Complete Game Notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
The Portland State women's basketball team suddenly can't miss.
 
The Vikings have scored more than 70 points in two straight games, between a 78-60 win over Montana on Jan. 5, and a 77-59 win over Weber State on Jan. 12, after failing to hit 70 points in the five games before that. Additionally, the Vikings' two 18-point wins over the Lady Griz and Wildcats marked their first double-digit wins since their 89-61 win over UTEP on Dec. 9 earlier this season.
 
The Vikings especially can't miss from three-point range, where they hit a season-high 10 shots from beyond the arc in their win over Weber State. Senior guard Sidney Rielly has led the Vikings' assault from deep, as she's made 11-of-15 three-pointers in the past two games combined. Rielly has gone 12-of-22 from beyond the arc in Big Sky play, ranking her second in the conference for three-point field goal percentage in Big Sky games.
 
The person Rielly ranks behind? Teammate Ana Tainta. That may come as a surprise to some people, considering Tainta had only made two three-pointers in the Vikings' first 11 games combined. Tainta represents the Vikings' recent hot streak better than anybody, however, as she's made 5-of-7 from beyond the arc in the past two games, and is 5-of-8 from three in Big Sky play.
 
Outside of the three-point shooting, senior forward Courtney West has also been hot of late from the inside. West went 7-of-7 from the field against Montana, and followed it up with a 5-of-8 performance against Weber State to make her 12-of-15 from the field in the past two games. West has been hitting from the field all season, however, as she leads the Big Sky and ranks 23rd in the nation with a .591 field goal percentage in all games.
 
All told, four different Vikings rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky for field goal percentage in conference games. Junior forward Jordan Stotler leads the conference with a .625 shooting mark in Big Sky play, while West ranks third (.586), freshman guard Desirae Hansen ranks fifth (.565) and Rielly ranks eighth (.512).
 
The Vikings will hope for more of the same this Thursday, when they host Southern Utah – winners of two straight overtime games – at 7 p.m. (PT) at the Viking Pavilion. The Thunderbirds beat Weber State 84-79 in overtime at home on Jan. 5, and then followed it up with an 82-76 overtime win on the road over Northern Arizona last Saturday.
 
The Thunderbirds had lost five straight games before that, including their first three Big Sky games against Montana State (69-64 on Dec. 29), Montana (79-57 on Dec. 31) and Idaho State (69-57 on Jan. 3). The Thunderbirds also lost to UC Irvine (75-58, Nov. 20) and UC Davis (68-45, Nov. 23), two opponents the Vikings split their games against – PSU beat UC Davis 65-50 on Nov. 16 and lost to UC Irvine 73-68 on Dec. 18 – during the non-conference season.
 
The Thunderbirds rank last in the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense (.456), though they rank second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense (.277). The Thunderbirds' statistical rankings improve a bit when only Big Sky games are counted, especially in steals per game (10.2) and turnover margin (+5.20), two categories in which the Thunderbirds lead the Big Sky in conference games.
 
Individually, junior newcomer Harley Hansen leads the Big Sky with 3.0 steals per game in conference games, and ranks third with 2.8 steals per game in all games this season. Hansen leads the Thunderbirds and ranks 12th in the Big Sky with 13.4 points per game overall, and averages 17.4 points per game in Big Sky games. Senior guard Breanu Reid ranks second on the team with 11.1 points per game, while junior guard Rebecca Cardenas ranks third with 9.5 points per game. Cardena also leads the team with 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
 
