Complete Game Notes (PDF)

QUICK HITS:
• The Vikings are 5-0 to start the season for the first time since the 2007-08 season. The Vikings can record their first 6-0 start to a season since 1995-96 if they beat UTEP on Sunday.
• All five of the Vikings' wins have come by 10 or more points, the first time the Vikings have done that to open a season in program history.
• Senior guard Ashley Bolston – named the Big Sky player of the week Tuesday – came within a steal of recording the program's first quadruple-double as she had 19 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds and nine steals in the Vikings' 92-79 win over cross-town rival University of Portland last Saturday. Bolston still finished with her second triple-double of the season, making her the first Big Sky player to record to two triple-doubles in a single season since the Vikings' own Claire Faucher had two within five days of each other in March of 2008. Bolston also ranks tied with Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu for the national lead in triple-doubles with two this season.
• Bolston stands just three points shy of 1,000-career points. She will become the 18th member of the 1,000-point club at Portland State when she hits the mark, joining teammate Sidney Rielly.
• The Vikings lead the NCAA with a .283 field goal percentage defense as the Vikings have held four of their first five opponents this season to 30 percent or less. San Jose State shot .266 against the Vikings on Nov. 11, which was at the time the worst field goal percentage by a Division I opponent against the Vikings since Loyola Marymount shot .242 on Dec. 11, 2010. The Vikings followed by holding UC Davis to .250 shooting on Nov. 16, however, and then held Seattle to .255 from the field on Nov. 24.
• The Vikings rank third in the nation with 22.8 assists per game, as they have assisted on 79.7 percent of their 143 field goals so far this season. The Vikings haven't had that high of an assist percentage since they set the program record for assists in a season with 899 on 1,119 field goals during the 1991-92 season. The Vikings assisted on 80.3 percent of their field goals that season.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky in eight different statistical categories between scoring defense (54.4), scoring margin (+27.0), field goal percentage defense (.283), free throw percentage (.763), rebound margin (+7.4), assists per game (22.8), steals per game (13.6) and blocks per game (4.8).
• The Vikings have held opponents to 10 points or less in six of their 20 quarters so far this season. The Vikings forced Seattle and San Jose State into two less-than-10-point quarters. The Vikings held Seattle to five points in the first quarter and eight points in the fourth quarter on Nov. 24, and held San Jose State to seven points in the first quarter and four points in the second quarter on Nov. 11.
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (5-0)
81.4 PPG | 42.4 FG% | 33.0 3FG%
Notable: The Vikings won their fifth straight game to open the season with a 92-79 win over cross-town rival University of Portland last Saturday, the first time the Vikings have opened a season 5-0 since the 2007-08 season. Senior guards Ashley Bolston and Sidney Rielly led the Vikings to the win over the Pilots, as Bolston came within a steal of recording a quadruple-double, while Rielly tied her career high with 32 points against the Pilots. Bolston finished with 19 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds and nine steals, giving Bolston her second triple-double of the season after she also had one against UC Davis on Nov. 16. No Big Sky player had recorded two triple-doubles in a single season since the Vikings' own Claire Faucher had two during the 2007-08 season. Bolston ranks tied with Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu for the national lead in triple-doubles as a result, and leads the Big Sky in assists per game (7.4) and steals per game (3.8). The Pilots became the first team to shoot better than 30 percentage against the Vikings this season, but the Vikings still lead the NCAA with a .283 field goal percentage defense. The Vikings also had 27 assists on their 33 field goals against the Pilots, upping their assist-per-game average this season to 22.8. The Vikings rank first in the Big Sky and third in the nation for assists per game. The Vikings lead the Big Sky in eight different statistical categories between scoring defense (54.4), scoring margin (+27.0), field goal percentage defense (.283), free throw percentage (.763), rebound margin (+7.4), assists per game (22.8), steals per game (13.6) and blocks per game (4.8).
 
