Vikings Host Eagles Looking to End Losing Streak

Complete Release in PDF Format

OPENING TIP: The Vikings look to end their three-game losing streak Saturday, Feb. 4 against the Eastern Washington Eagles. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. PT at the Peter W. Stott Center. It will be the only regular season meeting between the two schools this season.
Portland State lost back-to-back games to open league play at the end of December before going on a season-long four-game win streak. Since, the Vikings have dropped three-straight games heading into Saturday's match-up with the Eagles.
The Vikings are exactly midway through their Big Sky Conference season and find themselves 4-5 in league play and tied for seventh in the standings. A win against the Eagles would not only end the three-game losing streak but it would keep the Vikings in the hunt for a potential first round bye in next month's conference tournament in Reno, Nev. Eastern Washington currently sits in fourth place, 2.5 games ahead of Portland State.
Portland State is coming off another disappointing home loss Thursday night to Idaho. The Vikings blitzed the Vandals out of the gate and jumped out to a 20-5 lead in the first quarter. After hitting just one three-pointer in the first quarter, Idaho hit eight in the second quarter cutting the lead to two points, 38-36, at the break. Idaho continued its hot three-point shooting and took the lead in the early stages of the second half en route to the 72-66 win.
Sophomore G Ashley Bolston led all players with 23 points for her eighth 20-point game of the year. She went 9-for-21 from the floor with a trio of three-pointers. She also matched her career high with five steals.
Sophomore G Sidney Rielly added 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Sophomore F Courtney West put together an all around performance. She scored only eight points but pulled down nine rebounds and had a career-high eight assists to lead all players.

UP NEXT: The Vikings hit the road next week for a pair of league games. Portland State head to Pocatello, Idaho to take on the Idaho State Bengals Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. PT. The Vikings then head to Ogden, Utah to take on the Weber State Wildcats on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. PT.

TEAM NOTES: Here are some quick-hitters about 2016-17 Portland State Vikings:
• Portland State has exceeded its win total from each of the last three seasons.
• Portland State has matched its league win total from each of the last two seasons, combined.
• Portland State has double-digit wins for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
• Portland State won four-straight league games for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

BY THE NUMBERS
• Portland State is 10-11 overall and 4-5 in Big Sky play.
• Portland State is 5-2 at home, 3-7 on the road, and 2-2 at a neutral site.
• Portland State is 2-3 in its last five games and 4-6 in its last 10 games.
• Portland State is averaging 70.3 ppg, while allowing 73.9 ppg.
• Portland State is shooting a league-best .456 from the floor, .310 from distance, and .704 at the line.
• Portland State has shot over .500 from the floor in five of the last seven games (PSU is 3-2).
• Portland State has 108 blocks as a team, the most since 2010-11 (114).

BIG SKY BATTLES
• PSU is 140-190 all-time in Big Sky Conference games.
• PSU is 87-77 in home games and 53-113 in road games.
• PSU is 6-7 all-time at the Big Sky Tournament.

STOTT STUFF
• Portland State has gone 147-125 in 271 games at the Stott Center since the 1996-96 season. Including home games at Memorial Coliseum (1-0), the Rose Garden (2-0), and Concordia (1-0), the Vikings are 152-125 at home over 22 seasons.
• Portland State is 8-14 at home in two seasons under Lynn Kennedy.
• Portland State is 87-78 in home games during Big Sky Conference play.

BLOCK PARTY: Portland State tallied a season-high 12 blocks against Sacramento State (1/28). Leading the way was sophomore F Courtney West who set the Portland State single-game record with 8 blocks against the Hornets. She matched the previous record of 7 in the first half before surpassing the 26-year-old record in the second half. West jumped all the way from sixth to second all-time at Portland State for a single-season with her performance. She now has 53 blocks on the year.

D-FENCE: The Vikings put together its best defensive game in years in a 64-44 rout of the Montana Lady Griz (1/19). Portland State held Montana to just 44 points, the lowest total by an opponent since holding George Fox to 35 points in 2012. The Vikings also held the Lady Griz to just .274 from the floor, the first time holding a team under .300 since holding Navy to .279 in 2014.

WINNING STREAK: Portland State won four-straight games for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The Vikings won the first three games by a combined 10 points before blowing out Montana by 20.

B2B POTW HONORS: For the first time since the 2010-11 season, Portland State players have garnered back-to-back Big Sky Player of the Week honors. Ashley Bolston picked up her first career honor on January 10, one week before Sidney Rielly picked up her first carer honor on January 17. The last duo to achieve the feat was Lexi Bishop and Eryn Jones in 2011.

#POTW: Sophomore G Ashley Bolston earned her first Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honor after leading the Vikings to an 88-86 win at Sacramento State (1/7). Bolston scored a career-high 29 points, going 12-for-18 (.667) from the floor, with six rebounds, six assists, and four steals against the Hornets. Her 12 field goals were also a career high and tied for the most by a Viking this season. It was the first honor by a Viking since Kate Lanz in 2013-14.