QUICK HITS
• The Vikings have scored more than 70 points in two straight wins (78-60 over Montana on Jan. 5; 77-59 over Weber State on Jan. 12), after failing to do so in the five games before that.
• The Vikings out-rebounded Montana and Weber State, after failing to do so since their win over Grand Canyon on Dec. 11. The Vikings also held a 16-12 advantage on the offensive glass against Weber State – the first time the Vikings have recorded more offensive rebounds than their opponent since their win over UTEP on Dec. 9.
• The Vikings hit a season-high 10 three-pointers in their game against Weber State, and have recorded their two-best three-point field goal percentages of the season in the past two games between a .500 (8-of-16) mark against Montana, and a .455 (10-of-22) mark against Weber State.
• Senior guard Sidney Rielly has gone 11-of-15 from beyond the arc in the past two games. Rielly has made 12-of-22 three-pointers in Big Sky play, ranking her second to teammate Ana Tainta for the best three-point field goal percentage in conference games. Tainta's contributions from distance have been a bit of a surprise, as she only hit two three-pointers in the Vikings' first 11 games of the season. Tainta has gone 5-of-7 from deep in the past two games, however, and leads the Big Sky with a .625 (5-of-8) three-point field goal percentage in conference games. Rielly also ranks tied for fourth with 3.0 three-point field goals made per game in Big Sky play.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank seventh in the nation with 19.8 assists per game. At their current rate, the Vikings would finish with just under 600 assists this season, a barrier no Viking team has bettered since the Vikings recorded 676 assists as a Division II program during the 1995-96 season. The current Division I record came when the Vikings recorded 602 assists during the 1989-90 season. Senior guard Ashley Bolston and sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez rank second and third in the Big Sky with 5.3 and 5.2 assists per game, respectively, as individuals.
• Jimenez and Bolston also rank 1-2 in the Big Sky with 3.0 and 2.8 steals per game, respectively. Jimenez ranks 26th nationally for steals per game, with Bolston at 36th. As a team, the Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and 43rd in the nation with 10.5 steals per game.
• Senior forward Courtney West leads the Big Sky and ranks sixth nationally with 3.0 blocks per game, with junior forward Jordan Stotler second in the conference with 1.7 blocks per game. West also leads the Big Sky and ranks 23rd nationally with a .591 field goal percentage, after going 12-of-15 from the field in the Vikings' past two games.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 13th in the NCAA with a .342 field goal percentage defense. The Vikings held their first four opponents to under 30 percent shooting, and have held seven teams to under 35 percent from the floor. 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 lead the Big Sky in eight different statistical categories between scoring defense (58.5), scoring margin (+14.9), field goal percentage defense (.342), defensive rebounds per game (29.3), assists per game (19.8), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2), turnover margin (+2.62) and blocks per game (5.4).
• The Vikings finished their non-conference schedule 8-1, the best non-conference record ever in the Division I history of the program, and the third-best ever overall. The Vikings won their first eight games of the season for the first time ever as a Division I program, and the first time overall since 1994-95 when they won their first 11 games as a Division II program.
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (11-2, 3-1)
73.5 PPG | 43.4 FG% | 33.3 3FG%
Notable: The Portland State Vikings come into their game against Southern Utah on a hot streak, as they've scored 70+ points in their past two games after failing to do so in their previous five games. The Vikings also out-rebounded their last two opponents after failing to do so since their win over UTEP on Dec. 9. Senior guard Sidney Rielly has led the Vikings' resurgent offense, as she's gone 11-of-15 from beyond the arc in the past two games. Rielly tied a career high with six three-pointers in the Vikings' 77-59 win over Weber State last Saturday, while the Vikings set a new season high with 10 three-pointers as a team. Rielly ranks second to teammate Ana Tainta for three-point field goal percentage in Big Sky games, as Tainta has gone 5-of-8 (.625) from three so far, while Rielly has gone 12-of-22 (.545). Senior forward Courtney West has gone 12-of-15 overall over the last two games, and leads the Big Sky while shooting .591 from the field this season. West, who had five blocks against Weber State, also leads the Big Sky and ranks sixth nationally with 3.0 blocks per game. The Vikings as a team also rank in the top 10 nationally for assists per game, as they lead the Big Sky and rank sixth in the NCAA with 19.8 assists per game. Senior guard Ashley Bolston and sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez rank second and third in the Big Sky with 5.3 and 5.2 assists per game, respectively, while the pair also rank 1-2 in the Big Sky for steals per game. Jimenez leads the conference with 3.0 steals per game, while Bolston ranks right behind with 2.8 steals per game.
 
SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS (5-9, 2-3)
62.5 PPG | 37.1 FG% | 31.9 3FG%
Notable: The Southern Utah Thunderbirds have won two straight overtime games coming into their game against the Vikings. The Thunderbirds beat Weber State 84-79 in overtime at home on Jan. 5, and beat Northern Arizona 82-76 on the road last Saturday. The Thunderbirds had lost five straight games before that, including their first three Big Sky games against Montana State (69-64, Dec. 29), Montana (79-57, Dec. 31) and Idaho State (69-57, Jan. 3). The Thunderbirds also lost to UC Irvine (75-58, Nov. 20) and UC Davis (68-45, Nov. 23), two opponents the Vikings split their games against during the non-conference season. The Thunderbirds rank last in the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense (.456), though they rank second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense (.277). The Thunderbirds' statistical rankings improve a bit when only Big Sky games are counted, especially in steals per game (10.2) and turnover margin (+5.20), two categories in which the Thunderbirds lead the Big Sky in conference games. Individually, junior newcomer Harley Hansen leads the Big Sky with 3.0 steals per game in conference games, and ranks third with 2.8 steals per game in all games this season. Hansen leads the Thunderbirds and ranks 12th in the Big Sky with 13.4 points per game in all games, and averages 17.4 points per game in Big Sky games. Senior guard Breanu Reid ranks second on the team with 11.1 points per game, while junior guard Rebecca Cardenas ranks third with 9.5 points per game. Cardenas also leads the team with 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
 
SOUTHERN UTAH SERIES HISTORY
The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Thunderbirds, 13-8. The Thunderbirds lead the Big Sky series between the two teams, 7-3, however. The teams have gone back-and-forth in recent years, as no team has won more than two in a row in the series since the Thunderbirds won five in a row from Jan. 24, 2013 to Jan. 1, 2015. The Vikings won the last game in the series, a 70-66 win at home on Feb. 22, 2018.
 
LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available from the Vikings' game against Southern Utah. Fans can also find the link to live stats on the women's basketball schedule page at GoViks.com.
 
LIVE VIDEO
Live video will be available from the Vikings' game against Southern Utah on channel 232 of Pluto TV and at WatchBigSky.com. Fans can find the link to live video on the women's basketball schedule page at GoViks.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
A 14-0 run to start the second half put the result of the Vikings' game against Weber State last Saturday out of doubt, as the closest the Wildcats came the rest of the way was the final score, 77-59. Senior guard Sidney Rielly led the Vikings with 26 points, 17 of which she scored in the first half when she was 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. Rielly finished with six threes in the game, tying a career high, while she also tied her career highs for rebounds (8) and steals (3). Rielly scored 11 of the Vikings' 18 points in the first quarter, and then tacked on two three-pointers late in the second quarter that gave the Vikings a 42-28 advantage at halftime. Rielly opened the third quarter with back-to-back buckets, as well, while the Viking defense forced the Wildcats into four straight turnovers to open the second half. Besides Rielly, freshman guard Ana Tainta chipped in 12 points – one off her career high of 13 – and made two three-pointers in the game. Tainta has now hit multiple shots from distance in two straight games after only having two three-pointers total through the Vikings' first 11 games of the season. Senior forward Courtney West joined Rielly and Tainta in double figures with 10 points to go with seven rebounds and five blocked shots. As a team, the Vikings out-rebounded the Wildcats 39-33, the second straight game the Vikings have out-rebounded their opponent after failing to do so in four straight games. Additionally, the Vikings finished with a 16-12 advantage on the offensive glass, the first time the Vikings have held an advantage in offensive rebounds since their win over UTEP on Dec. 9 earlier this season.
 