 
UTEP MINERS (2-5)
64.1 PPG | 41.8 FG% | 29.5 3FG%
Notable: The UTEP Miners won their first two games of the season over Alcorn State (77-51) and CSU Bakersfield (53-47), but have lost their last five games since then. All five of the Miners' losses have been by five points or less, however, while three of the five have been by two points or less. One of the Miners' five close losses came against another Big Sky school in Weber State, which beat UTEP 68-63 on Nov. 28. The Miners will play New Mexico in a road game Wednesday before facing the Vikings on Sunday. UTEP has three players averaging in double figures between junior forward Zuzanna Puc (13.3 ppg), junior guard/forward Ariona Gill (13.3) and junior guard/forward Katarina Zec (10.7). Puc also leads UTEP with 7.4 rebounds per game this season, while the team's lone senior – forward Jordan Alexander – ranks second to Puc with 5.6 rebounds per game. UTEP ranks second in its conference and 33rd in the NCAA with 17.3 assists per game, with 121 assists on 160 field goals this season. No UTEP player averages more than four assists per game, however, as the team has spread its assists around. Sophomore point guard Jordan Jenkins leads UTEP with 24 assists during the season, while Puc ranks second to her with 20 assists. Puc also leads UTEP in blocks and steals this season with six blocks and six steals so far.
 
UTEP SERIES HISTORY
The Vikings and Miners have played only once before, and that was 30 years ago during the 1988-89 season. The Vikings won the game 75-71 over the Miners, beating them in Portland.
 
GRAND CANYON LOPES (2-4)
62.8 PPG | 46.7 FG% | 39.6 3FG%
Notable: The Grand Canyon Lopes have lost four of their last five games after beating Incarnate Word 74-63 to open their season. The Lopes beat LIU Brooklyn 65-62 in overtime on Nov. 24 for their other win this season. The Lopes followed that win with a 66-55 road loss to UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 2, and will play another Big Sky school in the University of Montana Friday before playing the Vikings the following Tuesday. The Lopes are a strong shooting team as they lead the Western Athletic Conference in field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage. The Lopes rank 24th in the nation with a .467 field goal percentage, and rank 14th in the nation with a .396 three-point field goal percentage. The Lopes average 7.3 three-pointers per game so far this season, with freshman guard Venia Varis and senior guard Kavita Akula leading the way with 15 and 14 three-pointers, respectively. Three other players have hit five threes for the Lopes, however, in freshman point guard Laura Piera, freshman guard Taylor Caldwell and redshirt freshman guard Taylor Howard. The Lopes return only three letterwinners from last season, and lost all five starters from last year's team that finished fourth in the WAC. Five different players average 9.5 points per game this season, led by redshirt senior forward AJ Cephas, who averages 12.5 points per game but hasn't played since the team's game against East Carolina on Nov. 14. Senior center ShaRon Miller ranks second on the team with 11.7 points per game, and leads the Lopes with 7.8 rebounds per game.
 
GRAND CANYON SERIES HISTORY
The Vikings have won their seven previous meetings with the Lopes, though the teams haven't played since the 1995-96 season. Four of the Vikings' seven wins in the series have come on the road.
 
LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available from both of the Vikings' games against UTEP and Grand Canyon. Fans can find the links to live stats on the women's basketball schedule page at GoViks.com.
 
LIVE VIDEO
Live video will be available from both of the Vikings' games against UTEP and Grand Canyon. Fans can find the links to live video on the women's basketball schedule page at GoViks.com.
 
LAST WEEK
Seniors Ashley Bolston and Sidney Rielly led the Vikings to a 92-79 win over cross-town rival University of Portland last Saturday with a pair of elite performances. Bolston came within a steal of a quadruple-double, as she finished with 19 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds and nine steals for the Vikings, who improved to 5-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 season with the win. Bolston recorded her second triple-double of the season against the Pilots, tying her with Oregon's triple-double queen Sabrina Ionescu for the national lead. No Big Sky player has recorded two triple-doubles in a single season since Portland State's own Claire Faucher had two triple-doubles five days apart on March 8, 2008 and March 13, 2008. Bolston and Faucher are the only players in Big Sky history with multiple triple-doubles in their careers, after Faucher had three in her career while Bolston now has two. Bolston recorded her first-career triple-double just over two weeks ago, when she had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the Vikings' 65-50 win over UC Davis on Nov. 16. For her part, Rielly led all players with 32 points in the game, tying her career high and giving her the third 30-point game of her career. Rielly had 25 points in the first half alone, believed to be the most by a Viking in a half since Kelsey Kahle – the Vikings' all-time points leader – had 26 points in the second half against Sacramento State on Jan. 25, 2007. The Vikings led by 16 points early against the Pilots, but then gave up a 19-2 run as UP took its first lead of the game at 34-33 with 3:13 left in the second quarter. The Vikings rebounded to lead 45-41 at halftime, and then never trailed in the second half while eventually stretching their lead back to double digits. The 13-point win over the Pilots marked the fifth straight double-digit win for the Vikings to open the season, the first time the Vikings have ever done that as a program.
 
