Complete Game Notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
The water works might show up Saturday, but in the best possible sense. Saturday marks the final regular-season home game for a senior class that has dramatically turned around the Portland State women's basketball program. The Vikings will honor seniors Ashley Bolston, Corey James, Pia Jurhar, Sidney Rielly and Courtney West before their game against Eastern Washington.
 
James and Jurhar played for the Vikings during head Lynn Kennedy's first season with the Vikings, when the team won only four games all season. Four years later, the Vikings head into Senior Day with 20 wins – only the fourth time the Vikings have recorded 20 wins in a season during the program's Big Sky era.
 
The Vikings have other things to play for Saturday against the Eagles, as well, as a win would clinch a first-round bye for the Vikings at the upcoming Big Sky tournament. First-round byes will take on added importance this season, as the first three rounds of the Big Sky tournament will be played on three consecutive days as opposed to the five-day schedule for the same rounds during the previous three seasons.
 
A win Saturday would also give them a record-tying 14th home win this season, equaling the record the 2010-11 Vikings set while going 14-2 at home.
 
It won't be easy against the Eagles Saturday, however, as Eastern Washington comes in as one of the hottest teams in the Big Sky Conference over the last three weeks. The Eagles have won five of their last six games, including a 76-72 road win over defending-champion Northern Colorado on Feb. 14. Additionally, the one loss during that stretch could have easily been a win, as the Eagles led Idaho 74-72 with 1.6 seconds remaining before the Vandals' Mikayla Ferenz hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired.
 
The Eagles' offense has been on fire during their recent run, as they've scored over 70 points in five straight games, after only bettering that mark twice in their first 21 games of the season. The Eagles have also shot 45 percent or better in four of their last five games, another barrier that they had bettered only twice earlier in the season.
 
Individually, Violet Kapri Morrow ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 19.1 points per game this season, and also leads the team with 6.4 rebounds per game. Morrow's 19.1 points per game is close to eight and a half points per game more than any other player on the roster as Grace Kirscher ranks second on the team with 10.7 points per game.
 
The Vikings held Morrow to only 11 points in their first game against the Eagles, a 76-64 win on Jan. 24 that was the Vikings' first win in Cheney since 2013. Kirscher had 16 points for the Eagles in that game, while Alissa Sealby led the team with 17 points against the Vikings.
 
The Vikings broke open the game against the Eagles with a 20-2 run at the start of the third quarter that turned a one-point game at halftime into a blowout. Five different Vikings scored in double figures against the Eagles, led by sophomore guard Kylie Jimenez who recorded her second straight 19-point game at the time. Senior guard Ashley Bolston also recorded 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals, while Sidney Rielly (13 points), Desirae Hansen (11 points) and Courtney West (10 points) also scored in double figures.
 
The Vikings and Eagles will tip off shortly after 2 p.m. (PT) Saturday in a game presented by Les Schwab.
 
A WIN WOULD…
• Clinch a first-round bye for the Vikings at the upcoming Big Sky tournament.
• Give the Vikings 21 wins on the season, the third highest single-season win total during the program's Big Sky era.
• Tie the program record for home wins in a season during the Big Sky era with their 14th win at the Viking Pavilion.
• Give the Vikings a 13th Big Sky win, something only one other team has done – the 2008-09 Vikings that set the program record with 14 conference wins.
 
