Complete Game Notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
It's hard to argue with the form the Portland State women's basketball team has been in of late. Since losing their Big Sky opener on the road against defending-champion Northern Colorado, the Vikings have won five straight conference games for the first time since the 2010-11 season. What's more, the Vikings have won their last four games by 14 points and more, and have outscored their opponents by 87 points over the last 19-plus quarters since trailing 20-2 late in the first quarter against Montana State on Jan. 3.
 
Hot shooting has helped lead the Vikings over that stretch, as the Vikings have shot better than 44 percent in their past last four games after bettering that mark in only three of their nine non-conference games. The Vikings have also set a season high with 10 three-pointers in two of their last four games, hitting 10-of-22 from beyond the arc against Weber State on Jan. 12, and then 10-of-17 against Northern Arizona last Saturday.
 
Five different players hit three-pointers in the Vikings' win over NAU, which was indicative of the depth the Vikings have shown in their recent run of form. Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez led the Vikings with 19 points against the Lumberjacks, after senior guard Sidney Rielly had led the Vikings in scoring in the previous three games. Rielly still had 17 points against NAU as one of four players in double figures for the Vikings, with Ashley Bolston (11 points) and Desirae Hansen (10 points) joining Jimenez and Rielly.
 
That doesn't even include senior forward Courtney West, who had one of her most complete games as a Viking while breaking her own school record for blocks in a game with nine in the Vikings' 63-49 win over Southern Utah last Thursday. Besides her record-breaking nine blocks, West also finished with 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and a steal in the Vikings' win over the Thunderbirds.
 
The Vikings will need their depth if they hope to extend their winning streak to six games with a win over Eastern Washington Thursday. The Eagles had been just 2-11 overall with only one win over a Division I opponent going into last weekend, but then swept the Montana schools on the road to bring their Big Sky record level at 3-3.
 
Everything came together for the Eagles in their win over Montana State last Saturday, as they overcame a 14-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to win in overtime. The Eagles scored 33 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime, and then won the game off a three-point play from leading scorer Violet Kapri Morrow with seven seconds remaining in the extra period. Morrow finished with a game-high 37 points against the Bobcats, tying the third-best single-game scoring output in EWU history.
 
Morrow stands way out in front for the Eagles, as she leads the team and ranks third in the Big Sky with 19.0 points per game while no other player averages in double figures. Morrow also ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky for field goal percentage (.435, 13th), free throw percentage (.808, 9th), steals per game (1.6, 12th) and three-pointers made per game (1.5, 15th).
 
Alissa Sealby leads the Big Sky with a .463 mark from beyond the arc, and ranks tied for 12th with 1.7 three-pointers made per game. Morrow also leads the Eagles with 5.7 rebounds per game, while Uriah Howard and Sealby rank second and third on the team with 4.4 and 4.3 rebounds per game, respectively.
 
Thursday's game against the Eagles also figures to be a tough environment for the Vikings outside of the X's and O's, as the Eagles will host 3,800 local elementary school students as part of their annual Kid's Day. As a result, the Vikings and Eagles will tip off at 11 a.m. (PT) at Reese Court Thursday.
 
