Complete Game Notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
Head coach Lynn Kennedy and the Portland State women's basketball team have been good to the two-year-old Viking Pavilion. Not only are they 17-3 in Viking Pavilion since the building opened in April of 2018, they brought the first championship trophy back to the new arena when they won the Big Sky tournament title last March.
 
Now, Kennedy and the Vikings deliver the building its first truly marquee game Saturday, when No. 23 Tennessee comes to Viking Pavilion for a 2 p.m. tip.
 
The Vikings have only hosted an AP-ranked opponent three times in the program's Big Sky era (1996-Pres.), and haven't done so since Dec. 23, 2000 – nearly 19 years ago. That game came against No. 22 Vanderbilt, who the Vikings lost to 97-56. The Vikings also hosted then-No. 16 Colorado State in a more competitive game on Nov. 25, 1998, losing 84-70.
 
Tennessee has a history with Portland State, having come to one year of the Giusti Tournament of Champions, which the Vikings hosted at Memorial Coliseum for six straight seasons from 1979-84. The Lady Vols played Washington State, Ohio State and Oregon State at the 1981 Giusti Tournament, but did not face off against the Vikings.
 
That was back when there were no divisions across NCAA women's sports. Tennessee was still Tennessee back then, however, with the legendary Pat Summitt as head coach. Summitt won't be on the sidelines Saturday, having passed away from Alzheimer's Disease at 59.
 
One of Summitt's former players will roam the sidelines instead in Kellie Harper. Harper, who is in her first year leading the Lady Vols program, won her first seven games as Tennessee's head coach this season. That stretch included a 74-63 upset of then-No. 15 Notre Dame on Nov. 11, a win that helped put the Lady Vols back in the AP top 25. Two losses in the Lady Vols' last three games have dampened spirits a bit, though the most recent of those losses came on the road to top-ranked Stanford, 78-51, Wednesday.
 
The Lady Vols have a relatively small roster with only 12 players listed, but the shortness in depth is made up for in physical length as only one player is listed as shorter than six feet tall.
 
Unsurprisingly considering their length, the Lady Vols are one of the best rebounding teams in the nation as they rank second in the NCAA with 51.2 rebounds per game. Five different players average over five rebounds a game individually, while another three average more than 4.5 rebounds.
 
Junior Rennia Davis leads the Lady Vols with 16.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season, and also averages 2.4 assists per game to go with a team-best 1.4 three-pointers made per game. Besides her, four other players average around eight points a game in Rae Burrell (9.0), Jordan Horston (8.6), Kasiyahna Kushkituah (8.2) and Tamari Key (7.9). Horston also leads the Lady Vols with 4.5 assists per game.
 
Besides them, Jazmine Massengill averages 7.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while starting nine of 10 contests so far this season. Lou Brown, a 6-3 fifth-year senior forward, also has nine starts for the Lady Vols, and is averaging 3.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
 
The rebounding battle will be one of the key stats to watch Saturday. The Vikings have won or tied the rebounding battle in each of their past five games, all of which have been wins as they head into Saturday on a five-game winning streak.
 
Last Sunday was a near loss for the Vikings, both on the boards and overall. The Vikings trailed cross-town rival University of Portland by 15 points at halftime, but came all the way back to beat the Pilots 77-71. It was the third straight win over the Pilots for the Vikings, just the second time they've won three straight games against their cross-town rivals during the program's Big Sky era.
 
The Vikings hadn't overcome as much as a 15-point halftime deficit since Jan. 8, 2010, when the Vikings came back to beat Montana State, 69-62.
 
Sophomore guard Desirae Hansen helped lead the Vikings to their comeback win, as she was named Big Sky Player of the Week Tuesday after finishing with 16 points, 10 assists and five rebounds against the Pilots.
 
Hansen has posted good all-around numbers throughout the season, as she averages 13.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. Hansen ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky in seven different statistical categories between scoring (9th), three-pointers made per game (15th), assists per game (3rd), assist-to-turnover ratio (7th), blocks per game (13th), steals per game (15th) and minutes played per game (15th).
 
