Complete Game Notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
The deeper into the season the Portland State women's basketball team gets, the deeper the rewrites have been to the PSU record books. Thursday's game against Idaho State could take the cake, however, as the game brings several storylines into it.
 
A win for the Vikings Thursday would:
 
• Give the Vikings their first 20-win season since 2010-11.
• Snap the Vikings' 15-game losing streak to the Bengals, the team's longest losing streak to any current Big Sky school.
• Guarantee the Vikings a winning record on the road – just the third time the program has ever had a winning record on the road during the program's Big Sky era.
 
That's not to mention the individual history that could be made, which would be too long to list.
 
The biggest historical ramification of Thursday's game won't even be decided that day, however. The Vikings and Bengals currently stand within a half game of each other in the Big Sky standings, as the Vikings rank tied with Idaho for first at 11-3, with the Bengals tied for third with Northern Colorado at 11-4.
 
A win for the Vikings against the Bengals would put them a game and a half up on the Bengals in the conference race with five games remaining. There would still be several hurdles ahead for the Vikings – including a home game against fellow first-place team Idaho the following Thursday – but the Vikings would have split their season series with the Bengals and Northern Colorado in that case, with the chance to level their series with the Vandals the following week.
 
The Bengals won the first game between them and the Vikings on Feb. 2 in what was a game worthy of the historical ramifications that could come Thursday. The Bengals beat the Vikings 58-57 in the Viking Pavilion, as Idaho State's Estefania Ors hit the game-winning three-pointer with 4.4 seconds remaining. The Vikings got two looks at a potential game-winner of their own following Ors' three, but senior guard Ashley Bolston's contested jumper in the lane fell short, and she had to rush a follow-up with time clicking off the clock.
 
The Vikings led for the entire fourth quarter until Ors' shot in the final seconds. Bolston hit two free throws to give the Vikings a 57-55 lead with 1:25 remaining, and the teams followed with back-to-back shot-clock violations that gave the Bengals the ball back with 22.8 seconds remaining. The Bengals called a timeout to set up their final play, and then passed the ball around the perimeter until Ors took the game-winning shot as the clock wound down.
 
Ors led the Bengals with 18 points and 10 rebounds against the Vikings, and hit three of her game-high four three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Idaho State leading scorer Grace Kenyon was held to 13 points against the Vikings, but stuffed the stat sheet in the other categories with five assists, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
 
Kenyon leads the Bengals across the box score for the season, as she averages team-bests of 14.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, and leads the Bengals with 32 steals and 23 blocks on the season. Ors also averages in double figures with 12.5 points per game, just ahead of teammate Saylair Grandon, who averages 12.2 points per game.
 
Sai Tapasa does not average in double figures, but scored 13 points for the Bengals in their first game against the Vikings.
 
The Vikings and Bengals tip off at 7 p.m. (MT) Thursday at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.
 