QUICK HITS
• The Vikings won their fifth straight game with a 72-55 win over Northern Arizona last Saturday, the first time the Vikings have won five Big Sky games in a row since the 2010-11 season. The longest Big Sky winning streak in program history stands at seven games, set during the 2008-09 season.
• Senior forward Courtney West broke her own single-game school record with nine blocks in the Vikings' 63-49 win over Southern Utah last Thursday. West set the previous record with eight blocks in two different games as a sophomore, and now has the top three games for blocked shots in program history. West leads the Big Sky and ranks third nationally with 3.4 blocks per game, just behind CSUN's Channon Fluker, who holds the national lead with an average of 3.67 blocks per game.
• Senior guard Sidney Rielly moved into the all-time top 10 for career scoring at Portland State with 17 points in the Vikings' win over Southern Utah. Rielly has now scored 1,258 points in her career, ranking her ninth all time at Portland State.
• Three different Vikings rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky for field goal percentage in conference games. Junior forward Jordan Stotler ranks second in the conference with a .618 field goal percentage in conference games, while seniors Courtney West and Sidney Rielly follow at fourth (.574) and seventh (.507), respectively.
• The Vikings have shot better than 44 percent from the field in four straight games, and have bettered the mark in five of six Big Sky games after doing so in only three of their nine non-conference games.
• The Vikings have recorded 31 three-pointers in their past four games, including a season-high 10 three-pointers in their games against Weber State and Northern Arizona. The Vikings recorded their best three-point field goal percentage in the win over NAU, as the team went 10-of-17 from beyond the arc. Freshman guard Ana Tainta leads the Big Sky with a .600 (6-of-10) three-point field goal percentage in conference games, while senior guard Sidney Rielly ranks third with a .485 (16-of-33) three-point field goal percentage in conference games.
• The Vikings have out-rebounded their last four opponents, after failing to do so in their previous four games since their win over Grand Canyon on Dec. 11. The Vikings also held a 16-12 advantage on the offensive glass against Weber State on Jan. 12 – the first time the Vikings have recorded more offensive rebounds than their opponent since their win over UTEP on Dec. 9.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank sixth in the nation with 19.9 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 fourth in the Big Sky with 5.3 and 5.0 assists per game, respectively, as individuals.
• Jimenez and Bolston also rank 1-2 in the Big Sky with 3.1 and 2.8 steals per game, respectively. Jimenez ranks 22nd nationally for steals per game, with Bolston at 35th. As a team, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 35th in the nation with 10.8 steals per game.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 10th in the NCAA with a .338 field goal percentage defense. The Vikings held their first four opponents to under 30 percent shooting, and have held nine of their 15 opponents 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 nine different statistical categories between scoring defense (57.7), scoring margin (+15.0), field goal percentage defense (.338), defensive rebounds per game (29.3), assists per game (19.9), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2), turnover margin (+2.33), steals per game (10.8) and blocks per game (5.9).
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (13-2, 5-1)
72.7 PPG | 43.7 FG% | 34.2 3FG%
Notable: The Portland State Vikings won their fifth straight Big Sky game with a 72-55 win over Northern Arizona last Saturday, giving them their first five-game winning streak in Big Sky play since the 2010-11 season. The Vikings continued their hot shooting in the win, as they shot .474 from the field – their fourth straight game shooting over 44 percent. The Vikings have shot better than 44 percent in five of their six Big Sky games, after bettering the mark in only three of their nine non-conference games. The Vikings have three players ranked in the top 10 of the Big Sky for field goal percentage in conference games in junior Jordan Stotler at second (.618), and seniors Courtney West and Sidney Rielly at fourth (.574) and seventh (.507), respectively. Rielly also ranks third in the Big Sky while shooting .485 (16-of-33) from beyond the arc in conference games. Freshman guard Ana Tainta leads the conference with a .600 (6-of-10) mark from deep in Big Sky play, after only making two three-pointers through the Vikings' first 11 games of the season. The Vikings have also recorded 20 or more assists in three of their last four games while leading the Big Sky and ranking sixth in the nation with 19.9 assists per game. Senior guard Ashley Bolston and sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez rank second and fourth in the Big Sky individually with 5.3 and 5.0 assists per game, respectively. The pair also rank 1-2 in the Big Sky in steals per game, as Jimenez leads the conference while Bolston ranks second with 3.1 and 2.8 steals per game, respectively.
 
EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (4-11, 3-3)
59.3 PPG | 37.1 FG% | 32.9 3FG%
Notable: The Eastern Washington Eagles come into their game against the Vikings after sweeping the Montana schools on the road. The Eagles overcame a 14-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter against Montana State last Saturday, scoring 33 points in the final period to force overtime, and then winning 89-87. The Eagles had a tough start to the season, as they went into their Montana road trip just 2-11 overall. The Eagles' lone win over a Division I school came against Weber State, 64-58, on the opening day of Big Sky play. The Eagles rank last in the Big Sky with 59.3 points per game as a result of their tough non-conference schedule, and also rank 10th in the conference with a minus-10.5 scoring margin. The Eagles' biggest strength has been their three-point shooting, as they rank third in the conference with a .329 three-point field goal percentage, as well as fourth with 7.7 three-pointers per game. Individually, Violet Kapri Morrow ranks third in the conference with 19.0 points per game, and scored a career-high 37 points in the Eagles' win over Montana State last Saturday. Morrow also ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky for field goal percentage (.435, 13th), free throw percentage (.808, 9th), steals per game (1.6, 12th) and three-pointers per game (1.5, 15th). Alissa Sealby leads the Big Sky with a .463 mark from beyond the arc, and ranks tied for 12th with 1.7 three-pointers per game. Morrow also leads the Eagles with 5.7 rebounds per game, while Uriah Howard and Sealby rank second and third on the team with 4.4 and 4.3 rebounds per game, respectively.
 
