Complete Game Notes (PDF)

TICKETS
Tickets are now available for Viking fans to attend Friday's NCAA First Round game against the Ducks. A fan bus will leave from the Park Blocks at 1 p.m. Friday. Fans wanting to purchase tickets for the bus and the game can do so for $50. Fans can also buy game tickets only for $25. Both packages will be sold here: https://portlandstate.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1623.
 
TIPOFF
The Portland State women's basketball team's first trip to the big dance since 2010 comes with an in-state battle in the first round as the Vikings take on the second-seeded Oregon Ducks in Eugene Friday at 6 p.m. (PT).
 
The Ducks earned the right to host the first two rounds as the No. 2 seed in the bracket's Portland Regional. They'll host the 15th-seeded Vikings, who were also a 15 seed the last time they made the tournament in 2010. The Vikings faced Texas A&M in their only other appearance in the NCAA Tournament, losing 84-53 to the Aggies in Seattle, Wash.
 
The Vikings could earn their first-ever win in the NCAA tournament with an upset of the Ducks Friday. Out of the Big Sky, only Montana has won a game in the NCAA tournament, which the Lady Griz did three different times between the tournaments in 1992, 1994 and 1995. No Big Sky team has advanced past the second round.
 
The Ducks come into their game against the Vikings with Final Four aspirations after winning the Pac-12 regular-season title for the second straight year. The Ducks started Pac-12 play 13-0, and finished 16-2 with their only losses coming to fellow NCAA tournament teams Oregon State and UCLA. Both losses came without star forward Ruthy Hebard, however, and the Ducks avenged their loss to the Bruins with an 88-83 overtime win in the semifinals of the Pac-12 tournament. The Ducks fell in the championship game of the Pac-12 tournament to Stanford, but beat Stanford 88-48 on the road when they were fully healthy back on Feb. 10.
 
The Ducks feature one of the most efficient offenses in the nation, and rank third in the nation for scoring offense while averaging 86.1 points per game. The Ducks lead the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.420) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.91), and rank third in the nation with an overall field goal percentage of .507. Four of the Ducks' five starters shoot better than 40 percent from beyond the arc between Erin Boley (.453), Sabrina Ionescu (.423), Satou Sabally (.420) and Maite Cazorla (.406). Hebard, meanwhile, balances the Ducks' offense as one of the most efficient posts in the country, as she ranks second in the NCAA while shooting 68.2 percent from the field.
 
Ionescu enters her third NCAA tournament with the Ducks as the career leader for triple doubles within the NCAA – man or woman. Ionescu has 17 triple-doubles in her career, including seven this season, which set a new single-season national record. Ionescu was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year for the second straight year as a result, and is a finalist for Dawn Staley Award, given to the nation's best point guard. Ionescu also made the latest ballot for the John R. Wooden Award, given to the national player of the year, and was named to the espnW All-American first team.
 
Four of the Ducks' five starters were named to the All-Pac-12 team between Ionescu, Hebard, Sabally and Cazorla. Boley was also named an All-Pac-12 honorable mention.
 
No matter the result Friday, the Vikings guaranteed themselves the best season in the program's Big Sky era with their run at the Big Sky tournament last weekend. The Vikings won their 25th game of the season in the championship game against Eastern Washington, two more wins than any other team won in the program's Big Sky era. The 2008-09 Vikings set the previous record for wins in a season while going 23-10.
 
The Vikings capped the Big Sky tournament with a dramatic comeback against the Eagles, as they trailed 57-50 with just over five minutes remaining. The Vikings forced the Eagles into four straight turnovers from there, however, and outscored them 11-2 the rest of the way to pull off the win. Freshman guard Desirae Hansen hit the game-winning shot with 3.1 seconds remaining, giving the Vikings their first Big Sky tournament title since 2010.
 
The Vikings made the championship game after upsetting top-seeded Idaho 75-59 in the semifinals of the tournament last Wednesday. The Vikings had lost 10 straight to the Vandals coming into the game, including both of their games against the Vandals during the regular season. Idaho came in averaging an NCAA-best 11.6 three-pointer per game, but the Vikings held them to just 6-of-29 from beyond the arc, and three of those came in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter. Idaho's Taylor Pierce was the national leader with 4.55 three-pointers made per game entering the game, but went 0-of-12 from beyond the arc against the Vikings.
 