Redshirt junior Tatiana Streun also posted a double-double against the Pilots Sunday, her second straight double-double and fourth overall this season. Streun finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds against the Pilots, and is now averaging 18.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game over the Vikings' last three games.
 
Streun leads the Big Sky with 9.1 rebounds per game, and also leads the Big Sky in offensive rebounds per game (3.6) and field goal percentage (.568). Additionally, Streun ranks third in the Big Sky with 15.1 points per game, and also ranks in the top 10 of the conference for defensive rebounds per game (T-2nd, 5.6) and free throw percentage (3rd, .811).
 
Streun will be key to the rebounding battle Saturday, when she will face a new test in the Lady Vols. The Vikings are 5-0 when winning the rebounding battle this season, and 0-3 when they don't.
 
No matter what way the results fall Saturday, however, Kennedy and the Vikings will have delivered an early Christmas gift to Viking fans in their matchup against the Lady Vols.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (6-3) vs. #23 TENNESSEE (8-2)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2 p.m. (PT), Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING #23 TENNESSEE: The 23rd-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers opened their first season under head coach Kellie Harper with seven straight wins before stumbling in two of their last three. The Lady Vols upset then-No. 15 Notre Dame on the road, 74-63, on Nov. 11 earlier in the season. However, Tennessee has lost 66-60 to Texas on Dec. 8 and 78-51 to No. 1 Stanford on Dec. 18 to fall to 8-2. The Lady Vols return two starters and six letterwinners from last season's team that went 19-13 overall and fell in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Lady Vols brought in six newcomers to add to the roster, which features only one player shorter than six feet tall. Junior Rennia Davis leads the Lady Vols with 16.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season, and also averages 2.4 assists per game to go with a team-best 1.4 three-pointers made per game. Besides her, four other players average around eight points a game in Rae Burrell (9.0 ppg), Jordan Horston (8.6), Kasiyahna Kushkituah (8.2) and Tamari Key (7.9). Those four all also average around five rebounds per game, while Horston leads the Lady Vols with 4.5 assists per game. Besides them, Jazmine Massengill averages 7.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while starting nine of 10 contests so far this season. Lou Brown, a 6-3 fifth-year senior forward, also has nine starts for the Lady Vols, and is averaging 3.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Overall, the Lady Vols are one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, as they rank second in the NCAA with 51.2 rebounds per game. The Lady Vols also rank fourth in field goal percentage defense, as they're holding opponents to just 30 percent shooting from the floor.
ALL-TIME SERIES: This will be the first meeting between the Vikings and Lady Volunteers. The Lady Vols came to a tournament the Vikings hosted during the 1981-82 season, however. That was the Giusti Tournament of Champions, which the Vikings hosted at Memorial Coliseum for six straight seasons from the 1979-84 season. Tennessee faced Washington State, Ohio State and Oregon State when they played at the tournament in December of 1981.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS
• The Vikings have won five games in a row, the last of which was a 77-71, come-from-behind win over cross-town rival University of Portland last Sunday. The Vikings trailed by 15 points at halftime and by seven points going into the fourth quarter. The Vikings hadn't overcome as much as a 15-point halftime deficit since Jan. 8, 2010, when the Vikings came back to beat Montana State, 69-62.
• The Vikings held the Pilots to 25.7 percent shooting in the second half, after they went 47.2 percent from the floor in the first half. The Pilots shot 36.6 percent overall, the fourth straight game the Vikings have held their opponent to under 40 percent shooting from the floor. The Vikings held UC Irvine and Grand Canyon to under 30 percent, as the Anteaters shot 29.7 percent against the Vikings on Dec. 2, while the Lopes followed with 29.0 percent shooting on Dec. 6.
• Sophomore Desirae Hansen was named the Big Sky Player of the Week after leading the Vikings to their come-from-behind win over cross-town rival University of Portland Sunday. Hansen finished with 16 points, 10 assists and five rebounds against the Pilots, with her 10 assists marking a new career high. For the season, Hansen averages 13.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, and ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky for scoring (9th), three-pointers made per game (15th), assists per game (3rd), assist-to-turnover ratio (7th), blocks per game (13th), steals per game (15th) and minutes played per game (15th).
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 48th in the nation with 75.2 points per game. Five different Vikings average in double figures between Tatiana Streun (15.1), Hansen (13.0), Kylie Jimenez (12.1), Belle Frazier (10.8), and Jordan Stotler (10.6). Streun and Hansen rank third and ninth, respectively, within the Big Sky individually.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank second in the nation with an .816 team free-throw percentage. That percentage comes even as the Vikings are averaging 16.22 free throws made per game, as the Vikings are not only shooting the ball well but getting to the line a lot as well. Stotler (.848) ranks second in the Big Sky and 50th in the nation individually, while Streun ranks third (.811) in the conference.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage (.394), and also rank fourth in the conference with 7.0 three-pointers made per game. Three different Vikings rank in the top 15 of the Big Sky for three-pointers made per game in Jimenez (2.1), Frazier (1.8) and Hansen (1.6).
• The Vikings are 5-0 when they out-rebound their opponent this season, and 0-3 when they don't. The Vikings rank second in the Big Sky with 40.7 rebounds per game, while Streun and Stotler rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky individually. Streun leads the conference with 9.1 rebounds per game, while Stotler ranks sixth at 7.1. Streun also leads the Big Sky with 3.6 offensive rebounds per game.
• Jimenez needs only one three-pointer, one assist and three steals to enter the all-time top 10 in each category at Portland State.
• 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 last season.
 
