 three-pointers in the process. 

LIVE VIDEO: A live video stream is available for both games this week. A link can be found on the women's basketball schedule page on GoViks.com. 

LIVE STATS: Fans can follow the action throughout the season online via Live Stats. Live Stat links for every game can be found on the women's basketball schedule page on GoViks.com.

FOLLOW THE VIKINGS: For more information on the Portland State women's basketball team, follow the team's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/ViksWBB, by Facebook at Facebook.com/ViksWBB or on Instagram at Instagram.com/ViksWBB.

LAST TIME OUT
• Portland State is coming off a pair of tough home losses last weekend against Idaho State and Weber State. The Vikings scored a season-low 42 points against the Bengals and could not hold on to an 11-point halftime lead against the Wildcats. 
• Sophomore G Cici West continued her tremendous play at the Stott Center this year, averaging 14.5 points and 15.0 rebounds per game on the week.  West shot .435 from the floor (10-for-23). She pulled down a total of 30 rebounds, nine on the offensive glass and 21 on the defensive. 
• Freshman G Corey James averaged 9.0 ppg and went a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line on the week. 

IDAHO QUICK HITS
• Head Coach Jon Newlee is 125-118 overall in eight seasons leading the Vandals. Idaho is 18-7 overall this season and 10-3 in Big Sky Conference play. The Vandals are 11-3 at home, 5-2 on the road, and 2-1 at a neutral site. 
• Idaho won seven of its first eight games of the season before dropping three straight games in late December. The Vandals won their last non-conference game and then opened their Big Sky slate with wins over North Dakota and Northern Colorado. Idaho's first league loss came in an eight-point loss to Eastern Washington. UI then won three straight before falling to Montana State, 62-59. 
• The Vandals are 5-1 in their last six games with their lone loss coming by two points, 70-69 in overtime, at Northern Colorado. 
• Sophomore F Geraldine McCorkell leads the team with 12.8 ppg. She is also adding 5.9 rpg and is shooting .390 from the floor and .327 from three-point range. 
• Senior G Christina Salvatore leads the team with 177 rebounds (7.1 rpg) this season and is second on the team with 12.3 ppg. 

VS. IDAHO: Idaho leads the all-time series, 19-12, dating back to the 1976-77 season. The Vikings won 7-of-9 meetings from 1986-87 to 1992-93. Idaho took both meetings last season winning 77-49 in Moscow and 69-49 in Portland. The Vandals took the first meeting this season, 94-65, in Portland. 

EASTERN WASHINGTON QUICK HITS
• Head Coach Wendy Schuller is 215-227 in 15 years leading the Eagles. She has this year's team 17-8 overall and 11-2 in league play. EWU is 10-2 at home, 7-3 on the road, and 0-3 at a neutral site.  
• The Eagles started the season 3-1 before dropping three-straight games at the Lone Star Showcase in Austin, Texas over Thanksgiving weekend. EWU then won three straight before falling in back-to-back games at home to round out non-conference play. 
• Eastern Washington started league play a perfect 7-0 before falling to the Vikings, 81-79, on Jan. 28 at the Stott Center. The Eagles have won four of their last five games since losing to Portland State. 
. • Redshirt senior G Hayley Hodgins is second in the Big Sky with 20.6 points per game this season. During conference play, she is averaging 20.8 ppg. She has led the team in scoring 16 times this season, in rebounding once, and in steals seven times. She has scored in double-digits every game this season, including a career-high 34 points against Montana State to open play last weekend. She is coming off a season-low 10 points against Northern Colorado (2/13).
• Delaney Hodgins is second on the team with 15.5 ppg overall and 16.5 ppg in league play. She has scored in double-digits in all but two games this season and is shooting .468 from the floor, highest on the team for someone with over 100 field goal attempts. 
• Junior F Ashli Payne is averaging 11.0 ppg and a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game. 

VS. EASTERN WASHINGTON: Eastern Washington leads the all-time series, 34-27, dating back to the 1976-77 season. Portland State won the first two in the series but lost 14 of the next 17 meetings. The Vikings won eight-straight in the series, including the first seven Big Sky meetings. Eastern Washington has dominated the series of late, taking five of the last six meetings. Eastern Washington took both meetings last season, 101-54 in Cheney and 77-63 in Portland. The Vikings ended a three-game losing streak, defeating the Eagles, 81-79, on Jan. 28 in Portland. 