Whether an even bigger upset awaits Friday remains to be seen. Regardless, it'll be a short drive for most Viking fans, who will watch their team in the NCAA tournament for only the second time in program history.
 
BIG SKY TOURNAMENT RECAP
• The Vikings won their first Big Sky tournament title since 2009-10 with a 61-59 win over Eastern Washington in the Big Sky championship game last Friday. The Vikings were down seven at 57-50 with just over five minutes remaining, but outscored the Eagles 11-2 the rest of the way. Freshman guard Desirae Hansen hit the game-winning shot with 3.1 seconds remaining.
• Senior guard Ashley Bolston was named the Big Sky Tournament MVP after the championship game, and made the all-tournament team along with sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez.
• The Vikings upset top-seeded Idaho 75-59 in the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament. The Vikings had lost 10 straight to the Vandals coming into the game, including both of their games against the Vandals during the regular season. Idaho came in averaging an NCAA-best 11.6 three-pointer per game, but the Vikings held them to just 6-of-29 from beyond the arc, and three of those came in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter. Idaho's Taylor Pierce was the national leader with 4.55 three-pointers made per game entering the game, but went 0-of-12 from beyond the arc against the Vikings.
• The Vikings went 51-of-55 from the line in their three games at the Big Sky tournament, including a perfect 19-of-19 showing against Idaho in the semifinals. The 19 makes without a miss set a new single-game record for the Vikings.
 
A WIN WOULD…
• Give the Vikings their first-ever win in the NCAA tournament, and advance them to the NCAA second round for the first time in program history.
• Give the Vikings their first-ever win over a ranked opponent.
• Give the Vikings 26 wins in a season for the first time since the 1994-95 season, back when the Vikings were an NCAA Division II program.
 
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Five Vikings earned all-conference or individual honors Monday:
• Courtney West was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, making her only the second Viking to earn the honor in program history. Kelsey Kahle was the first Viking to be named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year following the 2008-09 season, 10 years before West.
• Desirae Hansen was named the Big Sky Co-Top Reserve alongside Eastern Washington's Uriah Howard. Like West, Hansen was only the second Viking to earn her award, as she joined Robbie Nix as the only two Vikings to be named the Big Sky's Top Reserve. Nix was named the Big Sky's Top Reserve following the 1998-99 season, 20 years before Hansen.
• Sidney Rielly was named to the All-Big Sky first team, making her the Vikings' first first-team selection since Eryn Jones earned first-team honors following the 2010-11 season.
• Ashley Bolston was named to the All-Big Sky second team for the third straight season.
• Kylie Jimenez was named an All-Big Sky honorable mention, after being named the Big Sky Freshman of the Year last season.
 