#POTW PART DEUX: Sophomore G Sidney Rielly picked up her first career Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honor after leading the Vikings to wins over Southern Utah (1/14) and Northern Arizona (1/16). She averaged 24.0 points per game, while shooting .731 from the floor over the two games. She opened the week with a career-high 28 points (11-16 FG, 1-3 3FG, 5-7 FT) with four rebounds in just 24 minutes. She followed that up with a game-high 20 points, going 8-for-10 from the floor and 2-for-4 from distance.

COMING UP CLUTCH: Sophomore G Ashley Bolston has proved to be at her best late in games this season. In the final two minutes of games, she is 4-for-6 from the floor, with a three-pointer, and is 24-for-28 (.857) at the free-throw line. She showed her clutch shooting, going 4-for-4 at the line over the final minute against Southern Utah (1/14).

DEFENDING HOME COURT: Portland State is 5-2 at home this season. The Vikings started the season 5-0, their best start at home since going 5-0 to start the 2011-12 season. Portland State is averaging 74.9 ppg, while allowing 69.3 ppg (+5.6) at home for the year. The Vikings are shooting .499 (212-for-425) from the floor and .304 from distance at home.

COMEBACK WINS: Portland State's win against Sacramento State (1/7) marked the second time that the Vikings have come back from a double-digit deficit to win this season, both coming on the road. The Vikings trailed by 12 points late in the first half at Seattle (11/23) before they came back to win 79-71. Against the Hornets, the Vikings trailed by 11 points early in the third quarter but were able to tie the game heading in to the fourth quarter before winning 88-86. In both comeback wins, both Ashley Bolston and Sidney Rielly recorded 20-point games.

20-POINT GAMES: Portland State has had players scored 20-or-more points 19 times this season, compared to just eight times a year ago. Sophomore guard Sidney Rielly leads the team with nine, while Ashley Bolston has tallied eight 20-point games. Rielly became the first Viking since Kate Lanz in 2011-12 to record three-straight 20-point games, she has done it twice this year. Bolston followed suite with her own three-game stretch of 20-point performances. Sophomore G Michaela Kay added her first 20-point game of the season, third of her career, against UC Irvine (12/3). Portland State has had two players score 20 points in a game four times this season. Rielly and Bolston have done it three times, while Bolston and Kay have done it once.

WINS vs. LOSSES: The Vikings are 10-11 overall this season and 4-5 in Big Sky Conference play. There is a stark contrast on the box score between wins and losses. In wins, Portland State is averaging 76.9 points per game is shooting .493 from the floor and .727 from the free-throw line. In losses, those numbers drop to 64.3 ppg, .421 from the floor, and .683 at the line. The Vikings are holding their opponents to 16.5 fewer points per game in wins. Three-point field goal percentage, rebounds per game, and assists per game are also all up in Portland State wins this season.

SHOOTING DIFFERENCE: Portland State has seen a considerable improvement in shooting compared to last year. The Vikings shot .358 from the floor and .300 from three-point range in Head Coach Lynn Kennedy's first season. This year, the Vikings have improved those numbers to .456 (+.098) from the floor and .310 (+.010) from distance. One of the more noticeable differences has been from inside the arc. In two-point shooting, the Vikings are shooting .508 this season compared to .382 last year (+.127).

LEADING THE LEAGUE: The Vikings lead the Big Sky Conference in field goal percentage, shooting .456 as a team. The Vikings are second in the league in assists per game (17.1), blocks per game (5.1), and defensive rebounds per game (29.2). Individually, Ashley Bolston leads the league in assists per game (5.2) and Courtney West leads the league in blocks (54) and blocks per game (2.6).

BALL MOVEMENT: The Vikings are second in Big Sky Conference with 17.1 assists per game after averaging 13.6 per game a year ago (+3.7). The Vikings recorded assists on 56.7 percent of field goals in 2015-16. Portland State is recording assists on 65.0 percent this season. Portland State recorded assists on 22-of-27 (81.5 percent) field goals against UC Irvine (12/3). Sophomore G Ashley Bolston leads the Big Sky Conference with 5.2 assists per game.

BIG NUMBERS: The Vikings tallied some big numbers in their 93-61 win over Pacific Union on Nov. 20. The Vikings' 93 points were the most scored since they posted 97 in a win over Sacramento State in 2011. Portland State recorded 43 field goals in the game, the most since recording a program record 61 against Pacific (Ore.) in Nov. 1993. Individually, sophomore G Sidney Rielly's 11 field goals were the most by a Viking since 2014. Portland State pulled down 65 rebounds, six shy of a program record 71 also set against Pacific (Ore.) in Nov. 1993.