TEAM NOTES: Here are some quick-hitters about Portland State through 23 games:
• The Vikings are 3-20 overall this season, 3-10 at home, and 0-10 on the road. 
• Portland State has lost a program-high 19 consecutive road games overall and 15-straight Big Sky road games.
• Portland State is averaging 67.2 points per game this season while opponents are scoring 87.6 ppg (-20.4 scoring margin, last in the Big Sky Conference). The Vikings' 87.6 ppg allowed is third worst in NCAA DI. 
• Portland State is shooting .347 from the floor, .287 from three-point range, and .701 from the free throw line for the season.
• Portland State averages 5.6 three-pointers per game and 16.6 free throws made per game.
• Portland State is allowing 89.8 ppg, while allowing opponents to shoot .452 from the floor during conference play. 
• Portland State leads the conference in rebounding offense with 44.2 rebounds per game and in defensive rebounds with 30.1 per game. The Vikings are third in the league with 14.1 offensive rebounds per game. 
• Portland State is 12th in the nation in rebounds per game and ninth in defensive rebounds per game. 
• Portland State leads the league in free throws attempted (545) and free throws made (382), which are 14th and 13th in the nation respectively. 
• Portland State is 3-1 when leading at the break. The Vikings are also 3-1 when scoring over 80 points. 

PORTLAND STATE WINS
• Portland State picked up its first league win, defeating Eastern Washington, 81-79, on Jan. 28 at the Stott Center. The Vikings led by as much as 19 points in the fourth quarter before the Eagles tied it with a minute left. Freshman G Michaela Kay hit a three-pointer with 30 seconds left to give the Vikings the lead. EWU hit one of two free-throws and could not get the game-winning shot to fall as the Vikings held on for the win. 
• Portland State had six players, including all five starters, score in double-figures in its win against Eastern Washington. Pia Jurhar led all Vikings with 18 points, while Cici West recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Michaela Kay and Kian McNair each added 12 points, while Ashley Torres Negron and Corey James added 16 and 10 points respectively. All 16 of Torres Negron's points, including a career-high four three-pointers, came in the second half. 
• The Vikings picked up their second win, an 83-77 win over CSUN, in their final non-conference game of the year. Portland State hit a season-high 12 three-pointers shooting 44.4 percent (12-for-27) from three-point range. PSU went 9-for-12 from distance in the second half. 
• Portland State had three players in double-figures against the Matadors led by Michaela Kay's 21 points and Cici West's double-double (11 points, 14 rebounds). 
• Portland State picked up its first win of the season, 90-76, over Corban (12/12) at the Stott Center. 
• The Vikings scored a then-season-high 90 points, while shooting a then-season-high 40.5 percent from the floor against Corban. They pulled down a season-high 61 rebounds and turned the ball over a season-low 15 times. 
• Portland State had four players with 10-plus points and four with 10-plus rebounds against Corban (12/12). 
• Portland State's win against Corban (12/12/15) was the first for Head Coach Lynn Kennedy at Portland State. It was also the 550th will all-time for Portland State. 

EARLY PLAYING TIME
• Portland State is getting its extremely young roster a plethora of valuable playing time this season. The Vikings entered the season with the youngest roster in the Big Sky Conference. The current roster is made up of four upperclassmen (three juniors, one senior) and 10 underclassmen (two redshirt sophomores, four true sophomores, and four true freshmen). Three of the four true sophomores are sitting out this season due to NCAA transfer rules. 
• The Vikings have started four freshmen (three guards and a forward) in 14 of the team's 23 games. 
• Freshman F Pia Jurhar is the only Viking to have started in every game this season and the experience has been invaluable. 
• The Vikings have started at least two freshman guards in every game this season and have started three freshman guards 14 times. 
• Freshman guards Kian McNair and Michaela Kay have started 17 of the team's 23 games together, the most by any freshman duo in the nation. McNair lead the team with 10.8 ppg, while Kay is adding 9.2 ppg. 
• The Vikings are one of only three Division I teams in the nation to have started three freshman guards with the addition of Corey James, who is averaging 7.7 ppg this season. 

REBOUNDING DUO
• Sophomore G Cici West leads the Vikings, and the Big Sky Conference, with 10.1 rebounds per game. Freshman F Pia Jurhar is eighth in the league with 7.3 rpg. 
• West and Jurhar's combined 17.4 rpg is the most combined rebounds by any duo in the league this year. 
• Idaho and Montana are the only other two schools in the league with two top 10 rebounders. 