QUICK HITS
• The Vikings matched their win total from last season with their win over Southern Utah Saturday. The Vikings went 19-13 last season, but reached 19 wins in nine fewer games this season. The Vikings can now record their first 20-win season since 2010-11 if they can beat Idaho State on Thursday. The program record for wins a season during the Big Sky era is 23, set during the 2008-09 season.
• The Vikings recorded their first Big Sky weekend road sweep since 2012 with their wins over Northern Arizona and Southern Utah last week. The Vikings are 6-2 in true road games this season, and can guarantee themselves just their third winning record on the road during the program's Big Sky era with a win over Idaho State.
• Senior guard Sidney Rielly has scored in double figures in 12 straight games, and has averaged 18.3 points per game during that stretch. Rielly moved into a tie with Portland State hall-of-famer Claire Faucher (2006-10) for sixth on the all-time scoring list with 22 points in the Vikings' win over Southern Utah Saturday. Rielly has 1,399 points in her career, and also ranks in the top 10 for career scoring average (6th, 15.9), field goal percentage (9th, .491), three-point field goals made (6th, 135), 10-point games (9th, 68), 20-point games (T-4th, 25) and 30-point games (T-6th, 3).
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank seventh nationally with a field goal percentage defense of .344. The Vikings have held 11 of their 23 opponents this season to under 35 percent shooting from the floor, while 18 of the Vikings' 23 opponents have failed to shoot over 40 percent. The Vikings held Weber State to just .194 from the floor on Jan. 31 – the first time the Vikings have held an opponent to under 20 percent shooting since game-by-game records go back through the 2006-07 season. The 38 points given up to the Wildcats were also the fewest points the Vikings have conceded to a Big Sky opponent since they held Eastern Washington to 36 points on Jan. 25, 1997 – the Vikings' first year in the conference.
• The Vikings beat Weber State by 27 points, 65-38, on Jan. 31 – the Vikings' largest margin of victory over a Big Sky opponent since they beat Northern Arizona 87-58 on Jan. 4, 2009. For the season, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 24th in the nation with a plus-14.6 scoring margin.
• Senior forward Courtney West broke her own single-game school record with nine blocks in the Vikings' 63-49 win over Southern Utah on Jan. 17. 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 eighth nationally with 2.8 blocks per game, while the Vikings as a team lead the Big Sky and rank 10th nationally with 5.6 blocks per game. Besides West, junior forward Jordan Stotler ranks third in the Big Sky and 61st in the nation with 1.7 blocks per game.
• Three different Vikings rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky for field goal percentage in conference games. Seniors Sidney Rielly and Courtney West rank tied for seventh in the conference with a .500 field goal percentage in conference games, while junior forward Jordan Stotler follows right behind at ninth with a mark of .494.
• Freshman guard Desirae Hansen and senior guard Sidney Rielly rank 1-2 in the Big Sky while shooting .450 and .430 from three-point range, respectively.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank ninth in the nation with 18.3 assists per game. Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez ranks third in the Big Sky with 5.0 assists per game, while senior guard Ashley Bolston ranks right behind her at fourth with 4.7 assists per game.
• Sophomore Kylie Jimenez and senior Ashley Bolston rank 1-2 in the Big Sky with averages of 2.7 and 2.6 steals per game, respectively. The Vikings as a team rank second in the Big Sky and 49th in the nation with 9.9 steals per game.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky in 10 different statistical categories, and rank second in the league in six more. The Vikings lead the Big Sky in scoring defense (58.4), scoring margin (+14.6), field goal percentage defense (.344), free throw percentage (.768), three-point field goal percentage defense (.278), defensive rebounds per game (29.0), assists per game (18.3), assist to turnover ratio (1.3), turnover margin (+1.96) and blocks per game (5.6).
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (19-4, 11-3)
73.0 PPG | 43.8 FG% | 36.6 3FG%
Notable: The Portland State Vikings recorded their first Big Sky road weekend sweep since 2012 with a pair of wins over Northern Arizona (74-59 Thursday) and Southern Utah (81-56 Saturday) last weekend. The Vikings also matched last season's win total with their 19th win of the season Saturday, reaching the 19-win benchmark in nine fewer games than they did last year when they went 19-13 overall. Most importantly, the Vikings' weekend sweep put them back into a tie with Idaho for first place in the Big Sky Conference at 11-3. The Vikings and Vandals stand a half game ahead of Idaho State and Northern Colorado at 11-4, making Thursday's game against the Bengals a battle for the top of the Big Sky table. Both teams were also near the top of the table when they played their first game against each other this season on Feb. 2. The Bengals won that game, 58-57, on a last-second three-pointer, as ISU's Estefania Ors hit the game-winning shot with 4.4 seconds left. Ors led the Bengals with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the game, and hit three of her game-high four three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Sidney Rielly led the Vikings with 17 points while adding seven rebounds and two steals. Rielly has scored in double figures in 12 straight games, the latest being a 22-point performance against Southern Utah Saturday in which she shot a career-best 9-of-11 from the floor. Rielly was one of six different Vikings who had eight points or more by the midway point of the third quarter against the Thunderbirds, the fourth straight game the Vikings have had five players score at least eight points.
 
IDAHO STATE BENGALS (16-8, 11-4)
65.0 PPG | 44.3 FG% | 34.7 3FG%
Notable: The Idaho State Bengals had the opportunity to take over first place on their own Saturday, but a fourth-quarter comeback against Montana came up just short in a 60-59 road loss to the Lady Griz. The Bengals also lost 81-77 to Northern Arizona on Feb. 7, their first game after beating the Vikings 58-57 in Portland on Feb. 2. The Vikings and Bengals remain tethered together in the Big Sky statistical rankings, as they rank 1-2 in the conference for scoring defense (PSU 58.4, ISU 58.8), scoring margin (PSU +14.6, ISU +6.2), field goal percentage (ISU .443, PSU .438), field goal percentage defense (PSU .344, ISU .360), assists per game (PSU 18.3, ISU 15.4) and turnover margin (PSU +1.96, ISU +1.21). Individually, redshirt senior forward Grace Kenyon leads the Bengals nearly across the board statistically, as she averages team-bests of 14.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, and leads the Bengals with 32 steals and 23 blocks on the season. The Vikings held Kenyon to 13 points in their first game against the Bengals, though Kenyon still stuffed the stat sheet with five assists, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Estefania Ors led the Bengals with 18 points and 10 rebounds against the Vikings. Ors also hit three of her game-high four three-pointers in the fourth quarter, including the game-winner with 4.4 seconds remaining. Ors ranks second on the team with 12.5 points per game, just ahead of teammate Saylair Grandon, who averages 12.2 points per game. Sai Tapasa does not average in double figures, but scored 13 points for the Bengals against the Vikings.
 
