Complete Game Notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
A new era for the Portland State women's basketball team officially begins Tuesday, when the Vikings open their 2019-20 season against Multnomah at 5 p.m. at Viking Pavilion.
 
Four years of climbing the Big Sky ladder are over for the Vikings after they won the Big Sky tournament title last season. The Vikings went from four wins in their first year under head coach Lynn Kennedy in 2015-16 to a Division I program-record 25 wins four years later in 2018-19.
 
The Vikings now begin what they hope will be a long residency at or near the top of the Big Sky Conference. They will have to do it while stepping away from their old core, however, as the team lost three fifth-year senior starters in Ashley Bolston, Sidney Rielly and Courtney West. Those three left their mark all over the Portland State record books, and all had standout senior seasons last year. Bolston was named the Big Sky Tournament MVP last season, while Rielly was named to the All-Big Sky first team, and West was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year.
 
The Vikings return two starters from their title-winning team last season in Kylie Jimenez and Jordan Stotler. Stotler will be the Vikings' lone senior this season, and takes on a new role down low for the Vikings after sharing the paint with West. Stotler started all but the Vikings' Senior Day last season, and averaged 6.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game despite deferring to West in the paint. 
 
Jimenez, meanwhile, shared a leadership role with the Vikings' fifth-year seniors last season. Jimenez led the team with 35.8 minutes played per game last season, and upped her averages across several statistical categories as a sophomore. Jimenez averaged 11.5 points per game last season, more than 2.5 points per game better than her average as a freshman (8.9). Additionally, Jimenez led the Big Sky and ranked in the top 35 of the nation with 2.6 steals per game, a big jump from the 1.97 she averaged as a freshman. Jimenez also improved her averages for assists (4.7 compared to 4.5 as a freshman) and three-pointers made (1.79 to 1.41) as a sophomore.
 
Jimenez was named to the preseason All-Big Sky team back in October, the latest in a long line of honors for the junior guard. In addition to last month's preseason honor, Jimenez was named the Big Sky Freshman of the Year following the 2017-18 season, and was an All-Big Sky honorable mention last season. Additionally, Jimenez made the All-Big Sky tournament team after the Vikings won the tournament last season.
 
The Vikings also return sophomore guard Desirae Hansen, who Viking coaches hope will step into a bigger role after being named the Big Sky's Co-Top Reserve as a freshman. Hansen closed her freshman season with a good run of play, starting in the Vikings' regular-season finale when she scored 20 first-half points on the road against Montana State. Hansen followed with 10 points each in the Vikings' first two games at the Big Sky tournament, before hitting the game-winning shot with 3.1 seconds left in the Big Sky championship game against Eastern Washington.
 
Hansen looked like she was ready for a bigger role in the Vikings' 79-51 exhibition win over Warner Pacific last Wednesday. Hansen came close to a triple-double with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against the Knights, and also added three steals.
 
Redshirt junior forward Tatiana Streun also impressed in the Vikings' exhibition win, as she led all players with 20 points and 16 rebounds, while also adding four assists and three steals. Streun's 20 points came on 10-of-14 shooting from the field, while eight of her 16 rebounds came on the offensive end. If the game had counted, Streun would have finished with new career highs for points (20), rebounds (16) and field goals made (10).
 
It was an encouraging night for Streun, who hadn't played in a Viking uniform in more than 19 months after suffering an ACL tear that kept her out for the Vikings' entire 2018-19 season.
 
Multnomah, Tuesday's night's opponent for the Vikings, plays in the same conference as Warner Pacific in the NAIA's Cascade Collegiate Conference. The Lions were picked to finish ninth in the CCC's preseason coaches poll, one spot behind Warner Pacific.
 
The Lions opened their season with a 69-37 win over Yellowstone Christian College on Oct. 19, but have been idle since then. Senior Sequoia Wheeler, who led the Lions with 16.2 points per game while earning All-CCC honors last season, did not play in the game. Rachelle Tau, a 5-9 graduate transfer forward from Grays Harbor College, led the Lions instead with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Alaygza Portis, a 5-9 junior wing, also went into double figures with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go with six rebounds. Erykah Campbell, a 6-6 senior forward, grabbed eight rebounds for the Lions.
 
No player on the Lions' current roster played in their only previous meeting with the Vikings, which came two seasons ago on Nov. 25, 2017. The Vikings won that game 95-32 at Lewis & Clark's Pamplin Sports Center, where the Vikings played their home games during the 2017-18 season while Viking Pavilion was under construction. Jimenez, Streun, Savannah Dhaliwal, Labrea Denson and Ruchae Walton all played in that game. Dhaliwal led all scorers with 26 points against the Lions, but won't play in Tuesday's game. Denson set her career high as a Viking with 18 points in that game.
 