PIA JURHAR: Here are some quick hitters about Pia Jurhar, a freshman forward from Vienna, Austria. 
• Is the only Viking to start every game this season, averaging 6.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, which is eighth in the Big Sky Conference. She is fifth in the league with 1.4 blocks per game. Has recorded multiple blocks seven times.
• Has recorded double-digit rebounds seven times this season. 
• Has recorded three double-digit scoring games, all coming in conference play. Averaged 4.6 ppg during non-conference play, but is averaging 6.8 ppg in conference play. 
• Matched career high with 18 points, going 8-for-11 with nine rebounds, against Eastern Wash. (1/30).
• Improved career high to 18 points (7-for-13 FG, 4-for-7 FT), while pulling down 10 rebounds for first career double-double at Idaho State (1/16). 
• Posted a then-career-high 17 points, going 5-for-9 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line against Montana (1/7). Added six rebounds and four blocks against the Lady Griz. 
• Has posted double-digit rebounds six times. Tallied a career-high 13 rebounds twice against Warner Pacific (11/21) and at Oregon (12/17).  
• Went 1-for-2 from the floor and from the line for three points, while pulling down seven rebounds, in career debut at Cal State Fullerton (11/13).
• Played on the FIBA Senior Women's National Team that won the European Championship for Small Countries.

KIAN MCNAIR: Here are some quick hitters about Kian McNair, a freshman guard from Vallejo, CA. 
• Has started all but one game this season and is averaging a team-best 10.8 ppg overall and 12.5 ppg during league play. She has scored in double-digits 13 times. 
• Is fifth in the Big Sky with 2.6 steals per game and has recorded at least one steal in every game this season, including a season-high five steals in back-to-back games against Corban (12/12) and Seattle (12/15).  
• Is tied for 10th in the Big Sky in free throw percentage (.747). Went 8-for-8 against both Montana State (2/4) and Montana (2/6) and has hit 21-straight free throws. 
• Improved career high in scoring to 22 points, going 7-for-17 from the floor and 8-for-8 at the free-throw line at Montana (2/6).  
• Scored a then-career-high 19 points twice this season, both against Sacramento State. 
• Hit a career-high nine field goals (9-for-15) against the Hornets on Jan. 23. 
• Scored 15 points in a career-high 30 minutes, going 6-for-15 from the floor, at Weber State (1/14). 
• Scored 19 points against the Hornets on Jan. 2 going 7-for-12 from the floor with a trio of three-pointers.
• Finished non-conference play with a then-career-high 18 points against CSUN (12/20), going 6-for-12 from the floor with a career-high four three-pointers. 
• Scored 13 points with five steals against Corban (12/15), helping the Vikings to their first win. 
• Scored 13 points against South Dakota State (12/3) followed by a then-career-high 18 against South Dakota (12/5). She shot .444 from the floor over the two games, going 12-for-27. She added five three-pointers on 11 attempts (.455) and a pair of free throws. 
• Posted first double-digit scoring game with 12 points in 24 minutes at Long Beach State (11/15). Went 3-for-5 from the floor, 2-for-3 from three-point range, and 4-for-4 at the line. 
• Made Portland State debut with five points and five rebounds at Cal State Fullerton (11/13). 

CICI WEST: Here are some quick hitters about Cici West, a sophomore guard from Seattle, WA. 
• Has started 19 games this season and is averaging 10.3 points per game. She leads the team, and the Big Sky, with 10.1 rebounds per game. Her 7.3 defensive rpg leads the league and is 18th in the nation. Leads the team, and is in the top 15 in the league, with a .461 field goal percentage. 
• Has scored double-digit points 13 times this season and has posted 11 double-digit rebound games. 
• Leads the team, and is second in the league, with 10 double-doubles on the year. 
• Has two 20-point and 10-rebound games this season.
• Recorded back-to-back double-doubles with 10 points and 14 rebounds against Idaho State (2/11) followed by 19 points and 16 rebounds against Weber State (2/13). 
• Posted eighth double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds at Montana State (2/4). 
• Matched career high in rebounds with 18, along with 12 points, for seventh double-double of the season against Idaho (1/30). Her 18 rebounds matched her Stott Center record, which she set previously this season.
• Posted fifth double-double of the season, second 20-point/10-rebound game of the year, with 22 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes against Sacramento State (1/23). Went 9-for-12 (.750) from the floor and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line against the Hornets. Her nine field goals is tied for the most by a Viking this season.
• Recorded fourth double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds at Weber State (1/14), going 5-for-9 from the floor with a pair of steals. 
• Posted third double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds against CSUN (12/20), helping the Vikings to their second win of the season in their final non-conference game. 
• Recorded second double-double with a career-high 23 points along with 14 rebounds against Corban (12/12), leading the Vikings to their first win of the season. 
• Posted first career double-double with a then-career high 16 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in her first start of the season against Portland (11/24). 
• Her 18 rebounds against Portland was the most ever by a Viking at the Peter W. Stott Center and is tied for fifth all-time in a single game. 
• Posted 14 rebounds at Long Beach State (11/15), while adding first eight points of the season.
• One of three letterwinners returning from the 2014-15 season. Played in 27 games, making seven starts. Averaged 3.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season. 