IDAHO STATE SERIES HISTORY
The Bengals extended their winning streak against the Vikings to 15 games with their 58-57 win at the Viking Pavilion on Feb. 2 earlier this season. That win increased the Bengals' advantage in the overall series to 35-22, as well as the Big Sky series 29-14. The Vikings last beat the Bengals on Jan. 17, 2011, behind an 89-79 win at home.
 
LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available from the Vikings' game against Idaho 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 Idaho State on channel 243 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 completed their first Big Sky road weekend sweep with an 81-56 win over Southern Utah Saturday. The Vikings also matched their win total from last season with their 19th win, but did it in nine fewer games than they did in 2017-18 when they went 19-13. The Vikings took much of the drama out early against the Thunderbirds, as they shot 19-of-29 for a .655 field goal percentage in the first half, including a 10-of-14 performance in the second quarter when the Vikings outscored the Thunderbirds, 26-8. The Vikings took their first double-digit lead with nine straight points near the start of the second quarter, and then closed the half with 14 straight points to take a 50-26 advantage into the break. Senior guard Sidney Rielly had 15 points by halftime against the Thunderbirds, and finished with a game-high 22 points off a career-best shooting performance in which she went 9-of-11 from the floor. Rielly wasn't alone Saturday, however, as six different Vikings had eight points or more by the midway point of the third quarter. Sophomore forward Savannah Dhaliwal chipped in 16 points in only 19 minutes played against the Thunderbirds, matching the season high she set in the Vikings' 85-66 win over Northern Colorado the week before. Senior forward Courtney West and sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez joined Rielly and Dhaliwal in double figures, as they scored 13 and 11 points, respectively. Senior guard Ashley Bolston chipped in nine points along with four steals for the Vikings, while freshman guard Desirae Hansen scored eight points to go with four rebounds and two assists.
 
UPCOMING
The Vikings close out their four-game road trip with a game at Sacramento State Saturday. The Vikings and Hornets will tip off at 2 p.m. (PT) in Sacramento, Calif.
 
BEST SEASON EVER?
The Vikings matched their win total from last season with their 19th win of the season last Saturday against Southern Utah. The Vikings reached their 19th win nine games faster than they did last season, when the Vikings went 19-13 overall. The Vikings can now go for their first 20-win season since 2010-11 if they can beat Idaho State Saturday. Get to 20 wins, and the Vikings can start to think about breaking the school record for wins in a season during the Big Sky era, which the 2008-09 Vikings set with 23 wins.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
The Vikings may have played the majority of their games at home so far this season, but they haven't been any slouches on the road, either. The Vikings are 6-2 in road games, and just completed their first Big Sky weekend road sweep since 2012 with their wins over Northern Arizona and Southern Utah last weekend. The Vikings recorded their most road wins in nine seasons last year, when they went 7-10 on the road. The program record for road wins during the Big Sky era is 10, which the Vikings set while going 10-8 on the road during the 2008-09 season. That was also one of only two times the Vikings have ever had a winning record on the road during their Big Sky era, though the Vikings can guarantee themselves a winning road record with a win over Idaho State Thursday. The program record for road win percentage during the program's Big Sky era came in 2008-09 with a .556 mark.
 
THAT'S DEPTH, BRO
Six different Vikings scored eight or more points in the Vikings' 81-56 win over Southern Utah, showing the depth that has helped the Vikings become one of the Big Sky leaders. The Vikings also had six players with eight or more points against Sacramento State on Feb. 7, and then had five players with nine or more points in their next two games against Northern Colorado (Feb. 9) and Northern Arizona (Feb. 14).
 
THIRD QUARTER, EXPLOSION QUARTER
Head coach Lynn Kennedy called the third quarter the Vikings' explosion quarter after the Vikings ran away from Sacramento State in the second half on Feb. 7. The Vikings and Hornets were tied at 30-30 going into halftime, but the Vikings scored nine straight points and 17 of 20 early in the third quarter and never led by fewer than seven points the rest of the way. The Vikings used similar third-quarter runs in the two games before that against Weber State and Idaho State, and also had key third-quarter runs against Eastern Washington on Jan. 24, as well as their first game against Weber State on Jan. 12.
 