MONEY FROM THE LINE
The Vikings hit 18-of-18 shots from the free-throw line in their win over UC Davis on Nov. 30, the second most makes without a miss in a game in program history. That performance has been typical of the Vikings this season, as the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank second in the nation with an .816 team free throw percentage. However, the Vikings are not only shooting a high percentage from the line, they're also making a ton of shots from the charity stripe. The Vikings average 16.22 free throws made per game, including a season-high 22 (on 24 attempts) in the Vikings' win over Nevada on Nov. 23. Jordan Stotler and Tatiana Streun both rank in the top three of the Big Sky for free-throw percentage individually. Stotler ranks second in the conference and 50th in the nation while shooting .848 from the line, while Streun ranks third in the conference at .811. The Vikings could potentially set a new single-season program record for free-throw percentage, as they're well ahead of the current record which stands at .792 from the 2011-12 season. Idaho State set the current Big Sky record at .832 in 2007-08.
 
BALANCED SCORING
The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 48th in the nation with 75.2 points per game thanks to a balanced scoring attack that has five different Vikings averaging over 10 points a game. Redshirt junior forward Tatiana Streun leads the Vikings with 15.1 points per game, while Desirae Hansen (13.0), Kylie Jimenez (12.1), Belle Frazier (10.8), and Jordan Stotler (10.6) follow behind her. Streun's average ranks her third in the Big Sky for scoring, while Hansen ranks ninth. 
 
PASSING THE ROCK
The Vikings set a Big Sky-era program record with 569 assists last season, but that mark may be under threat again this season. The Vikings rank third in the Big Sky and 45th in the nation with 16.2 assists per game through nine games this season. That's just off the Vikings' average from last season, when they broke the single-season record while averaging 17.2 assists per game. Desirae Hansen ranks third in the Big Sky with 5.0 assists per game after posting a career-high 10 against the Pilots Sunday. Kylie Jimenez ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 4.6 assists per game, while she and Hansen rank third (2.3) and seventh (1.6), respectively, in assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
OWNING THE BOARDS
How important is rebounding to the Vikings? Well, considering the Vikings are 5-0 when winning the rebounding battle and 0-3 when they don't, we'd say it's very important. The Vikings have grabbed over 40 rebounds in three of their past four games, and now rank second in the Big Sky with 40.7 rebounds per game. Posts Tatiana Streun and Jordan Stotler each rank in the top 10 of the conference for rebounds, as Streun leads the Big Sky with 9.1 rebounds per game while Stotler ranks fourth with 7.1. Streun also leads the Big Sky with 3.6 offensive rebounds per game, while Stotler and Streun rank tied for second in the conference with 5.6 defensive rebounds per game.
 