BIG SKY OPENERS: After losing at North Dakota to open league play, the Vikings are 4-6 in their last 10 Big Sky openers, and 0-2 under Head Coach Lynn Kennedy. The Vikings are also 2-5 in Big Sky road openers during that stretch.

#RoadToReno: For the second year in a row the Big Sky Conference tournament will consist of all 12 conference teams and will be held at a neutral site. The tournament will take place at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev. The women's tournament will begin on Monday, March 6 with the men's tournament beginning the next day, Tuesday, March 7. For more information visit RoadtoReno.com.

EASTERN WASHINGTON QUICK HITS
• Head Coach Wendy Schuller is 210-228 all-time in 16 seasons leading the Eagles.
• Eastern Washington is 12-9 overall and 7-3 in Big Sky Conference play.
• Eastern Washington is 6-2 at home, 5-5 on the road, and 7-3 in its last 10.
• Eastern Washington is averaging 67.9 ppg, while allowing 65.0 ppg.
• Eastern Washington is shooting .423 from the floor, .323 from distance, and .691 at the line.
• Eastern Washington is averaging 6.5 three-pointers made per game, seventh in the Big Sky.
• Delaney Hodgins leads the Big Sky Conference with 17.9 points per game this season. She has scored in double-digits all but one game this season, she scored seven points (1-13 FG) against Idaho State.
• Hodgins has eight 20-point games, including a stretch of five-straight 20-point games. She is shooting .454 from the floor and .327 from distance with a team-high 35 three-pointers.
• Tasha Phillips is second on the team with 14.6 points per game. She is shooting .445 from the floor with 30 three-pointers.

ALL-TIME vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON: Eastern Washington leads the all-time series 35-27, dating back to the 1976-77 season. The Big Sky Conference record is even at 20-20 with PSU leading 12-7 at home in league play. After winning five-straight games from 2008-2010, the Vikings have won just five games in the last 14 meetings.

LAST YEAR vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON:
• Portland State split a pair of games against Eastern Washington last season. The Vikings gave the Eagles their first Big Sky Conference loss of the season with an 81-79 victory at the Peter W. Stott Center on Jan. 28, 2016. PSU allowed just nine points in the first quarter but had to hold on as EWU scored 29 points in the fourth quarter. Tied at 78-78, Michaela Kay hit a three-pointer with 35 seconds left to give the Vikings the lead. A late free throw by the Eagles made it a two-point win for PSU. Portland State had six players in double-figures, including all five starters. Pia Jurhar scored 18 points, while Ashley Torres Negron came off the bench for 16 points.
• Portland State was short handed heading into the second game in Cheney, Wash., playing just seven players. Eastern Washington took the game 70-57. Yaremi Mejia came off the bench for a team-high 14 points.

#0 | ASHLEY BOLSTON // RS-Sophomore // Guard // 6-2 // Medford, OR
• She is second on the team with 15.4 points per game. She has scored in double-figures 15 times with seven 20-point performances.
• She leads the Big Sky Conference with 5.2 assists per game.
• She scored a game-high 23 points in a loss to Idaho (2/2).
• She matched her career high with 29 points, going 12-for-22 from the floor, at Montana State (1/21).
• She scored 28 points (9-17 FG, 1-3 3FG, 9-11 FT) with eight assists and five steals against Southern Utah (1/14).
• She was named College Sports Madness Big Sky Player of the Week (1/16).
• She was named Big Sky Player of the Week following her performance at Sacramento State (1/7).
• She improved her career high to 29 points (12-18 FG, 1-3 3FG, 4-7 FT) with six rebounds, six assists, and four steals at Sacramento State (1/7). She made a career-high 12 field goals, matching the team individual season high.
• She matched her previous career high with 26 points, going 5-for-13 from the floor and 16-for-18 at the line in a win over Kennesaw State (12/20). Both free throw marks are the second most all time. She added eight assists, six rebounds, two blocks, and two steals in the win.
• She led the Vikings with 20 points (5-12 FG, 10-10 FT) in a win over UC Irvine (12/3).
• She scored a then-career-high 26 points, going 9-for-17 from the floor with a pair of three-pointers at Portland (11/30). She went 6-for-7 at the line and added six rebounds and five assists.
• She posted her first 20-point game with 20 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3FT, 9-11 FT) four rebounds, six assists, and four steals at Seattle U. (11/23).
• She scored four points with five rebounds and a team-high nine assists in the Vikings' win over Pacific Union (CA) (11/20).
• She scored 18 points (5-10 FG, 2-5 3FG, 6-7 FT) with two rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes at Boise State (11/16).
• She scored 10 points (3-6 FG, 4-6 FT) with three rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 19 minutes of action in her Portland State debut at CSUN (11/11).
• She sat out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA Transfer Rules.