CLOSE GAMES
The Vikings lost by one point, 58-57, in their first game against Idaho State on Feb. 2, the third time out of four losses this season that the Vikings have fallen by five points or less. The Vikings are 2-3 this season in games decided by five points or less, and 3-3 in games decided by 10 points or less. Those records might be a little unfair to the Vikings, however, as 16 of the team's 19 wins this season have come by 10 points or more.
 
MONEY FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 11th in the nation while making 76.8 percent of their shots from the free-throw line. The 76-percent mark from the charity stripe would go down as the Vikings' third-best mark in a season if the season ended today. The Vikings set the second-best mark with a .786 free throw percentage last season, while they set the single-season record at .792 during the 2011-12 season. Senior guard Ashley Bolston ranks fifth in the Big Sky and 86th nationally with an .818 individual free throw percentage.
 
BLOCK PARTY
Senior forward Courtney West broke her own single-game record with nine blocks in the Vikings' 63-49 win over Southern Utah on Jan. 17, 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 eighth in the nation with 2.8 blocks per game. The Vikings also lead the Big Sky and rank 10th in the nation with 5.6 blocks per game as a team, while junior forward Jordan Stotler ranks third in the conference and 61st nationally with 1.7 blocks per game.
 
HOT SHOOTING IN BIG SKY PLAY
The Vikings have shot over 44 percent as a team in nine of their 14 Big Sky games, a mark they 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. Seniors Sidney Rielly and Courtney West rank tied for seventh in the conference with a .500 field goal percentage in conference games, while junior forward Jordan Stotler follows right behind at ninth with a mark of .494. Rielly and freshman guard Desirae Hansen also rank 1-2 in the Big Sky with marks of .493 and .474 from three-point range in Big Sky play.
 
UNSELFISH BASKETBALL
The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank ninth in the nation with 18.3 assists per game this season. At their current rate, the Vikings could break the Division I single-season record depending on how long they play in the postseason. The current Division I record came when the Vikings recorded 602 assists during the 1989-90 season, and the Vikings would finish with 549 assists if they played in only one postseason game. 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 sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez and senior guard Ashley Bolston rank third and fourth in the Big Sky, respectively, with 5.0 and 4.7 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 held Weber State to just .194 shooting from the field on Jan. 31 – the first time the Vikings have held an opponent to under 20 percent shooting since game-by-game records go back through the 2006-07 season. The 38 points given up to the Wildcats were also the fewest points the Vikings have conceded to a Big Sky opponent since they held Eastern Washington to 36 points on Jan. 25, 1997 – the Vikings' first year in the conference. The Vikings hadn't held a Division I opponent to under 25 percent from the floor in over eight years, let alone below 20 percent. Loyola Marymount was the last Division I team to shoot less than 25 percent from the floor against the Vikings when they shot .242 on Dec. 11, 2010. For the season, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank seventh in the nation with a .344 field goal percentage defense. The Vikings have held 11 of their 23 opponents so far this season to under 35 percent shooting from the floor, while 18 of their 23 opponents have failed to shoot over 40 percent.
 
TWO-HEADED STEALING MONSTER
Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez and senior guard Ashley Bolston are a nightmare matchup for opposing teams on the perimeter as they rank 1-2 in the Big Sky while averaging 2.7 and 2.6 steals per game, respectively. Jimenez has recorded at least three steals in 10 games this season, including two straight games with six steals in the Vikings' games against UNLV (Dec. 15) and UC Irvine (Dec. 18). Bolston had the high-water mark for steals in a game this season when she had nine while nearly posting a quadruple-double 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 five 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 2.6 steals per game, as well as fourth in the conference with 4.7 assists per game. Bolston also ranks 14th in the conference with 12.7 points per game, as well as fifth in free throw percentage (.818) and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5).
 
THE BASKETBALL LIFE OF RIELLY
Senior guard Sidney Rielly tied PSU hall-of-famer Claire Faucher (2006-10) for sixth all time in career scoring with 22 points in the Vikings' win over Southern Utah Saturday. Rielly, who became just the third Viking to reach the 1,000-point club in only two years at Portland State, now has 1,399 points in her career, and ranks in the top 10 all time for 10-, 20- and 30-point games. Rielly has 68 10-point games in her career (9th all time) to go with 25 20-point games (T-4th all time) and three 30-point games (T-6th all time). Additionally, Rielly has moved up to sixth all time with her 135 career three-pointers, and ranks sixth all time with a career scoring average of 15.9 points per game. Rielly has also 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 .491 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 12.1 points per game this season, more than three points per game higher than her average of 8.9 points per game as a freshman. Jimenez also ranks third in the Big Sky with an average of 5.0 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 and ranks 30th nationally with 2.7 steals per game. That's close to one 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 ranks second in the Big Sky and 41st nationally with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.2, after leading the conference in the category as a freshman.
 
