Complete Game Notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
Monday is a new game. That's what the Portland State women's basketball team can tell itself after a tough start to Saturday's showdown against league-leading Montana State put the Vikings in a hole they could not climb out of in a 73-62 loss to the Bobcats.
 
The Vikings started 2-of-18 from the field against the Bobcats, and finished the first half shooting 6-of-30 (.200). Additionally, the Vikings went 3-of-22 for the game from three-point range, giving them a season-low three-point field goal percentage of .136.
 
The poor shooting showed how things can change from week to week or game to game for this young Viking team. It was just last week that the Vikings went 23-of-49 (.469) in two wins over Idaho and Eastern Washington. The Vikings tied a program record with 13 three-pointers against the Eagles last Saturday, with freshman Belle Fraizer leading the way while going 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
 
Monday's game, presented by Les Schwab, offers a chance for the Vikings to return to form, then, as the Montana Lady Griz come to Viking Pavilion for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
 
The Lady Griz will be coming off one of their best games of the season, as they beat Eastern Washington 92-54 at home Thursday. Montana won its first three Big Sky games of the season over Northern Arizona (79-71), Sacramento State (64-60) and Southern Utah (81-74) before picking up its lone Big Sky loss of the season at home against Northern Colorado (67-58) on Jan. 4.
 
Both Portland State and Montana have multiple players who can score at any given time. Four of the Vikings' five starters average in double figures, while the fifth starter – Frazier – averages 9.4 points per game. Mckenzie Johnston and Emma Stockholm are the only two Lady Griz players who average in double figures, but seven players in total average at least 7.5 points per game.
 
Johnston leads the Lady Griz with 12.4 points per game, while she also averages 5.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. Johnston's 5.2 assists per game rank her tied for the Big Sky lead in the category, and rank her 30th in the nation.
 
Stockholm, meanwhile, averages 11.3 points per game while leading the Lady Griz with 5.6 rebounds per game.
 
Senior forward Jordan Stotler has been on her own run of hot play for the Vikings. Stotler, who was named the Big Sky Player of the Week Tuesday, scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Vikings against the Bobcats Saturday, and added 11 rebounds, five blocks and two steals. That came after Stotler averaged 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.5 blocks per game across the Vikings' two wins over Idaho and Eastern Washington last week.
 
Stotler has been playing especially well on the defensive end ever since she tied a program record with nine blocks in the Vikings' home game against then-No. 23 Tennessee on Dec. 21. Stotler has 29 blocks in the Vikings' past six games, giving her an average of 4.83 blocks per game in that stretch. Stotler averages 3.1 blocks per game across all games this season, ranking her atop the Big Sky and sixth in the nation.
 
The Vikings could use another game from Stotler like she had against Montana State when they host the Lady Griz Monday. Except that this time, the Vikings will hopefully add some more shooting around Stotler like they had the previous week against Idaho and Eastern Washington. Put those two things together, and the Vikings will level their Big Sky record again at 3-3 Monday.
 