UPCOMING
The Vikings return home for two final non-conference games as the Vikings host UNLV at 2 p.m. (PT) on Saturday, Dec. 15, and then host UC Irvine at 7 p.m. (PT) the following Tuesday, Dec. 18. Both games will be played at the new Viking Pavilion.
 
DEFENSE LEADING THE WAY FOR THE VIKINGS
The Vikings have held four of their first five opponents to less than 30 percent from the floor and lead the NCAA with a .283 field goal percentage defense as a result. San Jose State shot .266 against the Vikings on Nov. 11, which at the time was the worst shooting percentage by a Division I opponent against the Vikings since Loyola Marymount shot .242 on Dec. 11, 2010. The Vikings followed by holding UC Davis to just .250 from the floor on Nov. 16, however, and then held Seattle to .255 from the field on Nov. 24. The Vikings have also held four of their first five opponents to 51 points or less this season, giving them a scoring defense of 54.4 points per game (tops in the Big Sky, 30th in the nation). The Vikings also lead the Big Sky in steals per game (13.6) and blocks per game (4.8), and rank in the top 50 of the nation in both categories as well (10th in steals per game, 37th in blocks per game).
 
UNSELFISH BASKETBALL
The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank third in the nation with 22.8 assists per game through five game this season. The Vikings have recorded 114 assists on 143 field goals this season, giving them an assist percentage of 79.7 percent. If the season ended today, that would be the best assist percentage by the Vikings since they set the single-season program record with 899 assists on 1,119 field goals during the 1991-92 season. The Vikings assisted on 80.3 percent of their field goals that season, the only time the Vikings have cracked 80 percent in a season.
 
BLOWOUT WINS
The Vikings have beaten their first five opponents by more than 10 points each time, the first time the Vikings have done that in program history. The Vikings have won their first five games of the season by an average of 27.0 points per game, ranking them first in the Big Sky and 10th in the nation for scoring margin. The next best scoring margin in the Big Sky is just 4.0 points per game by Montana and Weber State – 23 points per game less than the Vikings' average scoring margin.
 
SUFFOCATING QUARTERS
The Vikings have held their opponents to less than 10 points in a quarter six times out of the 20 periods they've played this season. The Vikings have held four of their first five opponents to at least one less-than-10-point quarter this season. The Vikings held Warner Pacific to eight points in the fourth quarter on Nov. 9, and then held San Jose State to under 10 points in the first (7) and second (4) quarters on Nov. 11. The Vikings held UC Davis to five points in the second quarter of their game on Nov. 16, and held Seattle to five points in the first quarter last Saturday in addition to their low-scoring fourth quarter.
 
HUSTLE PLAYS
The Vikings rank among the Big Sky and national leaders in the three hustle categories of rebounds per game, steals per game and blocks per game. The Vikings lead the Big Sky in steals per game (13.6) and blocks per game (4.8), and rank in the top 50 nationally in both categories (10th in steals per game, 37th in blocks per game). The Vikings also rank second in the Big Sky and 10th in the nation with 47.6 rebounds per game. That average would break the program's single-season record of 45.7 rebounds per game (set during the 1977-78 season) if the season ended today. Additionally, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 46th with a plus-7.4 rebounding margin.
 
ASHLEY BOLSTON 1,000 CAREER POINTS WATCH
Senior guard Ashley Bolston, who sits tied with Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu for the national lead with two triple-doubles, stands just three points shy of becoming the 18th member of the 1,000-point club at Portland State. Bolston, who has 997 points in her career entering the Vikings' game against UTEP, will join teammate Sidney Rielly in the 1,000-point club when she hits the benchmark. Bolston ranks tied for fifth all time at Portland State with a career scoring average of 16.1 points per game, and ranks seventh all time (right behind Rielly) with 21 career 20-point games. Bolston also ranks sixth all time with an .838 career free throw percentage.
 