#2 | SIDNEY RIELLY // RS-Sophomore // Guard // 6-0 // Everett, WA
• She is fourth in the Big Sky Conference with 16.7 points per game. She has scored double-digit points 15 times, including nine 20-point games.
• She has scored 20 points in three straight games twice this season.
• She became the first Viking to post back-to-back 20-pt games since Emily Easom in 2014.
• She became the first Viking to post three-straight 20-pt games since Kate Lanz in 2011-12.
• She was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week (1/17).
• She scored 19 points (9-16 FG) with three steals against Idaho (2/2).
• She scored a game-high 20 points, going 8-for-10 from the floor, in a win over Northern Arizona (1/16).
• She improved her career high to 28 points (11-16 FG, 1-3 3FG, 5-7 FT) with four rebounds against Southern Utah (1/14).
• She scored 25 points (10-15 FG, 2-3 3FG, 3-3 FT) with a career-high seven rebounds in a win at Sacramento State (1/7).
• She scored a then-career high to 27 points on 12-of-21 shooting, both career highs, at UND (12/29).
• She scored a team-high 23 points (10-16 FG, 2-4 3FG, 1-1 FT) with three rebounds in a win over Northern Kentucky (12/19).
• She posted her fourth 20-point game with 21 points (8-11 FG, 4-4 FT) with three blocks in a win over Cal State Fullerton (12/10).
• She scored 23 points (9-18 FG, 1-4 3FG, 4-5 FT) in a win at Seattle U. (11/23).
• She scored 24 points (11-18 FG, 2-3 FT) with three rebounds and four assists in the Vikings' win against Pacific Union (CA) (11/20). Her 11 field goals against Pacific Union were the most by a Viking since Emily Easom in 2014.
• She scored a career-high 25 points (9-16 FG, 5-7 3FG, 2-2 FT) at Boise State (11/16). She added two rebounds and two steals in 33 minutes.
• She scored a team-high 12 points (3-12 FG, 1-3 3-pt FG, 5-6 FT) in her Portland State debut at CSUN (11/11). She pulled down a team-high five rebounds an recorded a pair of assists in 24 minutes.
• She sat out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA Transfer Rules

#10 | COURTNEY WEST // RS-Sophomore // Forward // 6-4 // Sydney, Australia
• She is averaging 9.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game this season. She has scored in double-digits 11 times this season with one 20-point game.
• She leads the Big Sky Conference with 54 blocks and 2.6 blocks per game.
• She has 54 blocks on the season, second most at PSU for a single-season.
• She scored a career-high 20 points, with a career-high 10 field goals, against Sacramento State (1/28).
• She set the Portland State single-game record with 8 blocks against the Hornets. She matched the previous record with 7 blocks in the first half.
• She scored 18 points, 9-for-14 from the floor, with nine rebounds at Montana State (1/21).
• She scored a then-career-high 18 points with a career-high 13 rebounds for second career double-double at Montana (1/19).
• She scored 10 points with six rebounds and four blocks in a win over Northern Arizona (1/16).
• She recorded her first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, along with three blocks, in a win at Sacramento State (1/7).
• She scored 14 points with seven rebounds and four blocks at North Dakota (12/29).
• She scored 11 points with eight rebounds, four blocks, and four steals in a win over Kennesaw State (12/20).
• She scored 12 points (6-12 FG) with six rebounds and a career-high four assists in a win over UC Irvine (12/3).
• She scored five points with seven rebounds and a career-high six blocks in a win over Seattle U (11/23). Her six blocks were tied for the second most all-time at Portland State.
• She scored 16 points (8-15 FG) with eight rebounds in 14 minutes in the Vikings' win over Pacific Union (11/20).
• She scored eight points (4-8 FG) with five rebounds and three blocks at Boise State (11/16).
• She scored a team-high 12 points with a team-high five rebounds in Portland State debut at CSUN (11/11). Shot .600 (6-for-10) from the floor.
• She sat out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA Transfer Rules.

#45 | MICHAELA KAY // Sophomore // Guard // 5-6 // Spokane, WA
• She is averaging 6.5 points and 2.6 assists this season.
• She scored 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-6 3FG) with three rebounds and two steals against Idaho (2/2).
• She scored 14 points (5-8 FG, 4-7 3FG) in a win over Montana (1/19).
• She posted her third career 20-point game with 20 points (6-11 FG, 5-9 3FG, 3-4 FT) in a win over UC Irvine (12/3). She matched her career high with five three-pointers.
• She scored eight points (1-5 3FT, 5-6 FT) with five rebounds and five assists in a win at Seattle U. (11/23).
• She came off the bench for 14 points (4-6 3FG, 2-2 FT) with five assists at Boise State (11/16).
• She averaged 8.4 ppg and led the team with 82 assists (2.9 apg) in 2015-16.

Print Friendly Version