QUICK HITS
• The Vikings won their 25th game of the season in the Big Sky championship game Friday, extending the program's Big Sky-era record for wins in a season. The previous record for wins during the program's Big Sky era was 23, set during the 2008-09 season when the Vikings went 23-10. This season also marks the Vikings' first 20-win season since 2010-11, and only the fourth 20-win season in the program's Big Sky era.
• The Vikings went 51-of-55 from the free throw line during the Big Sky tournament, including a perfect 19-of-19 in their upset of top-seeded Idaho in the Big Sky semifinals. The 19 makes without a miss set a new single-game record for the Vikings, while senior guard Sidney Rielly set a new program record while going 12-of-12 from the line in the Vikings' quarterfinal win over Montana State. The Vikings' performance from the line moved them up to third in the NCAA with a .791 team free throw percentage. That's one-thousandth of a percent short of matching the single-season school record for free throw percentage, which the 2011-12 Vikings set at .792.
• The Vikings are 11-4 away from home this season between an 8-4 road record and a 3-0 record in neutral-site games. The 8-4 road record has already guaranteed the Vikings their best road winning percentage in the program's Big Sky era, and just their third winning record on the road as a Big Sky school.
• Senior guard Ashley Bolston moved into the career top 10 for scoring with eight points against Idaho on Feb. 28, giving the Vikings two active players in the all-time top 10. Besides Bolston, fellow senior guard Sidney Rielly has moved up to fourth all time with 1,499 points, while Bolston ranks ninth all time with 1,315 points.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 11th nationally with a field goal percentage defense of .352. The Vikings have held 14 of their 32 opponents this season to under 35 percent shooting from the floor, while 24 of the Vikings' 32 opponents have failed to shoot over 40 percent.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 35th in the nation with a plus-11.9 scoring margin.
• Senior forward Courtney West leads the Big Sky and ranks fifth nationally with 2.8 blocks per game. West passed Montana's Carly Selvig (2011-14) for third all time within the Big Sky Conference with her 260th career block during the championship game against Eastern Washington. As a team, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 11th nationally with 5.4 blocks per game.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 13th in the nation with 17.5 assists per game. Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez ranks third in the Big Sky with 4.8 assists per game, while senior guard Ashley Bolston ranks right behind her at fourth with 4.6 assists per game.
• Sophomore Kylie Jimenez and senior Ashley Bolston rank 1-2 in the Big Sky with 2.6 and 2.5 steals per game, respectively. As a team, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 42nd in the nation with 9.9 steals per game.
• The Vikings led the Big Sky in nine different statistical categories during the regular season, and ranked second in the league in five more. The Vikings led the Big Sky in scoring margin (+11.9), field goal percentage defense (.352), free throw percentage (.791), three-point field goal percentage defense (.303), defensive rebounds per game (28.5), assists per game (17.5), turnover margin (+1.63), steals per game (9.9) and blocks per game (5.4).
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (25-7)
71.7 PPG | 43.5 FG% | 35.2 3FG%
Notable: The Portland State Vikings advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2009-10 season with three straight wins at the Big Sky tournament last week. The Vikings opened with a 68-56 win over fifth-seeded Montana State in the quarterfinals, and followed with a 75-59 upset of top-seeded Idaho in the semifinals. The Vikings clinched the title with a 61-59 win over Eastern Washington in the Big Sky championship game last Friday, with freshman guard Desirae Hansen hitting a game-winning shot with 3.1 seconds remaining. The Vikings trailed 57-50 with just over five minutes left, but outscored the Eagles 11-2 the rest of the way. Senior guard Ashley Bolston gave the Vikings their first lead in the second half with a contested jumper that made it 59-57 with 1:50 remaining. Bolston was named the Big Sky Tournament MVP, after averaging 14.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game during the tournament. Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez also made the All-Big Sky tournament team after finishing with 22 points and nine assists in the Vikings' upset of Idaho. The Vikings went 51-of-55 as a team from the line, including a perfect 19-of-19 performance against the Vandals. The Viking defense also held all three opponents to 59 points or less last week. The Vikings held Idaho – the nation's top three-point shooting team coming into the tournament – to 6-of-29 from beyond the arc in their upset win in the semifinals. Idaho's Taylor Pierce, who came in as the national leader with 4.55 three-pointers made per game, went 0-of-12 against the Vikings.
 
OREGON DUCKS (29-4)
86.1 PPG | 50.7 FG% | 42.0 3FG%
Notable: The Oregon Ducks won the Pac-12 regular-season title while going 16-2 in conference, and advanced to the Pac-12 championship game before falling 64-57 to Stanford. The Ducks started Pac-12 play 13-0 before losing two in a row to fellow NCAA tournament teams Oregon State and UCLA. The Ducks were without star forward Ruthy Hebard for both games, however, and avenged their loss to the Bruins with an 88-83 overtime win in the Pac-12 semifinals. Overall, the Ducks rank third in the nation while averaging 86.1 points per game offensively. The Ducks also lead the nation in both three-point field goal percentage (.420) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.91), and rank third in the nation in overall field goal percentage (.507). Four of the Ducks' five starters shoot better than 40 percent from beyond the arc in Erin Boley (.453), Sabrina Ionescu (.423), Satou Sabally (.420) and Maite Cazorla (.406). Hebard, meanwhile, represents one of the most efficient posts in the country, as she ranks second in the NCAA while shooting 68.2 percent from the field. Ionescu set a single-season record with seven triple-doubles during the regular season, and is now the career leader – man or woman – for triple doubles in NCAA history with 17. Ionescu was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year for the second straight year, and is a finalist for Dawn Staley Award, given to the nation's best point guard. Ionescu also made the latest ballot for the John R. Wooden Award, given to the national player of the year, and was named to the espnW All-American first team. Four of the Ducks' five starters were named to the All-Pac-12 team in Ionescu, Hebard, Sabally and Cazorla.
 