EASTERN WASHINGTON SERIES HISTORY
The Eagles lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 37-29, as well as the Big Sky series, 22-21. The Vikings won two of three against the Eagles last season, however, including in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky tournament where the Vikings upset the third-seeded Eagles, 82-73. The teams split their games during the regular season with each team winning at home.
 
LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available from the Vikings' game against Eastern Washington. 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 Eastern Washington on channel 234 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
The Vikings recorded their fifth straight win in Big Sky play with a 72-55 win over Northern Arizona Saturday. Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez led the Vikings with 19 points in the game – her highest scoring output since she had 28 points against UC Irvine on Dec. 18. Jimenez also tied senior guard Ashley Bolston for the team lead with four steals in the game, while the Vikings recorded 14 steals as a team for their most steals in a game since they had 16 against the University of Portland on Dec. 1. Jimenez went 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, as well, while the Vikings tied a season high with 10 three-pointers against the Lumberjacks. Five different Vikings hit a three-pointer in the game, as the Vikings spread the wealth offensively. Besides Jimenez, Sidney Rielly (17), Bolston (11) and Desirae Hansen (10) all hit double figures against the Lumberjacks. The Vikings never led in the game, as the closest the Lumberjacks got since the opening moments of the game was 13-9 early in the second quarter. The Vikings led by as many as 25 points in the third quarter, and never let NAU closer than 13 points in the second half. The Vikings shot .474 (27-of-57) overall and a season-high .588 (10-of-17) from beyond the arc against the Lumberjacks, while holding NAU to just .315 (17-of-54) from the floor.
 
UPCOMING
The Vikings continue on the road for a game at preseason-favorite Idaho Saturday, Jan. 26, at 2 p.m. (PT).
 
FIVE-GAME WINNING STREAK
The Vikings take a five-game winning streak into their game against Eastern Washington Thursday, the longest Big Sky winning streak for the Vikings since the 2010-11 season. What's more, the last four wins have come by double-digits, while the Vikings opened their season with six straight double-digits wins for the first time in program history. For the season, the Vikings average a plus-15.0 scoring margin, putting them atop the conference in the category by over 10 points per game. The Vikings also rank 25th nationally for scoring margin this season.
 
BLOCK PARTY
Senior forward Courtney West broke her own single-game record with nine blocks in the Vikings' 63-49 win over Southern Utah, and the Vikings nearly broke the team record for blocked shots in the game. The Vikings had 13 blocks as a team against Southern Utah, one off the school record of 14, which the Vikings set against Saint Martin's on Nov. 20, 1992. For the season, West leads the Big Sky and ranks third in the nation with 3.4 blocks per game. The Vikings also lead the Big Sky and rank ninth in the nation with 5.9 blocks per game as a team, while junior forward Jordan Stotler ranks third in the conference with 1.7 blocks per game.
 
RESURGENT OFFENSE
The Vikings have been on a strong run of late, having scored over 70 points in three of their last four games, after failing to do so for the previous five games. Among the other highlights offensively:
• The Vikings have won their last four games by double-digits, after failing to do so in the five games before that.
• The Vikings have out-rebounded their last four opponents, after failing to do so in the four games before that.
• The Vikings have made 31 three-pointers in their past four games, including a season-high 10 three-pointers in their games against Weber State and Northern Arizona. The Vikings recorded their best three-point field goal percentage in the win over NAU, as the team went 10-of-17 from beyond the arc. The Vikings' previous season's best came just three games earlier, when they went 8-of-16 from deep against Montana.
• The Vikings have shot over 44 percent from the field in their last four games, after only bettering that mark four times in their first 11 games of the season.
• The Vikings tied a season high with 27 assists against the Lady Griz – and have recorded 20 or more assists in three of their last four games after failing to do so in the five games before that.
 
HOT SHOOTING IN BIG SKY PLAY
The Vikings have shot over 44 percent as a team in five of their six Big Sky games so far, a mark the Vikings bettered in only three of their nine non-conference games. Three different Vikings rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky for field goal percentage in conference games as a result. Junior forward Jordan Stotler ranks second in the conference with a .618 field goal percentage while going 21-of-34 from the field in conference games. Senior forward Courtney West ranks fourth in the conference with a .574 (27-of-47) field goal percentage in Big Sky games. Senior guard Sidney Rielly ranks as the conference's top guard and seventh overall with a .507 (36-of-71) field goal percentage in conference games, and also ranks third in the Big Sky while shooting .485 (16-of-33) from beyond the arc. Freshman guard Ana Tainta leads the conference in three-point field goal percentage while going 6-of-10 (.600) from beyond the arc in conference games.
 
