Complete Game Notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
If the Portland State women's basketball team could bottle a game, it likely would be Saturday's 78-60 win over Montana. More specifically, if the Vikings could bottle a single half of basketball, it'd be the first half against the Lady Griz, when the Vikings shot 21-of-28 from the field for a .750 team field goal percentage.
 
The Vikings made their first six shots of the game against the Lady Griz, and finished the first quarter 12-of-15 from the field. That was in stark contrast to the Vikings' performance against Montana State Thursday, when the Vikings missed their first nine shots and finished the opening period 2-of-12 from the field. The Vikings overcame their slow start to beat the Bobcats, but made it a lot easier on themselves with their hot start against the Lady Griz.
 
The hot start put the Vikings' offense back on track, as the team continues the early Big Sky season against Weber State Saturday, Jan. 12, in a game that tips off at 2 p.m. (MT) in Ogden, Utah.
 
The Vikings finished shooting .571 from the field against the Lady Griz last Saturday, setting a new seasonal best for the Vikings from the floor. The Vikings also tied a seasonal best with 27 assists against the Lady Griz, and put together their best scoring output in nearly a month. The Vikings hadn't scored over 70 points since beating UTEP 89-61 on Dec. 9, and also recorded their first double-digit win since that game, and out-rebounded an opponent for the first time since then.
 
Weber State could use a game like the Vikings had against Montana, as the Wildcats have lost eight games in a row coming into the weekend, including their first four Big Sky games of the season. The Wildcats lost their first two Big Sky games of the season at home against Eastern Washington (64-58, Dec. 29) and Idaho (79-74, Dec. 31), and then lost two on the road last weekend to Northern Arizona (74-64) and Southern Utah (84-79, OT). The Wildcats' last win came – coincidentally – against UTEP, 68-63, at home on Nov. 28.
 
Despite their recent struggles, the Wildcats feature a few standout individuals, including senior guard Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman, who went over a 1,000-career points in the Wildcats' overtime loss to Southern Utah last Saturday. Welch-Coleman has scored 17 or more points in all four of the Wildcats' Big Sky games this season, and ranks fifth in the conference with 17.7 points per game. Additionally, Welch-Coleman also ranks third in the Big Sky with 5.4 assists per game, and sixth in the conference with 1.9 steals per game.
 
Sophomore forward Kayla Watkins ranks second on the team for points per game (13.8) and rebounds per game (7.8), while senior guard Emily Drake also averages in double figures with 12.7 points per game. Junior forward Dominique Williams leads the team and ranks third in the Big Sky with 8.9 rebounds per game.
 
The Wildcats will open the weekend against Idaho State Thursday at 7 p.m., before facing the Vikings Saturday.
 
QUICK HITS
• The Vikings played their best offensive game in nearly a month in their 78-60 win over Montana Saturday. The Vikings shot a seasonal best .571 from the field in the game, and tied a seasonal best with 27 assists. The Vikings also scored over 70 points for the first time since their 89-61 win over UTEP on Dec. 9, and also recorded their first double-digit win since that game, and out-rebounded an opponent for the first time since then.
• Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez and senior guard Ashley Bolston rank 1-2 in the Big Sky with 3.1 and 3.0 steals per game, respectively. Jimenez also ranks 21st nationally for steals per game, with Bolston at 25th. As a team, the Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and 46th in the nation with 10.5 steals per game.
• Bolston and Jimenez also rank second and fourth in the Big Sky with 5.4 and 5.3 assists per game, respectively. Additionally, Bolston ranks ninth in the Big Sky with 14.7 points per game and 12th with 6.4 rebounds per game, while Jimenez leads the conference with a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Senior forward Courtney West leads the Big Sky and ranks 21st in the nation with a .588 field goal percentage so far this season. West also leads the Big Sky and ranks 10th nationally with 2.8 blocks per game. Junior forward Jordan Stotler ranks right behind West at second in the Big Sky with 1.8 blocks per game.
• Bolston stands as one of only three players nationally 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.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 11th in the NCAA with a .336 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 and rank eighth 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.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky in eight different statistical categories between scoring defense (58.5), scoring margin (+14.7), field goal percentage defense (.336), defensive rebounds per game (29.8), assists per game (19.9), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2), turnover margin (+2.42) and blocks per game (5.3).
• 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 (10-2, 2-1)
73.2 PPG | 43.1 FG% | 32.1 3FG%
Notable: The Portland State Vikings put together a complete performance in their 78-60 win over Montana Saturday. The Vikings made their first six shots in the game and finished the first quarter 12-of-15 while running out to a 29-9 lead. It was a stark contrast from two days earlier, when the Vikings missed their first nine shots while falling behind by as many as 18 points against Montana State Thursday. The Vikings shot a seasonal-best .571 against the Lady Griz, and tied a seasonal best with 27 assists. The Vikings also posted their best scoring output since their 89-61 win over UTEP on Dec. 9, while also winning by double-digits and out-rebounding their opponent for the first time since the win over UTEP. Senior guard Sidney Rielly led the Vikings with 19 points against the Lady Griz, 16 of which came in the first quarter when she went 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Senior forward Courtney West also scored 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field, while senior guard Ashley Bolston had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez nearly had her first-career double-double, as she finished with 10 points and nine assists. The Vikings lead the Big Sky in eight different statistical categories for the season, and also rank in the top 30 of the NCAA in five different categories. The Vikings rank eighth in the NCAA for assists per game (19.9), 11th in field goal percentage defense (.336), 19th in defensive rebounds per game (29.8) and blocks per game (5.3), and 26th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2).
 