OREGON SERIES HISTORY
The Ducks lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 27-10, and have won 26 of the last 28 games between the two teams. The Vikings last beat the Ducks on Nov. 15, 2012, when they won 87-85 in double overtime at Matthew Knight Arena. Before that, the Vikings hadn't beaten the Ducks since Jan. 30, 1985.
 
LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available from the Vikings' first-round game against Oregon. Fans can also find the link to live stats on the women's basketball schedule page at GoViks.com.

LIVE AUDIO
Teri Mariani will provide a live audio stream for the Vikings' first-round game against Oregon. A link to the audio stream will be posted on the women's basketball schedule page at GoViks.com before the game starts.
 
TELEVISION
The Vikings' first-round game against Oregon will be broadcast on ESPN2. Fans can also find the stream online at WatchESPN.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Down 57-50 with just over five minutes remaining, the Vikings outscored Eastern Washington 11-2 the rest of the way to beat the Eagles 61-59 in the Big Sky championship game last Friday. The Vikings never led in the second half against the Eagles until senior guard Ashley Bolston hit a go-ahead jumper with 1:50 remaining. Freshman guard Desirae Hansen then hit the game-winning shot with 3.1 seconds left, delivering the Vikings their first Big Sky tournament title since the 2009-10 season. The Vikings forced the Eagles into four straight turnovers down the stretch of the fourth quarter, and held them without a point for over five minutes. The Vikings turned the ball over themselves earlier in the game, which helped the Eagles take the early advantage. The Vikings committed turnovers on seven of eight possessions at the end of the first quarter, which allowed the Eagles to score 11 in a row and go up 17-11 with 9:13 remaining before halftime. The Vikings came back to tie it at 22-22 with 2:30 left in the half, but the Eagles hit three three-pointers in the final two and a half minutes to retake the lead going into the break. The Eagles finished with six three-pointers in the first half, and hit two more in the first four minutes of the second half. The Vikings held them to only one three-pointer after the 5:58 mark in the third quarter, however, and none in the fourth quarter. Bolston finished with a game-high 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting to go with 10 rebounds and five assists. Fellow seniors Courtney West and Sidney Rielly also hit double figures in the game, along with junior forward Jordan Stotler. West scored 11 for the Vikings on 5-of-11 shooting while adding seven rebounds and four blocks. Rielly added 10 points while Stotler was a rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
 
UPCOMING
If the Vikings win, then they'll advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. The Vikings would face either seventh-seeded Texas or 10th-seeded Indiana at Matthew Knight Arena on Sunday. Tipoff for Sunday's game is still to be determined.
 
BEST SEASON EVER
The Vikings extended the program's Big Sky-era record with their 25th win of the season while beating Eastern Washington 61-59 in the Big Sky championship game last Friday. The Vikings are now two wins clear of the old record, which was set during the 2008-09 season, when the Vikings went 23-10. This season also marks the Vikings' first 20-win season since 2010-11, and only the fourth 20-win season in the program's Big Sky era.
 
Most Wins in a Season (Big Sky era)
Overall Record      Season
25-7                       2018-19
23-10                     2008-09
22-9                       2007-08
20-12                     2010-11
 
ROAD WARRIORS
The Vikings guaranteed themselves the best road winning percentage in program history with their 68-55 win over Montana State in their regular-season finale on March 9. That win upped the Vikings' road record to 8-4 for a .667 road winning percentage on the season, bettering the previous record of .556 that the 2008-09 Vikings set while going 10-8 away from home. This season is also just the third year that the Vikings will finish with a winning record on the road during the program's Big Sky era.
 