It is a new game, after all.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (8-7, 2-3) vs. MONTANA LADY GRIZ (9-5, 4-1)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Monday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m. (PT), Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING MONTANA: The Montana Lady Griz played one of their best games of the season Thursday while beating Eastern Washington at home, 92-54. That temporarily moved the Lady Griz into the Big Sky lead with Montana State, before the Bobcats went ahead again after their win over the Vikings Saturday. The Lady Griz won their first three Big Sky games over Northern Arizona (79-71), Sacramento State (64-60) and Southern Utah (81-74) before losing at home to Northern Colorado (67-58) on Jan. 4. The Vikings and Lady Griz share a common non-conference opponent in Grand Canyon, who the Vikings beat 69-46 on Dec. 6 while the Lady Griz beat GCU 72-67 on Nov. 19. Both teams are similar in that a number of different players can score at any time. The Lady Griz have seven players who average 7.5 points per game or more. Mckenzie Johnston leads the Lady Griz with 12.4 points per game, while Emma Stockholm ranks second with 11.3. Those are the only two in double figures for the Lady Griz, but Taylor Goligoski (8.7), Abby Anderson (8.1), Gabi Harrington (8.1), Jamie Pickens (8.0) and Sophia Stiles (7.5) rank close behind. Johnston also ranks tied for the conference lead with 5.2 assists per game, while she also averages 5.1 rebounds per game. Stockholm leads the Lady Griz with 5.6 rebounds per game, while Harrington ranks tied with Johnston at 5.1. The Lady Griz made a season-high 12 three-pointers against EWU Thursday, but still only rank 10th in the Big Sky with 5.1 three-pointers made per game. Only one player averages more than one three-pointer a game, and that's Goligoski at 1.7 makes per game.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Lady Griz lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 49-19. The Vikings have won four of their last six against the Lady Griz, though Montana won the last game between the two teams, a 73-70 overtime game in Missoula on March 7 last year. The Vikings' last win came via a 78-60 victory at home on Jan. 5, 2019.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS
• The Vikings had a tough shooting night against Montana State Saturday, as they started the game 2-of-18 from the field and finished the first half shooting just 6-of-30 (.200). The Vikings played better in the second half, out-scoring the Bobcats 44-36, but the Bobcats still beat the Vikings, 73-62.
• Senior forward Jordan Stotler, the reigning Big Sky Player of the Week, scored a career-high 21 points against the Bobcats Saturday while adding 11 rebounds, five blocks and two steals. It was Stotler's second double-double in the past three games.
• After five more blocks Saturday, Stotler now has 29 in the Vikings' past six games, giving her an average of 4.83 blocks per game during that stretch. Overall, Stotler leads the Big Sky and ranks sixth in the nation with 3.1 blocks per game this season. Additionally, Stotler passed Karen Johnson (1980-84) for eighth on the all-time blocks list at Portland State with her five blocks Saturday.
• Four different Vikings average in double figures in Desirae Hansen (13.5), Tatiana Streun (13.3), Kylie Jimenez (11.9) and Stotler (10.5). All four of those players start for the Vikings, while the team's fifth starter – Belle Frazier – nearly joins them in double figures with 9.4 points per game. Cassidy Gardner is the top-ranked reserve for the Vikings with 4.5 points per game.
• The Vikings rank fourth in the Big Sky and 82nd in the nation with 71.0 points per game as a team.
• The Vikings went 3-of-22 from beyond the arc against Montana State Saturday, but still lead the Big Sky and rank 18th in the nation with a three-point field goal percentage of .377. The Vikings were hitting last week, as they went 23-of-49 (.469) combined in wins over Idaho and Eastern Washington, and tied a program record with 13 three-pointers against the Eagles.
• Four different Vikings average more than one three-pointer a game in Jimenez (1.9), Frazier (1.7), Hansen (1.5) and Gardner (1.3). Hansen leads the group with a .442 three-point field goal percentage, while Gardner follows at .429. Jimenez and Frazier are shooting .373 and .333 from deep, respectively.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank fifth in the nation with a team free throw percentage of .791. Streun, Stotler and Hansen all rank in the top 15 of the Big Sky for free throw percentage individually. Streun ranks sixth with a free throw percentage of .848, while Stotler ranks close behind at eighth with a free throw percentage of .813. Hansen stands 13th in the conference while shooting .756 from the line.
• The rebounding battle has been a pretty reliable bellwether for the Vikings so far this season. The Vikings are 6-0 when they out-rebound their opponent, 1-1 when they tie in rebounds, and 1-6 now when they lose the rebounding battle.
• Hansen and Jimenez rank fourth and sixth in the Big Sky, respectively, with 4.3 and 4.2 assists per game.
• Jimenez and Frazier rank fifth and sixth in the Big Sky, respectively, with 2.1 and 1.9 steals per game.
• The Vikings are in their fifth year under head coach Lynn Kennedy. The Vikings went from winning only four games in Kennedy's first season at the helm in 2015-16 to Big Sky champs last season.
 
PICK YOUR POISON
Four of the Vikings' five starters average over 10 points a game in Desirae Hansen (13.5), Tatiana Streun (13.3), Kylie Jimenez (11.9) and Jordan Stotler (10.5). Additionally, Belle Frazier – the team's fifth starter – nearly joins them in double figures with 9.4 points per game. Hansen and Streun rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky for scoring, as they rank fifth and eighth, respectively. Jimenez has also ranked among the conference's scoring leaders this season, while Stotler set a career high with 21 points against Montana State Saturday. Frazier, meanwhile, went 5-of-7 from three-point range against Eastern Washington last week, so the Vikings have forced opponents to pick their poison this season.
 