UPCOMING
The Vikings remain home for a game against Northern Arizona Saturday, Jan. 19, at 2 p.m. The Vikings then hit the road for a pair of games next weekend, as they'll play at Eastern Washington and Idaho on Jan. 24 and 26, respectively.
 
RESURGENT OFFENSE
After failing to score at least 70 points in five straight games, the Vikings have now done it twice in a row with a pair of 18-point wins over Montana (78-60 on Jan. 5) and Weber State (77-59 on Jan. 12), which has come as a part of a number of resurgent offensive numbers in the past two games.
• The Vikings hadn't won a game by double digits for five straight games before beating Montana and Weber State, after opening the season with six straight double-digit wins.
• The Vikings out-rebounded Montana and Weber State, after failing to do out-rebound an opponent since their win over Grand Canyon on Dec. 11.
• The Vikings held a 16-12 advantage on the offensive glass against Weber State – the first time the Vikings have recorded more offensive rebounds than their opponent since their win over UTEP on Dec. 9.
• The Vikings hit a season-high 10 three-pointers in their game against Weber State, and have recorded their two-best three-point field goal percentages of the season in the past two games between a .500 (8-of-16) mark against Montana and a .455 (10-of-22) mark against Weber State.
• The Vikings shot 21-of-28 for a .750 field goal percentage in the first half against the Lady Griz, and finished the game shooting .571 for their best field goal percentage in a game this season.
• The Vikings tied a season high with 27 assists against the Lady Griz – the first time the Vikings had cracked 20 assists in a game since their win over UTEP.
 
GETTING HOT FROM BEYOND THE ARC
The Vikings hit a season-high 10 three-pointers against Weber State last Saturday, and have recorded their two-best percentages from beyond the arc this season in their last two games. The Vikings hit 8-of-16 from beyond the arc to finish with a season-high .500 three-point field goal percentage against Montana on Jan. 5, and then followed it up by hitting 10-of-22 (.455) from distance against Weber State last Saturday. Senior guard Sidney Rielly has led the way for the Vikings, as she's gone 11-of-15 from deep in the past two games. Rielly has made 12-of-22 three-pointers in Big Sky play, ranking her second to teammate Ana Tainta for the best three-point field goal percentage in conference games. Tainta's contributions from distance have been a bit of a surprise, as she only hit two three-pointers in the Vikings' first 11 games of the season. Tainta has gone 5-of-7 from deep in the past two games, however, and leads the Big Sky with a .625 (5-of-8) three-point field goal percentage in conference games. Rielly also ranks tied for fourth with 3.0 three-point field goals made per game in Big Sky play.
 
UNSELFISH BASKETBALL
The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank seventh in the nation with 19.8 assists per game this season. At their current rate, the Vikings would finish with just under 600 assists this season, a barrier no Viking team has bettered since the Vikings recorded 676 assists as a Division II program during the 1995-96 season. The current Division I record came when the Vikings recorded 602 assists during the 1989-90 season. The all-time record for assists in a season came during the 1991-92 season, when they recorded 899 assists while making the Final Four of the NCAA Division II tournament. The Vikings have the luxury of two players leading the way in terms of assists, as senior guard Ashley Bolston and sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez rank second and third in the Big Sky, respectively, with 5.3 and 5.2 assists per game.
 
HOT START TO THE SEASON
The Vikings finished their non-conference schedule 8-1, the best non-conference record in the Division I history of the program. The Vikings have only twice finished with a better record at the end of their non-conference schedule across all NCAA divisions. The Vikings finished their non-conference schedule 16-1 in the 1993-94 season and 17-2 in the 1991-92 season when they were a Division II program, both of which are slightly better win percentages than the Vikings' record this season. The Vikings won their first eight games this season, giving them the program's best start to a season since the Vikings won their first 11 games during the 1994-95 season. Additionally, the Vikings won their first two road games of the season for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
 
DEFENSE LEADING THE WAY FOR THE VIKINGS
The Vikings rank 13th in the nation with a .342 field goal percentage defense, and have led the nation in the category at times this season. 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. In addition to the stiff shooting defense, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 14th in the NCAA with 5.4 blocked shots per game. The Vikings also lead the Big Sky in scoring defense (58.5, 61st nationally) and turnover margin (+2.62, 81st nationally), and rank second in the conference in steals per game (10.5, 43rd nationally).
 