DEPTH FROM DEEP
The Vikings lead the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage (.394), and also rank fourth in the conference with 7.0 three-pointers made per game. Three different Vikings rank in the top 15 of the Big Sky for three-pointers made per game in Kylie Jimenez (2.1), Belle Frazier (1.8) and Desirae Hansen (1.6). The Vikings hit a record-tying 13 three-pointers in their season opener against Multnomah on Nov. 5, and hit 10 three-pointers against UC Irvine on Nov. 16 and UC Davis on Nov. 30.
 
BIG-SHOT DES TURNING INTO ALL-AROUND DES AS A SOPHOMORE
Sophomore guard Desirae Hansen has stepped up all phases of her game after a freshman season that ended on a high note with the game-winning shot against Eastern Washington in the Big Sky championship game. Hansen was named the Big Sky Player of the Week Tuesday after leading the Vikings to a 15-point comeback win over cross-town rival University of Portland last Sunday. Hansen scored 16 points to go with a career-high 10 assists and five rebounds, the latest in what has been a long line of all-around performances by Hansen this season. Hansen averages 13.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game this season. She also ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky in seven statistical categories between scoring (9th), three-pointers made per game (15th), assists per game (3rd), assist-to-turnover ratio (7th), blocks per game (13th), steals per game (15th) and minutes played per game (15th).
 
GET YOUR OWN TOTS!
Redshirt junior Tatiana Streun – nicknamed tots – has made a triumphant return to the court this season after an ACL tear kept her out of the Vikings' entire 2018-19 season. Streun has four double-doubles through nine games this season, including two in the Vikings' last two games. Streun had 17 points and 11 rebounds against Grand Canyon on Dec. 6, then followed with 17 points and 12 rebounds against the University of Portland last Sunday. Streun leads the Big Sky and ranks 68th in the nation with 9.1 rebounds per game, and also leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game (3.6) and field goal percentage (.568). Additionally, Streun ranks third in the Big Sky with 15.1 points per game, and also ranks in the top 10 of the conference for defensive rebounds per game (T-2nd, 5.6) and free throw percentage (3rd, .811). Streun was a rebound away from what would have been a fifth double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds in the Vikings' win over UC Irvine on Dec. 2. Streun's 21 points against the Anteaters set a new career high, while she a new career high for rebounds with 13 in the Vikings' season opener against Multnomah on Nov. 5.
 
JIMENEZ CHASING EXCLUSIVE COMPANY AS A JUNIOR
Junior guard Kylie Jimenez can either play distributor or take over a game if she wants to. Jimenez showed the latter while scoring 17 of her game-high 25 points in the second half of the Vikings' win over UC Davis on Nov. 30. She did it again on Dec. 6, when she scored 14 of her 16 points against Grand Canyon after halftime. Jimenez set a new career high with eight steals in the game against UC Davis, and now leads the Big Sky with 2.9 steals per game. Jimenez leads the Vikings and ranks sixth in the Big Sky with 2.1 three-pointers made per game this season. Jimenez needs only one three-pointer, one assist and three steals to enter the all-time top 10 in each category at Portland State. Additionally, Jimenez remains on pace to become the 19th member of the Vikings' 1,000-point club by season's end, at which point she could also become only the third player in program history to record 1,000-career points and 450-career assists. Jimenez will join Claire Faucher and Kim Manifesto, both PSU Hall of Famers, in the exclusive 1,000-point, 450-assist club whenever it happens.
 