DEPTH FROM DEEP
Saturday's poor shooting performance against Montana State was an anomaly for the Vikings this season. The Vikings went 3-of-22 from deep against the Bobcats for a season-low three-point field goal percentage of .136. It was a stark contrast from last week, when the Vikings tied a program record with 13 threes against Eastern Washington (Jan. 4), and went 23-of-49 (.469) across wins over EWU and Idaho. The Vikings still lead the Big Sky and rank 18th in the nation with a three-point field goal percentage of .377 in spite of Saturday's struggles. Four different Vikings average more than one three-pointer a game in Kylie Jimenez (1.9), Belle Frazier (1.7), Desirae Hansen (1.5) and Cassidy Gardner (1.3). Hansen leads the group with a .442 three-point field goal percentage, while Gardner follows at .429. Jimenez and Frazier are shooting .373 and .333 from deep, respectively.
 
MONEY FROM THE LINE
The one thing that went the Vikings way Saturday against Montana State was their free-throw shooting. The Vikings went 19-of-24 (.792) from the line against the Bobcats, while Montana State was 10-of-23 (.435). That's been typical this season, as the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank fifth in the nation with a team free throw percentage of .791. What's more, the Vikings average 14.1 free throws made a game as they're getting to the free-throw line a lot in addition to shooting a high percentage. Three different Vikings rank in the top 15 of the conference for free throw percentage in Tatiana Streun, Jordan Stotler and Desirae Hansen. Streun ranks sixth with a free throw percentage of .848, while Stotler ranks close behind at eighth with a free throw percentage of .813. Hansen stands 13th in the conference while shooting .756 from the line.
 
THE BOARDS AS A BELLWETHER
Rebounding has been one of the best indicators of success for the Vikings, as the Vikings are 6-0 when out-rebounding their opponent this season, 1-1 when tying their opponents, and 1-6 when losing the rebounding battle. The Vikings recorded one of their best rebounding games against Idaho on Jan. 2. The Vikings tied a season high for rebounding margin while out-rebounding the Vandals, 49-33. Posts Tatiana Streun and Jordan Stotler each rank among the conference leaders in rebounding. Streun ranks third in the Big Sky in total rebounds per game (8.0), fourth in offensive rebounds per game (2.6) and sixth in defensive rebounds per game (5.4). Stotler, meanwhile, ranks fourth in the Big Sky in total rebounds per game (7.8) and leads the conference with 6.2 defensive rebounds per game. Stotler has been especially strong on the boards recently, as she's averaged 9.6 rebounds per game through five Big Sky games so far.
 
PASSING THE ROCK
It's a unique luxury, but for the second straight season, the Vikings can have two elite distributors on the floor at any given time. Last year, it was Kylie Jimenez and Ashley Bolston, who ranked third and fifth, respectively, in the Big Sky for assists per game. This year, sophomore Desirae Hansen joins Jimenez among the conference leaders in assists. Hansen actually leads the two while ranking fourth in the conference with 4.3 assists per game. Jimenez, meanwhile, ranks sixth with 4.2 assists per game, and tied a career high with nine assists against Idaho on Jan. 2. The pair also rank in the top 10 of the conference for assist-to-turnover ratio with Jimenez third at 1.9 and Hansen ninth at 1.4.
 
BIG-SHOT DES TURNING INTO ALL-AROUND DES AS A SOPHOMORE
Sophomore guard Desirae Hansen has stepped up all phases of her game after a freshman season that ended on a high note with the game-winning shot against Eastern Washington in the Big Sky championship game. Hansen scored 20 or more points in back-to-back games against Southern Utah (Dec. 30) and Idaho (Jan. 2), and now ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 13.5 points per game. Hansen had a tough game against Montana State Saturday, but still ranks among the Big Sky leaders in a number of different categories. Hansen ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 4.3 assists per game, and also ranks ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4), 13th in free throw percentage (.756) and 13th in minutes played per game (31.2). Hansen also ranks third on the team with 4.7 rebounds per game, making her a 15-5-5 threat in every game the Vikings play. 
 