Ashley Bolston Career Rankings
SCORING AVERAGE 
Minimum 500 Points
Rk     Name                                               Avg
1.      C.J. Sealey (1981-83)                       19.6
2.      Sheri Stemple (1991-93)                  17.9
3.      Kelsey Kahle (2005-09)                    16.8
4.      Sheri VanLoo (1980-84)                   16.6
5.      Laurie Northrop (1988-92)              16.1
6.      Ashley Bolston (2016-Pres.)            16.0
7.      Sidney Rielly (2016-Pres.)               15.6
8.      Kristi Smith (1992-96)                      15.3
9.      P.J. Hall (1993-95)                           14.6
10.    Cathy Kuntz (1984-89)                     14.3
 
20-POINT GAMES
Rk     Name                                               Total
1.      Kelsey Kahle (2005-09)                    43
2.      Sheri VanLoo (1980-84)                   34
3.      Laurie Northrop (1988-92)              29
4.      Sheri Stemple (1991-93)                  25
5.      Kristi Smith (1992-96)                      24
6.      Sidney Rielly (2016-Pres.)               21
         Ashley Bolston (2016-Pres.)            21
8.      Stacey Liebl (1983-87)                     19
9.      Kim Manifesto (1992-96)                18
         Cathy Kuntz (1984-89)                     18
 
FREE THROW PCT.
Minimum 100 Free Throw Attempts
Rk     Name                                               Avg
1.      Kiana Brown (2017-Pres.)               .898
2.      Nikki Petticrew (1999-03)                .866
3.      Eryn Jones (2008-2012)                   .863
4.      Courtney VanBrocklin (2010-12)     .844
         Renae Aschoff (1989-93)                 .844
6.      Ashley Bolston (2016-Pres.)            .839
7.      Jenny Hoselton (1994-98)               .827
8.      Corey James (2015-Pres.)                .814
9.      Kate Lanz (2011-13)                         .810
10.    Kristi Smith (1992-96)                      .804
 
THE BASKETBALL LIFE OF RIELLY
Senior guard Sidney Rielly became just the third Viking to reach the 1,000-point club in only two years at Portland State after hitting the benchmark at the Big Sky tournament last season. Rielly has 1,111 points in her Portland State career, ranking her 17th all time at the school. Rielly also ranks seventh all time with a career scoring average of 15.9 points per game, and ranks in the top 10 all time for 20- and 30-point games. Rielly has 22 20-point games in her career, ranking her just ahead of teammate Ashley Bolston for sixth all time at Portland State, and has three 30-point games, ranking her in a tie for sixth all time. Rielly has also been one of the most efficient guards in the nation throughout her time at Portland State. Rielly posted the best field goal percentage in the nation while shooting .530 from the field in 2016-17, and ranks eighth all time at Portland State with a .490 career field goal percentage.
 
Sidney Rielly Career Rankings
SCORING AVERAGE 
Minimum 500 Points
Rk     Name                                               Avg
1.      C.J. Sealey (1981-83)                       19.6
2.      Sheri Stemple (1991-93)                  17.9
3.      Kelsey Kahle (2005-09)                    16.8
4.      Sheri VanLoo (1980-84)                   16.6
5.      Laurie Northrop (1988-92)              16.1
6.      Ashley Bolston (2016-Pres.)            16.0
7.      Sidney Rielly (2016-Pres.)               15.6
8.      Kristi Smith (1992-96)                      15.3
9.      P.J. Hall (1993-95)                           14.6
10.    Cathy Kuntz (1984-89)                     14.3
 
20-POINT GAMES
Rk     Name                                               Total
1.      Kelsey Kahle (2005-09)                    43
2.      Sheri VanLoo (1980-84)                   34
3.      Laurie Northrop (1988-92)              29
4.      Sheri Stemple (1991-93)                  25
5.      Kristi Smith (1992-96)                      24
6.      Sidney Rielly (2016-Pres.)               21
         Ashley Bolston (2016-Pres.)            21
8.      Stacey Liebl (1983-87)                     19
9.      Kim Manifesto (1992-96)                18
         Cathy Kuntz (1984-89)                     18
 
30-POINT GAMES
Rk     Name                                               Total
1.      Kelsey Kahle (2005-09)                    7
2.      Sheri VanLoo (1980-84)                   6
         Kristi Smith (1992-96)                      6
4.      Laurie Northrop (1988-92)              4
         C.J. Sealey (1981-83)                       4
6.      Stacey Libel (1983-87)                     3
         Sheri Stemple (1991-93)                  3
8.      Kelly Marchant (2007-11)                2
         Renae Aschoff (1989-93)                 2
         Sidney Rielly (2016-Pres.)               2
 
FIELD GOAL PCT.
Minimum 400 Attempts
Rk     Name                                               Avg
1.      Kristi Smith (1992-96)                      .560
2.      Lynn Holzfuss (1977-80)                  .534
3.      Sheri Stemple (1991-93)                  .530
4.      Laurie Northrop (1988-91)              .516
5.      Sandra Howell (1985-88)                .506
6.      Kim Manifesto (1992-96)                .503
7.      Michelle Bateman (1988-90)          .494
8.      Kelsey Kahle (2005-09)                    .489
9.      Sidney Rielly (2016-Pres.)               .488
10.    Erin Yankus (2006-10)                     .483
 