TWO-HEADED STEALING AND BLOCKING MONSTERS
The Vikings have players ranked first and second in the Big Sky in steals per game and blocks per game, giving them two-headed monsters on the outside and inside defensively. Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez and senior guard Ashley Bolston rank 1-2 in steals per game, with Jimenez first with 3.0 steals per game, while Bolston ranks second with 2.8 steals per game. Senior forward Courtney West and junior forward Jordan Stotler also rank 1-2 in blocks per game, with West leading the way with 3.0 blocks per game, while Stotler ranks second with 1.7 blocks per game. West's 3.0 blocks per game average also ranks her sixth in the NCAA.
 
BLOWOUT WINS
The Vikings won their first six games by double digits, the first time the Vikings have ever done that in program history. For the season, the Vikings average a plus-14.9 scoring margin, putting them atop the conference in the category by close to 13 points per game. The Vikings also rank 30th nationally for scoring margin this season.
 
ASHLEY BOLSTON AMONG BIG SKY, NCAA STAT LEADERS
Senior guard Ashley Bolston stands as one of only three players in NCAA Division I to record multiple triple-doubles this season. Bolston recorded the first triple-double by a Viking since 2013 with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the Vikings' 65-50 win over UC Davis on Nov. 16. Bolston then came within a steal of a quadruple-double with 19 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds and nine steals in the Vikings' 92-79 win over the University of Portland on Dec. 1. Bolston dominates the Big Sky statistical leaders as a result, as she ranks second to teammate Kylie Jimenez with 2.8 steals per game, as well as second in the conference with 5.3 assists per game. Bolston also ranks 11th in the conference with 13.8 points per game, as well as eighth in free throw percentage (.822), seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4) and 14th in offensive rebounds per game (2.1). Nationally, Bolston ranks 36th in the NCAA for steals per game and 37th for assists per game.
 
THE BASKETBALL LIFE OF RIELLY
With 45 points in the Vikings' last two games, Sidney Rielly has put herself on the verge of entering the all-time top 10 in scoring at Portland State. Rielly, who became just the third Viking to reach the 1,000-point club in only two years at Portland State, now has 1,224 career points – only 13 points from tying Michele Hughes (1987-91) for 10th all time at Portland State. Rielly also ranks tied with teammate Ashley Bolston for sixth all time in scoring average (15.7), and ranks in the top 10 all time for 20- and 30-point games. Rielly has 23 20-point games in her career, ranking her just ahead of Bolston for sixth all time at Portland State. Rielly also has three 30-point games, ranking her in a tie for sixth all time. Additionally, Rielly has 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 ninth all time at Portland State with a .490 career field goal percentage.
 
KYLIE JIMENEZ IMPROVING ON 2017-18 BIG SKY FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR HONOR
Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez – the 2017-18 Big Sky Freshman of the Year – has only improved in her second year at the college level. Jimenez averages 11.9 points per game this season, three full points per game higher than her average of 8.9 points per game as a freshman. Jimenez also ranks third in the Big Sky with an average of 5.2 assists per game, an improvement over her average of 4.5 assists per game as a freshman. The biggest improvement has come in steals, however, as Jimenez leads the Big Sky lead and ranks 26th nationally with 3.0 steals per game, over a steal per game more than her average of 1.97 steals per game as a freshman. Jimenez has also maintained her good ball security, as she leads the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio for the second straight season with 2.6 assists to every turnover she commits.
 