THE PAINT BELONGS TO JORDAN STOTLER
Senior forward Jordan Stotler had been averaging a double-double over the Vikings' previous three games before being held to five rebounds against the University of Portland last Sunday. Stotler is still averaging 11.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game over the Vikings' last four games, a stretch that includes her lone double-double of the season when she finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds at UC Irvine on Dec. 2. Stotler's biggest boost of late has come from the free-throw line, where she is 18-of-21 over the last four games and 28-of-33 for the season. Stotler ranks second in the Big Sky and 50th in the nation with an .848 individual free throw percentage. Additionally, Stotler remains one of the best shot blockers in the Big Sky Conference, as she ranks second in the conference and 36th in the nation with 2.0 blocks per game. Stotler now has 64 blocks in her PSU career, leaving her 18 short of entering the all-time top 10 at Portland State in the category. Stotler recorded the ninth-best single-season total for blocked shots with 46 last season despite sharing the paint with the Vikings' all-time blocks leader, Courtney West.
 
DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF US IS BELLE
Like the main character from Beauty and the Beast, freshman Belle Frazier is different from the rest of us, but in a good way. Frazier has stepped right into the Vikings' starting lineup as a freshman, and ranks fourth on the team with 10.8 points per game. Frazier has failed to score in double figures just twice this season, and has hit three three-pointers four times. Frazier set career highs for points (17) and rebounds (5) in the Vikings' win over UC Davis on Nov. 30, and followed with a career-high six steals in the Vikings' win over UC Irvine on Dec. 2. Frazier ranks fifth in the conference with 2.2 steals per game, and also ranks 12th in the Big Sky with 1.8 three-pointers made per game. Additionally, Frazier has carried a heavy load as a freshman, as she ranks 13th in the Big Sky with 31.0 minutes played per game.
 
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 IN THE PRESEASON WNIT
The Vikings made their first-ever appearance in the Preseason WNIT this season. The Vikings lost their first-round game against Boise State, 82-57, on Nov. 8, then lost two consolation games to Kansas City (87-69 on Nov. 15) and UC Irvine (83-75 on Nov. 16). Jordan Stotler was named to the KC Site Preseason WNIT Consolation All-Tournament Team after averaging 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game in the Vikings' two consolation games in Kansas City. The Vikings are the third Big Sky team to participate in the Preseason WNIT in the past four seasons, joining Montana State in 2018 and Eastern Washington in 2016.
 
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.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Nov. 5, Portland State 104, Multnomah 48: The Vikings hit the century mark in their season opener for the second straight season. Before last season, the Vikings hadn't scored over 100 points in a game since Dec. 2, 1995. The Vikings also tied a program record with 13 three-pointers in the game, and assisted on 28 of their 37 field goals.
Nov. 23, Portland State 80, Nevada 75: The Vikings handed Nevada its first loss of the season, while junior guard Kylie Jimenez beat her sister, Alyssa Jimenez, who's a freshman guard for the Wolf Pack.
Nov. 30, Portland State 76, UC Davis 70: The Vikings beat a fellow 2019 NCAA tournament team on the road in UC Davis. The Vikings hit 18-of-18 free throws in the game, tied for the second most makes without a miss within a game in program history. Kylie Jimenez led the Vikings with 25 points, while setting or tying career highs for steals (8) and three-pointers made (5).
Dec. 2, Portland State 70, UC Irvine 61: The Vikings avenged two recent losses to UC Irvine, including one earlier this season in a consolation game of the Preseason WNIT. The win marked the Vikings' third straight win, as well as their second straight road win over a team that won at least 20 games last season.
Dec. 6, Portland State 69, Grand Canyon 46: The Vikings held Grand Canyon – a team that came into the game ranked in the top 10 for both overall field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage – to just 29 percent shooting (18-of-62) from the floor. The Lopes went just 2-of-17 from the three-point line, when they had been hitting more than 47 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.
Dec. 15, Portland State 77, Portland 71: The Vikings overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to beat cross-town rival University of Portland for the third straight season. The Vikings hadn't overcome a 15-point halftime deficit since Jan. 8, 2010, when they came back to beat Montana State, 69-62.