KYLIE JIMENEZ RETURNS AFTER 2017-18 BIG SKY FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR HONOR
Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez – the 2017-18 Big Sky Freshman of the Year – has shown no signs of going through a sophomore slump through the Vikings' first five games of the season. Jimenez has scored in double figures in four of the Vikings' first five games of the season, and was just two points off her career high with 17 points against UC Davis on Nov. 16. Additionally, Jimenez averages 5.8 assists per game so far this season, ranking her tied for fifth in the Big Sky and 37th in the nation. Jimenez has also recorded at least three steals in four of the Vikings' five games this season, and ranks second in the Big Sky to teammate Ashley Bolston with 3.4 steals per game.
 
GIVE PIA A CHANCE
Senior forward Pia Jurhar has stepped up her game as a senior, as she ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 7.4 rebounds per game. Jurhar recorded a double-double against Seattle on Nov. 24, and played an important defensive role in the Vikings' 65-50 win over UC Davis on Nov. 16. Jurhar scored 13 points and added a game-high 15 rebounds for her fourth-career double-double in the Vikings' win over Seattle. Jurhar scored 11 of the Vikings' 15 points in the second quarter against Seattle, and assisted on the Vikings' only other field goal in the period. Jurhar also hit her first three shots against UC Davis on Nov. 16, and finished with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting. Jurhar was even better defensively against the Aggies, as she helped limit UC Davis' star post player Morgan Bertsch without a field goal until there was 6:31 left in the second quarter.
 
COURTNEY WEST OWNS THE PAINT
The sun may set in the west, but that's only if redshirt senior forward Courtney West doesn't block it out. She's blocked everything else in her time at Portland State, as she owns the triple crown of blocked-shot records between the records for blocks in a game (8), season (94 in 2016-17) and career (180). West already has 62 more blocked shots than other player in program history, and has moved into a tie for sixth all time in the history of the Big Sky Conference with five more blocks this season. Outside of blocks, West ranks tied for fifth all time with 7.8 rebounds per game in her Portland State career, and is 11 rebounds shy of entering the top 10 all time in career rebounds.
 
Courtney West Career Rankings
BLOCKED SHOTS
Rk     Name                                               Total
1.      Courtney West (2016-Pres.)            180
2.      Kelli Chandler-Read (1994-97)        118
3.      Renae Aschoff (1989-93)                 116
4.      Sheri Stemple (1991-93)                  101
5.      Kelsey Kahle (2005-09)                    98
         Katy Wade (2008-11)                      98
7.      Pia Jurhar (2015-Pres.)                   93
8.      Karen Johnson (1980-84)                92
9.      Courtney Cremer (2007-11)            85
10.    Sherri Ives (1988-90)                       82
         Sherri VanLoo (1980-84)                 82
 
REBOUNDS
Rk     Name                                               Total
1.      Kelsey Kahle (2005-09)                    879
2.      Sarah Hedgepeth (2000-04)            872
3.      Kristi Smith (1992-96)                      814
4.      Karen Johnson (1980-84)                809
5.      Laurie Northrop (1988-92)              764
6.      Sheri VanLoo (1980-84)                   645
7.      Kelli Valentine (2007-11)                 636
8.      Hiedi Hatcher (1997-01)                  612
9.      Claire Faucher (2006-10)                 546
10.    Renae Aschoff (1989-93)                 538
         Courtney West (2016-Pres.)            520
 
REBOUNDING AVERAGE
Minimum 300 Rebounds
Rk     Name                                               Total
1.      Angela Misa (2012-14)                    9.8
2.      Pam Mollet (1977-79)                     9.0
3.      Karen Johnson (1980-84)                8.1
         Sarah Hedgepeth (2000-04)            8.1
5.      Sheri Stemple (1991-93)                  7.8
         Courtney West (2016-Pres.)            7.8
7.      Sheri VanLoo (1980-84)                   7.5
         Dona McCanlies (1984-86)              7.5
9.      Linda McLellan (1978-81)                7.4
10.    Kristi Smith (1992-96)                      7.3
 
THE DES CRAZE HITS PORTLAND STATE
Freshman guard Desirae Hansen made a splash in her opening weekend as a Viking, especially in the team's first game of the season against Warner Pacific. Hansen scored 22 points in 22 minutes played against the Knights, giving her the most points by a Viking in her debut since Michael Kay had 22 points against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 13, 2015. Hansen scored her 22 points while going 8-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, and added five steals, four rebounds and four assists against the Knights. Hansen did not have the same shooting night against San Jose State on Sunday, finishing with only two points, but still recorded a game-high eight assists to go with seven rebounds against the Spartans.
 