UNSELFISH BASKETBALL
The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank sixth in the nation with 19.9 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 fourth in the Big Sky, respectively, with 5.3 and 5.0 assists per game.
 
STRONG 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 lead the Big Sky and rank 10th in the nation with a .338 field goal percentage defense, and have led the nation in the category at times this season. The Vikings held their first four opponents to under 30 percent shooting, and have held four of their last five opponents to under 32 percent from the field. In addition to the stiff shooting defense, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 10th in the NCAA with 5.9 blocked shots per game. The Vikings also lead the Big Sky in scoring defense (57.7, 42nd nationally), turnover margin (+2.33, 84th nationally) and steals per game (10.8, 35th nationally).
 
TWO-HEADED STEALING MONSTER
Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez and senior guard Ashley Bolston rank 1-2 in the Big Sky for steals per game. Jimenez leads the conference with 3.1 steals per game, while Bolston ranks second with 2.8 steals per game. Jimenez had four steals in the Vikings' win over Northern Arizona Saturday, the ninth time out of 15 games this season that Jimenez has had three or more steals in a game. Bolston also had four steals against NAU, the first time she's had four or more steals in a game since the Vikings' win over UNLV on Dec. 15. Bolston also had the high-water mark for steals in a game this season when she had nine in the Vikings' win over the University of Portland on Dec. 1.
 
ASHLEY BOLSTON AMONG BIG SKY, NCAA STAT LEADERS
Senior guard Ashley Bolston stands as one of only four 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 14th in the conference with 13.0 points per game, as well as eighth in free throw percentage (.826) and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4). Nationally, Bolston ranks 35th in the NCAA in steals per game and 37th in assists per game.
 
THE BASKETBALL LIFE OF RIELLY
With 17 points in the Vikings' win over Southern Utah last Thursday, Sidney Rielly moved herself into the all-time top 10 at Portland State for career scoring. Rielly, who became just the third Viking to reach the 1,000-point club in only two years at Portland State, now has 1,258 points in her career, ranking her ninth all time at Portland State. Rielly also ranks 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 teammate Ashley 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 12.2 points per game this season, over three points per game higher than her average of 8.9 points per game as a freshman. Jimenez also ranks fourth in the Big Sky with an average of 5.0 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 22nd nationally with 3.1 steals per game, over a steal per game better 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 2.2 assists to every turnover she commits.
 
COURTNEY WEST CAN'T MISS
Senior forward Courtney West has gone 22-of-33 from the field in the Vikings' last four games, and ranks second in the Big Sky and 25th nationally with a .586 field goal percentage for the season. West's average would rank as the sixth-best single-season shooting percentage at Portland State if the season ended today, while West's career average of .524 also ranks her fourth all time at PSU. Additionally, West – the PSU record holder for blocks in a game (9), season (94) and career (219) – 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 third in the nation with 3.4 blocks per game this season, while teammate Jordan Stotler ranks third in the conference with 1.6 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 593 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 106th career game in the Vikings' win over Northern Arizona Saturday. Jurhar, who has missed only four games in her career, needs to play in nine more games this season to enter the top 10 all time at Portland State for games played. With at least 15 more games guaranteed this season, Jurhar could move up to sixth all time at Portland State if she plays in all 15. Jurhar also moved into a tie for fifth all time with 98 career blocks in the Vikings' win over NAU, and will enter the top 10 all time for career rebounds with 17 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 in Big Sky play. Tainta 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 went 5-of-7 from beyond the arc in those two games, after only making two three-pointers in the Vikings' first 11 games of the season. Tainta is shooting .600 (6-of-10) 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 6.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game so far this season, while shooting .424 from three-point range and chipping in 2.5 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.
Jan. 17, Portland State 63, Southern Utah 49: Senior forward Courtney West broke her own school record for blocks in a game with nine, while the Vikings came within one of the team record for blocks in a game with 13 against the Thunderbirds. Senior guard Sidney Rielly also moved into the all-time top 10 for career scoring at Portland State with a game-high 17 points in the game.