QUICK HITS
• The Vikings won their 20th game of the season with their 75-57 victory over Sacramento State last Saturday. The Vikings hadn't recorded a 20-win season since 2010-11, and this season marks only the fourth 20-win season in the program's Big Sky era. The program record for wins a season during the Big Sky era is 23, set during the 2008-09 season.
• The Vikings are 13-3 at home this season, and can tie the program record for home wins during the Big Sky era with a win over the Eagles.
• Senior guard Ashley Bolston moved into the career top 10 for scoring with eight points against the Vandals Thursday, giving the Vikings two active players in the all-time top 10. Besides Bolston, fellow senior guard Sidney Rielly ranks sixth all time on the career scoring list with 1,421 points, while Bolston ranks 10th all time with 1,242 points.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank seventh 10th nationally with a field goal percentage defense of .350. The Vikings have held 12 of their 26 opponents this season to under 35 percent shooting from the floor, while 19 of the Vikings' 26 opponents have failed to shoot over 40 percent.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 32nd in the nation with a plus-12.4 scoring margin.
• Senior forward Courtney West leads the Big Sky and ranks seventh nationally with 2.8 blocks per game, while the Vikings as a team lead the Big Sky and rank 12th nationally with 5.4 blocks per game. Besides West, junior forward Jordan Stotler ranks third in the Big Sky and 81st in the nation with 1.5 blocks per game.
• Senior guard Sidney Rielly ranks in the top 10 of the Big Sky for both field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage. Rielly ranks seventh with an overall field goal percentage of .471, and ranks second in the conference with a three-point field goal percentage of .424.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 14th in the nation with 17.8 assists per game. Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez ranks third in the Big Sky with 4.9 assists per game, while senior guard Ashley Bolston ranks right behind her at fourth with 4.5 assists per game.
• Sophomore Kylie Jimenez and senior Ashley Bolston rank 1-2 in the Big Sky with identical averages of 2.6 steals per game. Jimenez has the slight advantage on Bolston with 68 steals to Bolston's 67. As a team, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 43rd in the nation with 9.9 steals per game.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky in eight different statistical categories, and rank second in the league in six more. The Vikings lead the Big Sky in scoring margin (+12.4), field goal percentage defense (.350), three-point field goal percentage defense (.297), defensive rebounds per game (28.5), assists per game (17.8), turnover margin (+1.81), steals per game (9.9) and blocks per game (5.4).
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (20-6, 12-5)
72.2 PPG | 43.5 FG% | 36.0 3FG%
Notable: The Portland State Vikings dropped the battle for first place in the Big Sky to Idaho Thursday, losing 81-68 to the Vandals. The loss deflated the Vikings' hopes of a Big Sky regular-season title, but the Vikings can still clinch a first-round bye at the Big Sky tournament with a win over Eastern Washington Saturday. A bright spot for the Vikings against the Vandals was senior forward Courtney West, who recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 15 rebounds to go with three blocks and a steal. Freshman Desirae Hansen also tied sophomore Kylie Jimenez for the team lead with 15 points in the game, her most points in a Big Sky game this season. Senior guard Ashley Bolston only scored eight points in the game, but that was enough to move her into the top 10 all time for scoring at Portland State where she joined teammate Sidney Rielly. Rielly ranks sixth all time with 1,421 points, while Bolston now ranks 10th all time with 1,242 points. Bolston also ranks in the career top 10s for assists and steals at Portland State, making her one of only three players in program history to rank in the top 10 for points, assists and steals, joining Claire Faucher (2006-10) and Kim Manifesto (1992-96). A win over the Eagles Saturday would also give the Vikings 21 wins on the season, which would be the third-most ever in a season during the program's Big Sky era. The Vikings can also tie the program record for home wins during the Big Sky era with their 14th win at the Viking Pavilion if they can beat the Eagles.
 
EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (10-16, 9-8)
63.3 PPG | 38.9 FG% | 34.6 3FG%
Notable: The Eastern Washington Eagles have been one of the hottest teams in the Big Sky in the last three weeks. The Eagles have won five of their last six games, including a 76-72 road win over defending-champion Northern Colorado on Feb. 14. Additionally, the one loss during that stretch could have easily been a win, as the Eagles led Idaho 74-72 with 1.6 seconds remaining before the Vandals' Mikayla Ferenz hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired. The Eagles' offense has been on fire during their recent run, as they've scored over 70 points in five straight games after only bettering that mark twice in their first 21 games of the season. The Eagles have also shot 45 percent or better from floor in four of their last five games, another barrier that they had bettered only twice before. Individually, Violet Kapri Morrow ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 19.1 points per game this season, and also leads the team with 6.4 rebounds per game. Morrow's 19.1 points per game is close to eight and a half points per game more than any other player on the roster as Grace Kirscher ranks second on the team with 10.7 points per game. The Vikings held Morrow to only 11 points in their first game against the Eagles, a 76-64 win on Jan. 24 that was the Vikings' first win in Cheney since 2013. Kirscher had 16 points for the Eagles in that game, while Alissa Sealby led the team with 17 points against the Vikings. The Vikings broke open their game against the Eagles with a 20-2 run at the start of the third quarter that turned a one-point game at halftime into a blowout.
 
EASTERN WASHINGTON SERIES HISTORY
The Vikings leveled the Big Sky series between them and the Eagles at 22-22 with a 76-64 win in the teams' first game against each other this season. The Eagles still lead the overall series, 37-30, however. The Vikings have won three of their last four against the Eagles, including two of their last three at home.
 
LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available from the Vikings' game against Eastern Washington. Fans can also find the link to live stats on the women's basketball schedule page at GoViks.com.
 
LIVE VIDEO
Live video will be available from the Vikings' game against Eastern Washington on channel 232 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 found themselves chasing the game Thursday against Idaho, and the Vandals took advantage while handing the Vikings an 81-68 loss. It was a game of runs early, but the Vikings were having to comeback each time. Idaho opened the game with 12 straight points, before the Vikings answered with 12 straight of their own to tie it. Idaho then scored 10 straight to go up 24-14 – including the first eight of the second quarter – before the Vikings again answered with seven straight points to get back within three. The Vandals took a 38-30 advantage into halftime, and still led by eight at 43-35 less than two minutes after halftime when the Vikings made their push for the lead. The Vikings used a 12-2 run to take a 47-45 lead with 5:03 remaining in the third quarter, but that proved to be the Vikings' only lead in the game. Idaho immediately took the lead back with a three-pointer from Taylor Pierce, and then buried the Vikings with a barrage of three-pointers. The Vandals finished with 15 three-pointers in the game, the most by a Viking opponent this season. The Vikings, conversely, only made two three-pointers while going 2-of-8 from beyond the arc. Pierce – the Big Sky and national leader in three-pointers made this season – finished with six three-pointers for the Vandals, while Gina Marxen and Mikayla Ferenz finished with five and four, respectively. The Vikings had plenty of bright spots individually despite the loss, including a double-double for senior forward Courtney West. West finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds to go with three blocks and a steal. Five of West's game-high 15 rebounds came on the offensive end, her most offensive rebounds in a game since she had five in back-to-back games against Warner Pacific and San Jose State to open the season. Freshman Desirae Hansen also tied sophomore Kylie Jimenez for the team lead with 15 points in the game, Hansen's most points in a Big Sky game this season.
 
UPCOMING
The Vikings close out the regular season with a road trip to the Montana schools next weekend. The Vikings opened the weekend against Montana Thursday at 7 p.m. (MT), and then travel to face Montana State Saturday at 2 p.m. (MT).
 
BEST SEASON EVER?
The Vikings won their 20th game of the season last Saturday, beating Sacramento State 75-57. The victory marked the Vikings' first 20-win season since the 2010-11 season, as well as just the fourth 20-win season in the program's Big Sky era. The program record for wins a season during the Big Sky era is 23, set during the 2008-09 season.
 
Most Wins in a Season (Big Sky era)
Overall Record      Season
23-10                     2008-09
22-9                       2007-08
20-12                     2010-11
20-6                       2018-19
 
HOME SWEET HOME
The Vikings can tie the program record for home wins during the Big Sky era if they can beat Eastern Washington Saturday. The 2010-11 team set the current record while going 14-2 at the old Stott Center. The Vikings come into Saturday game 13-3 in home games this season.
 
RISING PROGRAM
The Vikings' 20th win of the season last Saturday guaranteed that the Vikings would improve their win total from the year before for the fourth straight season 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 last season, and have now surpassed that in 2018-19.
 
Growth Under Head Coach Lynn Kennedy
Record       Season      Kennedy's Year at PSU
4-26           2015-16     1st
16-17         2016-17     2nd
19-13         2017-18     3rd
20-5           2018-19     4th
 
THAT'S DEPTH, BRO
Six different Vikings have either led the team or tied for the team lead in scoring this season between Sidney Rielly (11 games), Ashley Bolston (eight games), Kylie Jimenez (six games), Courtney West (two games), Desirae Hansen (two games) and Savannah Dhaliwal (one game). Four Vikings also average in double figures between Rielly (14.7 ppg), Bolston (12.4 ppg), Jimenez (11.7 ppg) and West (10.1 ppg).
 
CLOSE GAMES
Three of the Vikings' six losses this season have come by five points or less. The Vikings are just 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 the Vikings are 17-3 in games decided by 10 points or more.
 
UNSELFISH BASKETBALL
The Vikings had 23 assists on 30 field goals in their win over Sacramento State last Saturday, the fifth time the Vikings have recorded more than 20 assists in a Big Sky game this season. Overall, the Vikings lead the conference and rank 14th in the nation with 17.8 assists per game this season. 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 4.9 and 4.5 assists per game.
 
MONEY FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
The Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and 10th in the nation while shooting .774 from the free-throw line. The 77-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 fourth in the Big Sky and 76th nationally with an .821 individual free throw percentage. Additionally, the worst free throw percentage of the team's regular rotation players is just .697 from freshman Desirae Hansen.
 