Tuesday night's game comes as part of a doubleheader with the Portland State men's basketball team, which opens its season against Puget Sound. The Viking men tip off at 7:35 p.m., following the conclusion of the Viking women's game.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (0-0) vs. MULTNOMAH (1-0)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 5 p.m. (PT), Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING MULTNOMAH: The Multnomah Lions opened their 2019-20 season with a 69-37 win over Yellowstone Christian College on Oct. 19. The Lions are coming off a 2018-19 season in which they went 11-18 overall and 7-13 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference out of the NAIA. Senior Sequoia Wheeler returns after leading the Lions with 16.2 points per game while earning all-conference honors last season. Wheeler did not play in the Lions' win over Yellowstone Christian College, however. Rachelle Tau, a 5-9 graduate transfer forward from Grays Harbor College, led the Lions instead with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Alaygza Portis, a 5-9 junior wing, also went into double figures with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go with six rebounds. Portis ranked second to Wheeler with 8.8 points per game last season, and also averaged 3.5 rebounds per game. Erykah Campbell, a 6-6 senior forward, had eight rebounds for the Lions against Yellowstone Christian, and averaged 7.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game last season. CCC coaches picked Multnomah to finish ninth in the preseason, one spot below Warner Pacific, which the Vikings beat 79-51 in an exhibition last Wednesday. No player on the Lions' current roster played in their only previous meeting with the Vikings, which came two seasons ago on Nov. 25, 2017. The Vikings won that game 95-32 at Lewis & Clark's Pamplin Sports Center. Current Vikings Kylie Jimenez, Savannah Dhaliwal, Labrea Denson, Ruchae Walton and Tatiana Streun all played in that game. Dhaliwal led all scorers with 26 points against the Lions, but won't play in Tuesday's game. Denson set her PSU career high with 18 points in that game.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings won their only other game against the Lions, beating them 95-32 on Nov. 25, 2017. That game came at Lewis & Clark's Pamplin Sports Center, where the Vikings played their home games during the 2017-18 season while Viking Pavilion was under construction.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS
• The Vikings are defending their 2019 Big Sky tournament title this season, but will do it with a new cast of characters. The Vikings lost three fifth-year senior starters off last year's team in Ashley Bolston (Big Sky Tournament MVP), Sidney Rielly (All-Big Sky first team) and Courtney West (Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year). The Vikings returned two starters in Kylie Jimenez and Jordan Stotler, and return Desirae Hansen who was named the Big Sky's Co-Top Reserve last season.
• The Vikings are in their fifth year under head coach Lynn Kennedy. The Vikings went from winning only four games in Kennedy's first season at the helm in 2015-16 to Big Sky champs in only four years.
• The Vikings recorded the best season in Division I program history last season. The Vikings set a Division I program record with 25 wins last season, and also tied a program record with 14 Big Sky wins. Additionally, the Vikings finished with the best road winning percentage in program history while going 8-5 (.615) away from home last season.
• Kylie Jimenez was named to the preseason All-Big Sky team.
• The Vikings were picked to finish third in the Big Sky in the preseason coaches and media polls. Montana State topped both polls, while Idaho and Portland State followed at second and third, respectively.
• After Tuesday's game, the Vikings will make their first-ever appearance in the Preseason WNIT Friday. The Vikings face Boise State in the first round Friday, and will play their second-round game on Nov. 10 if they win. No matter what happens Friday, the Vikings are guaranteed at least three games in the tournament.
 
JIMENEZ CHASING EXCLUSIVE COMPANY AS A JUNIOR
Junior Kylie Jimenez stepped up her game across the board as a sophomore, and could be in line to join exclusive company at Portland State if she makes a similar jump as a junior. Jimenez only needs to match her totals for points and assists last season to become only the third player in program history to record 1,000-career points and 450-career assists by the end of the season. Jimenez would join Claire Faucher and Kim Manifesto, both PSU Hall of Famers, in the exclusive club.
 
Jimenez made a significant statistical jump last season as a sophomore. Jimenez averaged 11.5 points per game last season, more than 2.5 points per game better than her average as a freshman (8.9). Additionally, Jimenez led the Big Sky and ranked in the top 35 of the nation with 2.6 steals per game, a big jump from the 1.97 she averaged as a freshman. Jimenez also improved her averages for assists (4.7 compared to 4.5 as a freshman) and three-pointers made (1.79 to 1.41) as a sophomore.
 
THE PAINT BELONGS TO JORDAN STOTLER
Senior forward Jordan Stotler recorded the ninth-best single-season block total with 46 last season. That despite Stotler sharing the paint with the Vikings' all-time blocks leader in Courtney West. Stotler exclusively owns the paint this season, as she steps into a bigger role as a senior. Stotler started all but the Vikings' Senior Day last season, and averaged 6.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game despite deferring to West in the paint. 
 