VIKINGS PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN BIG SKY
After making the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament the past two seasons, the Vikings were picked to finish second in the conference in the Big Sky Coaches and Media Polls released on Oct. 18. Idaho, which beat the Vikings 102-99 in the semifinals of last season's Big Sky tournament, topped both polls as the conference favorite. Idaho received nine of the 11 first-place votes in the coaches poll, while the Vikings received the other two votes. The Vandals also picked up 13 of 19 first-place votes in the media poll, while the Vikings received two and Northern Colorado, last season's Big Sky champion, received four. The Vikings haven't been picked this high in the Big Sky preseason polls since they were picked to win the conference in both polls ahead of the 2011-12 season.
 
BOLSTON, RIELLY NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG SKY TEAM
Seniors Ashley Bolston and Sidney Rielly became the first pair of Viking teammates to be named to the Preseason All-Big Sky team since the conference began announcing a preseason all-conference team in 2015. Bolston also made the preseason all-conference team last season, making her the only Viking to make the preseason team twice in her career. It was the first preseason all-conference honor for Rielly, who had made the end-of-year All-Big Sky third team in each of the past two seasons. Bolston had also made the All-Big Sky second team as a redshirt sophomore and junior at Portland State.
 
BIG SKY TOURNAMENT HEADS TO BOISE
The Vikings have played their best basketball at the Big Sky tournament while making the semifinals in each of the past two seasons, but will need to adjust to a new venue for the 2019 edition of the tournament. The 2019 Big Sky tournament, presented by My Place Hotels, will take place, March 11-15, at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. The move comes after the tournament spent the past three seasons in Reno, Nev.
 
The 2019 tournament will also follow a new schedule, as the first three rounds of the tournament will take place on three consecutive days from March 11-13. The teams will then have a rest day before the Big Sky Championship game, scheduled for March 15. The 2019 tournament will also feature only 11 teams, after North Dakota left the Big Sky over the offseason. As a result, the top five teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season will earn a first-round bye at the tournament.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:
Nov. 9, Portland State 102, Warner Pacific 49: The Vikings scored over 100 points for the first time since they beat Cal State San Bernadino 102-39 on Dec. 2, 1995. The Vikings also recorded 20 steals against the Knights, the team's most in a game since they had 22 steals against Idaho on Dec. 20, 2006.
Nov. 11, Portland State 80, San Jose State 51: The Vikings held San Jose State to just 11 first-half points while the Spartans went 5-of-33 from the field and shot just .152 in the first half. The Spartans finished 17-of-64 from the field for a .266 field goal percentage, the lowest field goal percentage by a Division I opponent against the Vikings since Loyola Marymount shot .242 on Dec. 11, 2010.
Nov. 16, Portland State 65, UC Davis 50: Senior guard Ashley Bolston recorded the first triple-double by a Viking in five years with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the Vikings' win over UC Davis. No Viking had recorded a triple-double since Dec. 29, 2013, when Kate Lanz had 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Eastern Washington. Additionally, only three other Big Sky players had recorded a triple-double since then, the last coming from Idaho's Mikayla Ferenz, who had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against North Dakota on Jan. 27, 2018.
Nov. 24, Portland State 68, Seattle 43: The Vikings beat their second straight postseason team, handing Seattle U – an NCAA tournament team after winning the WAC tournament last season – a 68-43 loss at the Viking Pavilion. The win moved the Vikings to 4-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 season, and gave them their fourth straight double-digit win to open the season – the first time the Vikings had done that since 1976-77.
Dec. 1, Portland State 92, Portland 79: Senior guard Ashley Bolston recorded her second triple-double of the season while coming within a steal of the Vikings' first quadruple-double with 19 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds and nine steals against the Pilots. Bolston became the first Big Sky player to record two triple-doubles in a season since Portland State's own Claire Faucher had two triple-doubles five days aprt on March 8, 2008, and March 13, 2008. Fellow senior Sidney Rielly also tied her career high with 32 points against the Pilots. Rielly scored 25 points in the first half alone, believed to be the most by a Viking in a half since Kelsey Kahle – the Vikings' all-time points leader – had 26 points in the second half against Sacramento State on Jan. 25, 2007.