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 seventh in the nation with 2.8 blocks per game. The Vikings also lead the Big Sky and rank 12th in the nation with 5.4 blocks per game as a team, while junior forward Jordan Stotler ranks third in the conference and 81st nationally with 1.5 blocks per game.
 
HOT SHOOTING IN BIG SKY PLAY
The Vikings have shot over 44 percent as a team in 10 of their 17 Big Sky games, a mark they bettered in only three of their nine non-conference games. Seniors Courtney West and Sidney Rielly rank sixth and ninth in the Big Sky, respectively, while shooting .508 and .484 from the field in conference games. Rielly also ranks second in the Big Sky while shooting .480 from three-point range in Big Sky play, having made 36-of-75 shots from deep. Freshman Desirae Hansen ranks fifth in the Big Sky with a .422 (19-of-45) mark from deep in conference games.
 
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 10th in the nation with a .350 field goal percentage defense. The Vikings have held 12 of their 26 opponents so far this season to under 35 percent shooting from the floor, while 19 of their 26 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 2.6 steals per game each. Jimenez has recorded at least three steals in 12 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 entered the top 10 for career scoring at Portland State with eight points against Idaho Thursday. Bolston now ranks 10th all time with 1,242 points, putting her in six different top 10 lists in program history. Bolston is only the third Viking to rank in the career top 10s for points, assists (7th, 351) and steals (6th, 202), joining Kim Manifesto (1992-96) and Claire Faucher (2006-10). Bolston also ranks in the top 10 for scoring average (8th, 15.0), free throw percentage (6th, .833) and 20-point games (7th, 22). Bolston also had two triple-doubles during the non-conference schedule earlier this season, tying Faucher for the most by a Viking in a single 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 BASKETBALL LIFE OF RIELLY
Senior guard Sidney Rielly needs only six points on Senior Day Saturday to move past Sheri VanLoo (1980-84) for fifth all time in career scoring at Portland State. Rielly, who became just the third Viking to reach the 1,000-point club in only two years at Portland State, now has 1,421 points in her career, and also ranks in the top 10 all time for scoring average as well as 10-, 20- and 30-point games. Rielly ranks sixth all time with a career scoring average of 15.6 points per game, and has 69 10-point games (T-8th all time), 25 20-point games (T-4th all time) and three 30-point games (T-6th all time). Additionally, Rielly moved into a tie for fifth all time with 136 career three-pointers in the Vikings' game against Sacramento State last Saturday. 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 10th all time at Portland State with a .488 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 11.7 points per game this season, nearly 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 4.9 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 33rd nationally with 2.6 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 third in the Big Sky and 58th nationally with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.1, 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 seventh nationally with 2.8 blocks per game. West now has 243 career blocks, more than twice that of any other player in Portland State history. 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 also moved past Montana's Lisa McLeod for fourth all time in career blocks within the Big Sky Conference after recording six blocks against Sacramento State last Saturday. Outside of blocks, West ranks fourth all time at Portland State with a .518 career field goal percentage, and has moved up to sixth all time with 670 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 has missed a double-double by a single point three other times since then. One of those times came last Saturday against Sacramento State, when Stotler finished with nine points and 11 rebounds. Stotler has averaged 7.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in Big Sky play.
 
IRON WOMAN
Senior forward Pia Jurhar played in her 116th career game in the Vikings' game against Sacramento State last Saturday, moving her into ninth place all time for game played on her own. Jurhar has missed only five games in her career, and with at least four more games guaranteed this season, Jurhar could move up to sixth all time at Portland State if she plays in all four. Jurhar also moved into fourth place all time on her own with her 102nd career block against Idaho State last Thursday, and ranks 10th all time with 547 career rebounds.
 
THE DES CRAZE HITS PORTLAND STATE
Freshman guard Desirae Hansen has made an instant impact at Portland State, as she ranks fourth in the Big Sky with a .418 (28-of-67) three-point field goal percentage this season. Hansen also leads all freshmen in the Big Sky with 4.3 rebounds 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.
Feb. 23, Portland State 75, Sacramento State 57: The Vikings won their 20th game of the season, giving them their first 20-win season since the 2010-11 season, and just the fourth 20-win season in the program's Big Sky era. The Vikings also guaranteed themselves a winning road record with their seventh victory away from home this season, just the third time the Vikings will finish with a winning record on the road during the program's Big Sky era.