COURTNEY WEST, QUEEN OF THE BLOCK
Senior forward Courtney West broke her own single-game school record with nine blocks in the Vikings' 63-49 win over Southern Utah on Jan. 17. 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. For the season, West leads the Big Sky and ranks eighth nationally with 2.9 blocks per game. West holds the triple crown of blocked shot records at Portland State between the records for blocks in a game (9), season (94) and career (234). West needs just three more blocks to tie Montana's Lisa McLeod (1985-89) for fourth all time within the Big Sky Conference with 237 career blocks. Outside of blocks, West ranks fourth all time with a .517 career field goal percentage, and has moved up to seventh all time with 643 career rebounds. West also ranks tied for sixth all time with an average of 7.5 rebounds per game.
 
I WANNE BE LIKE JORDAN…STOTLER THAT IS
Junior forward Jordan Stotler recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the Vikings' game against Idaho on Jan. 26, and narrowly missed double-doubles in the five games that followed. Stotler may have had her most complete game as a Viking against Sacramento State on Feb. 7 despite having an off shooting night where she went 1-of-12 from the field. Stotler finished with a career-high 15 rebounds against the Hornets – five coming on the offensive end – and added eight points, four assists, three steals and a block. Stotler has averaged 8.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the Vikings' last seven games.
 
IRON WOMAN
Senior forward Pia Jurhar played in her 114th career game in the Vikings' game against Southern Utah Saturday. Jurhar, who has missed only four games in her career, will move into the top 10 all time at Portland State for games played if she appears in the Vikings' game against Idaho State Thursday. With at least seven more games guaranteed this season, Jurhar could move up to sixth all time at Portland State if she plays in all nine. Jurhar also moved into a tie for fourth place all time on her own with her 101st career block against Northern Arizona last Thursday, and will enter the top 10 all time for career rebounds if she can grab four against ISU.
 
SAVIOR SAV
Sophomore forward Savannah Dhaliwal had a breakthrough performance in the Vikings' win over Sacramento State on Feb. 7, and has maintained her level of play ever since. Dhaliwal has scored 48 points between the Vikings' last four games, nearly double the total she had scored – 25 points – in the Vikings' first 15 games of the season. Dhaliwal has also shot 17-of-27 in the Vikings' last four games, after she started the season 8-of-26 through the Vikings' first 15 games.
 
THE DES CRAZE HITS PORTLAND STATE
Freshman guard Desirae Hansen has made an instant impact at Portland State, as she leads the Big Sky with a .450 (27-of-60) three-point field goal percentage this season. Hansen also leads all freshmen in the Big Sky with 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season. Hansen made a splash in her Viking debut, as she had 22 points in 22 minutes 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.
Jan. 24, Portland State 76, Eastern Washington 64: The Vikings won their first game in Cheney since 2013, while head coach Lynn Kennedy won his first road game against the Eagles in his tenure at Portland State. Five different Vikings scored in double figures for the Vikings for the first time this season.
Jan. 31, Portland State 65, Weber State 38: The Vikings held Weber State to .194 from the floor – the first time they have held an opponent to under 20 percent shooting since game-by-game records go back through the 2006-07 season. The 38 points given up to the Wildcats were also the fewest points the Vikings have conceded to a Big Sky opponent since they held Eastern Washington to 36 points on Jan. 25, 1997 – the Vikings' first year in the conference. Additionally, the 27-point victory over the Wildcats marked the Vikings' largest margin of victory against a Big Sky opponent since they beat Northern Arizona on Jan. 4, 2009.
Feb. 9, Portland State 85, Northern Colorado 66: The Vikings handed the defending-champion Northern Colorado Bears their worst Big Sky loss since Jan. 19, 2013, with a 19-point win. The Vikings also held last season's Big Sky MVP in the Bears' Savannah Smith to only five points in the game, and shut her out entirely in the second half. Smith hadn't scored as few as five points in a Big Sky game since she was a redshirt freshman and scored three points against Montana State on Jan. 16, 2016.
Feb. 16, Portland State 81, Southern Utah 56: The Vikings completed their first Big Sky weekend road sweep since 2012, and matched their first win total from last season with their 19th win. The Vikings won their 19th game of the season in nine fewer games than they played last year, when they went 19-13.