COURTNEY WEST CAN'T MISS
Senior forward Courtney West has gone 12-of-15 from the field in the Vikings' last two games, and leads the Big Sky and ranks 23rd nationally with a .591 field goal percentage for the season. West's average would rank as the fourth-best single-season shooting percentage at Portland State if the season ended today, while West's career average of .523 also ranks her fourth all time at PSU. Additionally, West – the PSU record holder for blocks in a game (8), season (94) and career (208) – surpassed Northern Colorado's Stephanie Lee for fifth all time in blocked shots within the Big Sky Conference in the Vikings' game against Montana State on Jan. 3. West leads the Big Sky and ranks sixth in the nation with 3.0 blocks per game this season, while teammate Jordan Stotler ranks second in the conference with 1.7 blocks per game. Outside of blocks, West moved into the top 10 all time at PSU for rebounds earlier this season, and now ranks ninth all time with 581 career rebounds. West also ranks sixth all time with an average of 7.6 rebounds per game.
 
IRON WOMAN
Senior forward Pia Jurhar played in her 104th career game in the Vikings' win over Weber State Saturday. Jurhar, who has missed only four games in her career, needs to play in 11 more games this season to enter the top 10 all time at Portland State for games played. With at least 17 more games guaranteed this season, Jurhar could move up to sixth all time at Portland State if she plays in all 17. Jurhar also ranks seventh all time at Portland State with 94 career blocked shots, and will enter the top 10 all time for career rebounds with 21 more.
 
WHO COVERS THEIR COURT BETTER? RAFAEL NADAL OR ANA TAINTA?
Freshman Ana Tainta from Zaragoza, Spain, has brought to mind the court-covering abilities of fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal as she's hustled all over the court for the Vikings, especially the last two games. Tainta has scored nine and 12 points in the Vikings' win over Montana and Weber State, respectively, after failing to score more than five points in the Vikings' previous five games. Tainta has gone 5-of-7 from beyond the arc in the past two games, after only making two three-pointers in the Vikings' first 11 games of the season. Tainta is shooting .625 (5-of-8) from beyond the arc in Big Sky games, the best three-point field goal percentage by any player in the conference during the conference season.
 
THE DES CRAZE HITS PORTLAND STATE
Freshman guard Desirae Hansen has made an instant impact at Portland State, as she's stuffed the stat sheet throughout the season. Hansen averages 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game so far this season, while shooting .407 from three-point range and chipping in 2.6 assists per game. Hansen had her best game since the Vikings' season opener against Northern Colorado on Dec. 31, when she scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Hansen's 14 points trailed only the 22 points she scored in 22 minutes while making her PSU debut against Warner Pacific on Nov. 9. Hansen's 22 points in her debut gave her the most points by a Viking in her first game 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.
 
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.
Dec. 9, Portland State 89, UTEP 61: The Vikings won their first road game of the season for the first time since 2012-13. The 28-point victory over UTEP marked the largest margin of victory in a true road game in the Big Sky era of the Vikings' program. The Vikings hadn't won a road game by that wide of a margin since beating Alaska Fairbanks 107-40 on Jan. 26, 1995 – back when the Vikings were a Division II program.
Jan. 3, Portland State 55, Montana State 53: The Vikings overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Bobcats, after trailing 16-0 and 20-2 in the first quarter. The 18-point comeback was the biggest in four seasons under head coach Lynn Kennedy, as well as the Vikings' biggest overall since coming back from a 19-point deficit against Eastern Washington on Jan. 27, 2011.
Jan. 5, Portland State 78, Montana 60: The Vikings made their first six shots from the field and went 12-of-15 in the first quarter while outscoring the Lady Griz 29-9 in the opening period. The Vikings finished the first half 21-of-28 for a .750 team field goal percentage, and ended the game with a seasonal-best .571 mark from the field. The Vikings also tied a seasonal best with 27 assists on 32 field goals.
Jan. 12, Portland State 77, Weber State 59: The Vikings recorded their largest Big Sky road victory since the Vikings beat Montana 64-44 on Jan. 19, 2017. Sidney Rielly led the way with 26 points while tying her career highs for three-pointers (6), rebounds (8) and steals (3). The Vikings made a season-high 10 three-pointers in the game.