COREY JAMES: Here are some quick hitters about Corey James, a freshman guard from Albany, OR. 
• Started 18 of the last 19 games and averaging 7.6 points per game. 
• Leads the Big Sky with an .898 free throw percentage, going 53-for-59 at the line. She currently ranks third all-time in single-season free throw percentage. 
• She has scored double-digit points in seven times this season. 
• Scored just three points but pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds at Idaho State (1/16).
• Scored 14 points, doing much of her damage at the line (8-for-9), at Weber State (1/14). 
• Scored 16 points, going 9-for-10 at the free-throw line along with six rebounds against Seattle (12/15). Followed that up with 13 points, going 5-for-14 with a trio of three pointers at Oregon (12/17).
• Recorded first career double-double with 18 points and a then-career-high 13 rebounds against Corban (12/12), helping the Vikings to their first win. 
• Scored a career-high 23 points against UC Davis (11/27), going 8-for-15 from the floor with four three-pointers. She also went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line and pulled down six rebounds. 
• Her 23 points against UC Davis is tied for the most by a Viking this season. 

ASHLEY TORRES NEGRON: Here are some quick hitters about Ashley Torres Negron, a junior guard from Morovis, Puerto Rico. 
• Played in every game this season, making eight starts and is averaging 10.0 points per game.
• Averaged 16.5 ppg against Eastern Washington (1/28) and Idaho (1/30), while going 11-for-24 from the floor and 7-for-14 from three-point range, helping the Vikings to a 1-1 record. 
• Posted 18 points, going 5-for-15 from the floor and 8-for-12 at the line, along six rebounds and five assists against Sacramento State (1/23). 
• Improved career high in points to 19, going 6-for-13 from the floor and 7-for-9 from the line, at Sacramento State (1/2). 
• Scored a then-career-high 18 points, coming off the bench, at Oregon (12/17). Went 7-for-17 from the floor with a pair of three-pointers against the Ducks. 
• Posted 11 points in 18 minutes in a start against UC Davis (11/27). 
• Opened her Portland State career with 14 points at Cal State Fullerton (11/13). Went 2-for-8 from the floor, both three-pointers, and 8-for-8 from the line. 

ALICIA CARLINE: Here are some quick hitters about Alicia Carline, a senior forward from Fielding, New Zealand. 
• Started the first three games this season before missing 12 games due to a foot injury. 
• Is averaging 5.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. 
• Posted first double-digit rebound game of the season with six points and 10 rebounds at Montana (2/6). 
• Scored a career-high 16 points, going 6-for-8 from the floor and 4-for-5 at the line, with six rebounds and four blocks against Idaho (1/30).
• Opened the season with eight rebounds and five blocks at Cal State Fullerton (11/13). It was her third game with five blocks. Has recorded a block in 10-of-11 career Portland State games. She leads the league in total blocked shots with seven and is second with 3.5 per game. 
• Missed 20 games in 2014-15 as a junior due to injury and illness. Played in nine games (eight starts) and averaged 6.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in 21.7 minutes. Shot .433 going 26-for-60.

MICHAELA KAY: Here are some quick hitters about Michaela Kay, a freshman guard from Spokane, WA. 
• Missed the last two games due to injury. 
• Is fourth on the team in scoring, with 9.5 points per game. Has posted nine double-digit scoring games, including two 20-point games. Also leads the team with 63 assists. Her 3.5 assists per game is sixth in the Big Sky.
• Recorded second 20-point game of the season with 21 points, going 6-for-11 from the floor, 4-for-7 from three-point range, and a perfect 5-for-5 from the line against CSUN (12/20). Added five assists and two steals against the Matadors. 
• Became first Viking in history to record 20 points in debut, posting 22 points at Cal State Fullerton (11/13). Went 7-for-15 from the floor, 5-for-11 from three-point range, and 3-4 from the line. Led the Vikings with eight rebounds. 
• Has hit five three-pointers in a game twice this season and has hit at least one in all but one game this season.