BIG-SHOT DES LOOKING AHEAD TO ADDED RESPONSIBILITY
The lasting image of sophomore Desirae Hansen's freshman campaign for Portland State was her making snow angels in confetti after hitting the winning shot in the Vikings' Big Sky championship game win over Eastern Washington. What image will define her sophomore season remains to be seen, but Viking coaches are counting on her to take on a greater role after she finished her freshman season on a strong note. Hansen played her best game as a freshman in the Vikings' regular-season finale when she scored 20 first-half points on the road against Montana State. Hansen followed with 10 points each in the Vikings' first two games at the Big Sky tournament, before hitting the game-winner with 3.1 seconds left against the Eagles. Hansen impressed in the Vikings' 79-51 exhibition win over Warner Pacific on Oct. 30, as she recorded a near-triple-double with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
 
TATIANA STREUN TRIUMPHANT IN HER RETURN FROM INJURY
Redshirt junior Tatiana Streun made a triumphant return to the court last Wednesday in the Vikings' exhibition against Warner Pacific. Streun, who was forced to sit out the entire 2018-19 season after suffering an ACL tear in May of 2018, recorded game highs for points (20) and rebounds (16) against the Knights, while also adding four assists and three steals. Streun's 20 points came on 10-of-14 shooting from the field, while eight of her 16 rebounds came on the offensive end. If the game had counted, Streun would have finished with new career highs for points (20), rebounds (16) and field goals made (10). Streun last played a counting game during the 2017-18 season, when she averaged 5.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a true sophomore.
 
GROWTH UNDER KENNEDY
The Vikings improved their win total in each of their first four seasons under head coach Lynn Kennedy. The Vikings won just four games during their first year under Kennedy in 2015-16, but then jumped up to 16 wins in 2016-17. The Vikings improved on that total with 19 wins in 2017-18, and then set a Division I program record with 25 wins last season.
 

Record	Season	Kennedy's Year at PSU
4-26	2015-16	1st
16-17	2016-17	2nd
19-13	2017-18	3rd
25-8	2018-19	4th

 
NEWCOMERS
The Vikings added a talented class of six newcomers over the offseason that they'll try and mesh with their seven returners. The newcomers are split evenly between the front and back courts, as Erika Brumfield, Marina Canzobre and Syd Schultz add depth at forward while Belle Frazier, Cassidy Gardner and Jada Lewis will contribute at guard. Frazier and Lewis were each named McDonald's All-American nominees while in high school, while Gardner led her team to a 3A Washington state title as an all-state honorable mention as a senior. Schultz, meanwhile, recorded 1,000-career points and 1,000-career rebounds in high school, and led the entire state of Wisconsin in rebounds as a high school senior. Canzobre was also part of the invited players pool for the Spain U-15 team.
 
VIKINGS PICKED FOR THIRD IN PRESEASON COACHES, MEDIA POLL
Big Sky media and coaches picked the Vikings to finish third in the conference this season in the preseason polls. Montana State, Idaho and Portland State went 1-2-3 in both the media and coaches polls, but the major takeaway from both polls was uncertainty. Seven of the 11 teams in the Big Sky received at least one first-place vote in the preseason media poll, while five of those seven teams received multiple votes. Additionally, four different teams received first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll, three of which received two or more.
 
JIMENEZ NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG SKY TEAM
Junior guard Kylie Jimenez was named to the preseason All-Big Sky team, voted on by the Big Sky's media members. Jimenez was one of seven players named to the preseason all-conference team. Fallyn Freije, a two-time All-Big Sky honorable mention while at North Dakota but now with Montana State, was named the conference's preseason MVP. Sacramento State's Kennedy Nicholas, Idaho State's Estefania Ors, Montana State's Oliana Squires, Montana's McKenzie Johnston and Idaho's Gina Marxen were the other preseason all-conference selections. The preseason honor was just the latest in what has already been a decorated career for Jimenez at Portland State. Jimenez was named the Big Sky Freshman of the Year following the 2017-18 season, and was an All-Big Sky honorable mention last season. Additionally, Jimenez made the All-Big Sky tournament team as the Vikings won the tournament last season.
 
VIKINGS PLAN INTERNATIONAL TRIP TO SPAIN IN AUGUST 2020
The Vikings will make what is believed to be the women's basketball program's first-ever international trip when they head to Spain in August 2020. The Vikings will visit Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona on a 10-day trip that will see them play three different exhibition games against local Spanish teams.
 
The Vikings are currently fundraising for the trip, which will cost around $4,000 per person. Anyone who would like to donate towards the team's travel fund can visit GoViks.com and click on the "Spain 2020 Trip Donations" link under the "Donate" drop-down menu.