WEBER STATE WILDCATS (3-11, 0-4)
63.5 PPG | 37.3 FG% | 27.3 3FG%
Notable: The Weber State Wildcats come into the weekend on a rough patch, as they've lost eight straight games including their first four Big Sky games. The Wildcats will play Idaho State at home Thursday before facing the Vikings on Saturday. The Wildcats lost their first two Big Sky games of the season at home against EWU (64-58, Dec. 29) and Idaho (79-74, Dec. 31), and then lost two on the road last weekend to NAU (74-64) and SUU (84-79, OT). The Wildcats' last win came against UTEP, 68-63, at home on Nov. 28. The Vikings also played UTEP this season, beating the Miners 89-61 on Dec. 9. The teams also both played the Univ. of Portland, with the Vikings beating the Pilots 92-79 on Dec. 1, while the Wildcats lost 89-73 to the Pilots on Nov. 12. The Wildcats rank ninth in the Big Sky in scoring offense (63.5) and eighth in scoring defense (69.4). The Wildcats rank fifth in field goal percentage defense (.402), as well as third in rebounds per game (40.9) and second in defensive rebounds per game (28.6). Individually, senior guard Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman has scored 17 or more points in all four of the Wildcats' Big Sky games so far this season, and ranks fifth in the conference with 17.7 points per game. Welch-Coleman also ranks third in the Big Sky with 5.4 assists per game, and sixth with 1.9 steals per game. Sophomore forward Kayla Watkins ranks second on the team in points (13.8) and rebounds per game (7.8), while senior guard Emily Drake also averages in double figures (12.7). Junior forward Dominique Williams leads the team and ranks third in the Big Sky with 8.9 rebounds per game.
 
WEBER STATE SERIES HISTORY
The Wildcats lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 28-26. The Vikings lead the Big Sky series between the two teams, however, as they are 23-19 against the Wildcats in conference games. The Vikings swept the season series against the Wildcats last season, snapping a five-game losing streak to the Wildcats in the process.
 
LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available from the Vikings' game against Weber State. 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 Weber State on 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 used a hot start to run away from Montana Saturday, beating the Lady Griz 78-60. The Vikings made their first six shots against the Lady Griz, two days after the Vikings missed their first nine shots in their 55-53 win over Montana State Thursday. The Vikings finished the first quarter 12-of-15 from the field, and closed the first half 21-of-28 from the floor for a .750 team field goal percentage. The Vikings finished the game shooting .571 from the field, their best shooting percentage in a game this season. The Vikings also tied a season high with 27 assists against the Lady Griz – the first time the Vikings cracked 20 assists in a game since their win over UTEP on Dec. 9. The Vikings went into halftime leading 50-30, and upped that to a 30-point lead at 65-35 with 3:13 remaining in the third quarter. The Lady Griz never got closer than 15 points from there as the Vikings went into cruise control. Senior guard Sidney Rielly led the Vikings with 19 points in the game, 16 of which came in the first quarter when she made her first four shots from beyond the arc. Fellow senior Courtney West added 15 points while going 7-of-7 from the field, while senior guard Ashley Bolston had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds to go with four assists, two steals and a block. Sophomore Kylie Jimenez came within an assist of recording her first double-double as a Viking, as she finished with 10 points and nine assists.
 
UPCOMING
The Vikings return home for a weekend series against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona next week. The Vikings open against Southern Utah Thursday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. (PT), and then face NAU Saturday, Jan. 19, at 2 p.m. (PT).
 