RISING PROGRAM
The Vikings' 20th win of the season against Sacramento State on Feb. 23 guaranteed that they would improve their win total 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 by six wins 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
25-7           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 (13 games), Ashley Bolston (nine games), Kylie Jimenez (eight games), Desirae Hansen (three games), Courtney West (two games) and Savannah Dhaliwal (one game). Four Vikings also average in double figures between Rielly (14.4 ppg), Bolston (12.4 ppg), Jimenez (11.7 ppg) and West (10.5 ppg), while Hansen and junior Jordan Stotler averaged 8.3 and 7.0 points per game, respectively, in Big Sky play.
 
CLOSE GAMES
The Vikings beat Eastern Washington in a close game in the Big Sky championship game, but four of the Vikings' seven losses this season have come by five points or less. The Vikings are just 3-4 this season in games decided by five points or less, and 4-4 in games decided by 10 points or less. Those records might be a little unfair to the Vikings, however, as the Vikings are 21-3 in games decided by 10 points or more.
 
UNSELFISH BASKETBALL
The Vikings had 21 assists on 31 field goals in their win over Eastern Washington on March 2, the sixth time the Vikings recorded more than 20 assists in a Big Sky game this season. Overall, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 13th in the nation with 17.5 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 4.8 and 4.6 assists per game.
 
MONEY FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
The Vikings moved up to third in the nation in free throw percentage while going 51-of-55 from the line during the Big Sky tournament, including a perfect 19-of-19 against Idaho in the semifinals. The Vikings are now shooting .791 from the line, which is just one-thousandth of a percent below the current single-season record that the Vikings set while shooting .792 from the line during the 2011-12 season. Senior guard Ashley Bolston ranks fifth in the Big Sky and 94th in the nation with an .817 individual free throw percentage. Sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez doesn't meet the minimum requirements to be ranked nationally, but is shooting .882 (45-of-51) from the line this season. The worst free throw percentage of the team's regular rotation players is still 69.0 percent, meaning the entire team shoots it well from the line.
 
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 fifth in the nation with 2.8 blocks per game. The Vikings also lead the Big Sky and ranked 11th in the nation with 5.4 blocks per game as a team, while junior forward Jordan Stotler ranks fourth in the conference with 1.4 blocks per game.
 
HOT SHOOTING IN BIG SKY PLAY
The Vikings shot over 44 percent as a team in 12 of their 20 Big Sky games, a mark they bettered in only three of their nine non-conference games. Senior forward Courtney West, junior forward Jordan Stotler and senior guard Sidney Rielly all ranked in the top 10 of the Big Sky for field goal percentage in conference games as a result. West led the group at fourth in the conference with a .535 mark from the field, while Stotler followed at seventh (.488) and Rielly followed at 10th (.473). Rielly also ranked third in the Big Sky while shooting .488 from three-point range in Big Sky play, having made 39-of-87 shots from deep. Freshman Desirae Hansen ranked seventh in the Big Sky with a .414 (24-of-58) mark from deep in conference games, and also ranked 13th with an overall field goal percentage of .462.
 
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 11th in the nation with a .352 field goal percentage defense. The Vikings have held 14 of their 32 opponents this season to under 35 percent shooting from the floor, while 24 of their 32 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 and 2.5 steals per game, respectively. Jimenez has recorded at least three steals in 14 games this season, and had her third game with five or more steals against Eastern Washington on March 2. 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 on Feb. 28. Bolston now ranks ninth all time with 1,299 points, putting her in six different career top 10s in program history. Bolston is only the third Viking to rank in the career top 10s for points, assists (7th, 379) and steals (5th, 215), joining Kim Manifesto (1992-96) and Claire Faucher (2006-10). Bolston also ranks in the top 10 for scoring average (8th, 14.8), free throw percentage (6th, .831) 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 passed Kim Manifesto (1992-96) for fourth all time on the career scoring at Portland State with 11 points against Montana on March 7. Rielly, who became just the third Viking to reach the 1,000-point club in only two years at Portland State, now has 1,499 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 15.5 points per game, and has 74 10-point games (4th all time), 26 20-point games (4th all time) and three 30-point games (T-6th all time). Additionally, Rielly ranks fifth all time in career three-pointers made with 143. 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 just outside the top 10 all time at Portland State with a .481 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 collegiate 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 4.8 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 34th 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 33rd nationally with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.3, 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 fifth nationally with 2.8 blocks per game. West now has 260 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 (260). 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 on Feb. 23. Outside of blocks, West ranks fourth all time at Portland State with a .525 career field goal percentage, and has moved up to sixth all time with 722 career rebounds. West also ranks sixth all time with an average of 7.6 rebounds per game.
 