DANAH HALEY: Here are some quick hitters about Danah Haley, a junior forward from Los Angeles, CA.
• Suffered a knee injury against Montana State on Jan. 9 and will miss the remainder of the 2015-16 season. 
• Came off the bench in every game she played, averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. 
• Had three double-digit scoring games this season, four for her career, along with three double-digit rebounding games this season. 
• Scored 10 points, going 2-for-7 from the floor and 6-for-10 from the free-throw line against Montana State (1/9).
• Scored career-high 15 points at Long Beach State (11/15), going 4-for-10 from the floor and 7-for-9 at the line. 
• Opened the season with 10 points off the bench at Cal State Fullerton (11/13). Went 4-for-5 from the floor, 2-for-3 at the line, before fouling out of the game. 

PRESEASON TEAM NOTES: Here are some quick-hitters about the Portland State women's basketball team heading into the season:
• Portland State went 4-25 overall and 2-16 in Big Sky conference play en route to a last place finish in the league. It was the Vikings' worst record since the 2004-05 season when they went 3-23 overall and 1-13 in Big Sky Conference play. 
• Portland State returns just three letterwinners from the 2014-15 season. The Vikings lost nine letterwinners and all five starters off last year's squad, including five of its top six scorers from a year ago. 
• Portland State returners have a combined four letters of experience at Portland State. There are a combined seven total letters of NCAA Division I experience on the roster, including transfers and redshirts. 
• Portland State adds five incoming freshmen, five transfers, and a pair of redshirts for 2015-16. Three of the five transfers will have to sit out the season due to NCAA Transfer Rules.
• Portland State has five foreign born players on the roster: Courtney West (Sydney, Australia); Pia Jurhar (Vienna, Austria); Te Oramae Solomon (Auckland, New Zealand); Alicia Carline (Fielding, New Zealand); Ashley Torres Negron (Morovis, Puerto Rico).
• Portland State is in its 20th season as a member of the Big Sky Conference 
• Construction of the new Viking Pavilion will begin in the spring of 2016. The Pavilion will consist of an upgraded Stott Center facility, including a new arena for Viking basketball, as well as athletic training enhancements, academic upgrades and overall facility enhancements. The Viking Pavilion will more than double the capacity of PSU's home court (to be situated on the east side of the building) to somewhere between 3,000-5,000 seats.
• The 12-team Big Sky Conference has a new post-season set-up and format. The Big Sky will move its conference tournament to a neutral site in Reno, NV. All 12 teams will be part of the tournament for the first time as it takes place at the Reno Events Center.
 
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Players Mentioned

Alicia Carline

#21 Alicia Carline

F
6' 3"
Senior
1V
Danah Haley

#1 Danah Haley

F
6' 0"
Junior
1V
Cici West

#11 Cici West

G
5' 10"
Sophomore
1V
Corey James

#15 Corey James

G
5' 10"
Freshman
HS
Michaela Kay

#45 Michaela Kay

G
5' 6"
Freshman
HS
Ashley Torres Negron

#20 Ashley Torres Negron

G
5' 8"
Junior
JC
Pia Jurhar

#4 Pia Jurhar

F
6' 3"
Freshman
HS
Te Oramae Solomon

#25 Te Oramae Solomon

F
5' 11"
Junior
JC
Courtney West

#RS Courtney West

F
6' 4"
Sophomore
TR
Kian McNair

#5 Kian McNair

G
5' 6"
Freshman
HS

Players Mentioned

Alicia Carline

#21 Alicia Carline

6' 3"
Senior
1V
F
Danah Haley

#1 Danah Haley

6' 0"
Junior
1V
F
Cici West

#11 Cici West

5' 10"
Sophomore
1V
G
Corey James

#15 Corey James

5' 10"
Freshman
HS
G
Michaela Kay

#45 Michaela Kay

5' 6"
Freshman
HS
G
Ashley Torres Negron

#20 Ashley Torres Negron

5' 8"
Junior
JC
G
Pia Jurhar

#4 Pia Jurhar

6' 3"
Freshman
HS
F
Te Oramae Solomon

#25 Te Oramae Solomon

5' 11"
Junior
JC
F
Courtney West

#RS Courtney West

6' 4"
Sophomore
TR
F
Kian McNair

#5 Kian McNair

5' 6"
Freshman
HS
G
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