RESURGENT OFFENSE
The Vikings played their best offensive game in close to a month in their 78-60 win over Montana last Saturday. 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' 78 points also marked the Vikings' highest scoring output since they beat UTEP 89-61 on Dec. 9 earlier this season. The win over UTEP was also the last time the Vikings beat a team by double digits, and also marked the last time the Vikings out-rebounded a team, which the Vikings did against the Lady Griz, 43-34. The Vikings tied a season high with 27 assists against the Lady Griz, as well – the first time the Vikings had cracked 20 assists in a game since their win over UTEP.
 
UNSELFISH BASKETBALL
The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank eighth 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 5.4 and 5.3 assists per game.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
The Vikings are 8-1 in nine home games this season, including wins over 2017-18 postseason teams UC Davis, Seattle and UNLV. Not surprisingly, the Vikings' home-and-away stats favor the Vikings at home, as the team posts a better scoring average (74.0 ppg at home, 70.7 ppg on the road), scoring defense (56.3 ppg allowed at home, 65.0 ppg allowed on the road) and field goal percentage defense (.321 at home, .380 on the road) when playing at home.
 
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 11th in the nation with a .336 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 19th in the NCAA with 5.3 blocked shots per game. The Vikings also lead the Big Sky in scoring defense (58.5, 67th nationally) and turnover margin (+2.42, 95th nationally), and rank second in the conference in steals per game (10.5, 46th nationally).
 
TWO-HEADED STEALING MONSTER
Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez and senior guard Ashley Bolston have been a nightmare 1-2 punch for opposing offenses all season. The pair rank 1-2 in the Big Sky for steals per game with Jimenez first with 3.1 steals per game, while Bolston ranks second with 3.0 steals per game. Jimenez has six games with at least four steals this season, including two straight games with six steals against UNLV (Dec. 15) and UC Irvine (Dec. 18). Bolston, meanwhile, has recorded four or more steals in five of the Vikings' 12 games, including a career-high nine steals when she had a near-quadruple-double against the University of Portland on Dec. 1.
 
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-14.7 scoring margin, putting them atop the conference in the category by close to 13 points per game. The Vikings also rank 42nd 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 3.0 steals per game, as well as second in the conference with 5.4 assists per game. Bolston also ranks ninth in the conference with 14.7 points per game, as well as seventh in free throw percentage (.818), ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4), 12th in rebounds per game (6.4) and 13th in offensive rebounds per game (2.3). Nationally, Bolston ranks 25th in the NCAA for steals per game and 32nd for assists per game.
 
THE BASKETBALL LIFE OF RIELLY
Senior guard Sidney Rielly took over 12th all time in career scoring by herself with 19 points against Montana Saturday. Rielly, who became just the third Viking to reach the 1,000-point club in only two years at Portland State, now has 1,198 career points – only 39 points from moving into the top 10 all time at Portland State. Rielly also ranks seventh all time with a career scoring average of 15.6 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. 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 10th all time at Portland State with a .487 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 12.3 points per game this season, a dramatic improvement over her average of 8.9 points per game as a freshman. Jimenez also ranks fourth in the Big Sky with an average of 5.3 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 21st nationally with 3.1 steals per game, well 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 went 7-for-7 from the field in the Vikings' win over Montana Saturday, and leads the Big Sky and ranks 21st nationally with a .588 field goal percentage for the season. West's average would rank as tied for the fifth-best single-season shooting percentage at Portland State if the season ended today, while West's career average of .522 also ranks her fourth all time at PSU. Additionally, West – the PSU record holder for blocks in a game (8), season (94) and career (203) – surpassed Northern Colorado's Stephanie Lee for fifth all time in blocked shots within the Big Sky Conference against Montana State Thursday. West leads the Big Sky and ranks 10th in the nation with 2.8 blocks per game this season, while teammate Jordan Stotler ranks second in the conference with 1.8 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 574 career rebounds. West also ranks sixth all time with an average of 7.7 rebounds per game.
 
IRON WOMAN
Senior forward Pia Jurhar played in her 103rd career game in the Vikings' win over Montana Saturday. Jurhar, who has missed only four games in her career, needs to play in 12 more games this season to enter the top 10 all time at Portland State for games played. With at least 18 more games guaranteed this season, Jurhar could move up to sixth all time at Portland State if she plays in all 18. Jurhar also ranks seventh all time at Portland State with 93 career blocked shots, and will enter the top 10 all time for career rebounds with 26 more.
 
THE DES CRAZE HITS PORTLAND STATE
Freshman guard Desirae Hansen has made an instant impact at Portland State, and had an all-around game against Montana Saturday with six points, nine rebounds and four assists. 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.