I WANNE BE LIKE JORDAN…STOTLER THAT IS
Junior forward Jordan Stotler was a rebound away from a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds in the Big Sky championship game against Eastern Washington last Friday. Stotler has two double-doubles this season, and has also missed a double-double by a single point three other times this season. Stotler averaged 7.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in Big Sky play.
 
IRON WOMAN
Senior forward Pia Jurhar played in her 120th career game in the Vikings' semifinal upset over Idaho Wednesday, moving her up to sixth all time in games played at Portland State. Jurhar has missed only seven games in her career. Jurhar also ranks fourth all time with 103 career blocks, and ranks 10th all time with 555 career rebounds.
 
THE DES CRAZE HITS PORTLAND STATE
Freshman guard Desirae Hansen has closed her first season a Viking on a tear. She hit the game-winning shot in the Vikings' 61-59 win over Eastern Washington in the Big Sky championship game, and scored in double figures in the previous three games. Hansen tied her career high with 22 points in the Vikings' 68-55 win over Montana State in the team's regular-season finale on March 9. Hansen scored 20 of her game-high 22 points in the first half against Montana State, while going 8-of-10 from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Hansen's 22 points were the most by a Viking freshman in a Big Sky game since Kian McNair scored 22 against Montana on Feb. 6, 2016. Hansen also had one of the best debuts ever by a Viking, as she scored 22 points in 22 minutes played against Warner Pacific in the Vikings' first game of the season 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.
March 2, Portland State 76, Eastern Washington 57: The Vikings clinched a first-round bye at the Big Sky tournament with a win over the Eagles on Senior Day. The win also marked the Vikings' 14th victory at home this season, tying the program record for home wins during the Big Sky era that the Vikings originally set during the 2010-11 season.
March 9, Portland State 68, Montana State 55: The Vikings tied a program record with their 14th Big Sky win of the season, and guaranteed themselves the best road winning percentage in a season during the program's Big Sky era with their win over the Bobcats. Desirae Hansen scored a game-high 22 points against the Bobcats, the most by a Viking freshman in a Big Sky game since Kian McNair had 22 against Montana on Feb. 6, 2016. Hansen scored 20 of her 22 points in the first half when she was 8-of-10 from the field.
March 12, Portland State 68, Montana State 56: The Vikings tied the program's Big Sky-era record for wins in a season with their 23rd victory Tuesday. The win also advanced the Vikings to their third straight Big Sky semifinal, something the Vikings have only accomplished once before between the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. Sidney Rielly went 12-of-12 from the free throw line in the game, setting a school record for most makes from the line without a miss in a Big Sky tournament game.
March 13, Portland State 75, Idaho 59: The Vikings knocked out the Big Sky tournament's top seed in Idaho, earning their first win over the Vandals since Dec. 8, 2007. The Vikings also advanced to the Big Sky championship game for the first time since 2010-11, and set a new program record for wins in a season during the program's Big Sky era with their 24th victory of the season.
March 15, Portland State 61, Eastern Washington 59: Freshman guard Desirae Hansen hit the game-winning shot with 3.1 seconds left to deliver the Vikings their first Big Sky tournament title since the 2009-10 season. Senior guard Ashley Bolston was named the Big Sky Tournament MVP after the game, while she and sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez made the All-Big Sky tournament team.