GET YOUR OWN TOTS!
Redshirt junior Tatiana Streun – nicknamed tots – has made a triumphant return to the court this season after an ACL tear kept her out of the Vikings' entire 2018-19 season. Streun recorded her fifth double-double of the season against Eastern Washington last week, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds against the Eagles. Streun also had back-to-back double-doubles in the middle of December, recording 17 points and 11 rebounds against Grand Canyon on Dec. 6, and then following with 17 points and 12 rebounds against the University of Portland on Dec. 15. Overall this season, Streun ranks third in the Big Sky in total rebounds per game (8.0), and also ranks fourth in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (2.6) and sixth in defensive rebounds per game (5.4). Additionally, Streun ranks eighth in the Big Sky with 13.3 points per game, and ranks sixth in the conference and 47th in the nation with a free throw percentage of .848. Streun went 8-of-8 from the line against the Bobcats Saturday, and leads the Vikings with an average of 4.5 free throws made per game. Streun set a new career high with 21 points against UC Irvine on Dec. 2, when she was also a rebound away from another double-double with nine boards. Streun's 13 rebounds last week against the Eagles also tied a career high she set earlier this season with 13 rebounds in the Vikings' season opener against Multnomah on Nov. 5.
 
JIMENEZ CHASING EXCLUSIVE COMPANY AS A JUNIOR
Junior guard Kylie Jimenez already counts among the all-time greats at Portland State just two and a half seasons into her Viking career. Jimenez entered the career top 10s at Portland State for assists and three-pointers made against Tennessee on Dec. 21, and entered the top 10 for steals with three against Northern Colorado on Dec. 28. Jimenez now ranks seventh in school history in career three-pointers made (132), eighth in career assists (363) and ninth in career steals (180). Jimenez remains on pace to become the 19th member of the Vikings' 1,000-point club by season's end, as she's averaging a career-best 11.9 points per game. Jimenez ranks third on the team in scoring this season, and ranks among the conference leaders in three-pointers made per game (8th, 1.9), assists per game (6th, 4.2), assist-to-turnover ratio (3rd, 1.9), steals per game (5th, 2.1) and minutes played per game (3rd, 35.7).
 
THE PAINT BELONGS TO JORDAN STOTLER
Senior forward Jordan Stotler has been playing her best basketball of the season since Big Sky play started, and now has two double-doubles in the Vikings' past three games. Stotler, who was named the Big Sky Player of the Week Tuesday, scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Vikings against the Bobcats Saturday, and added 11 rebounds, five blocks and two steals. That came after Stotler averaged 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.5 blocks per game across the Vikings' two wins over Idaho and Eastern Washington last week. Stotler has been on fire on the defensive end ever since she tied a program record with nine blocks in the Vikings' game against then-No. 23 Tennessee on Dec. 21. Stotler has 29 blocks in the Vikings' past six games, giving her an average of 4.83 blocks per game in that stretch. Stotler averages 3.1 blocks per game across all game this season, ranking her atop the Big Sky Conference and sixth in the nation. Additionally, Stotler leads the Big Sky with 6.2 rebounds per game, and ranks fourth in the conference in total rebounds per game (7.8) and eighth in free throw percentage (.813).
 
DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF US IS BELLE
Like the main character from Beauty and the Beast, freshman Belle Frazier is different from the rest of us, but in a good way. Frazier has stepped right into the Vikings' starting lineup as a freshman, and averages 9.4 points per game. Frazier hit a career-high five three-pointers against Eastern Washington last week, when she finished with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Frazier ranks second on the Vikings and 11th in the Big Sky with 1.7 three-pointers made per game this season. Frazier also ranks sixth in the Big Sky with 1.7 steals per game, and ranks 14th in the conference with 30.8 minutes played per game.
 
GROWTH UNDER KENNEDY
The Vikings improved their win total in each of their first four seasons under head coach Lynn Kennedy. The Vikings won just four games during their first year under Kennedy in 2015-16, but then jumped up to 16 wins in 2016-17. The Vikings improved on that total with 19 wins in 2017-18, and then set a Division I program record with 25 wins last season.
 

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

 
NEWCOMERS
The Vikings added a talented class of six newcomers over the offseason that they'll try and mesh with their seven returners. The newcomers are split evenly between the front and back courts, as Erika Brumfield, Marina Canzobre and Syd Schultz add depth at forward while Belle Frazier, Cassidy Gardner and Jada Lewis will contribute at guard. Frazier and Lewis were each named McDonald's All-American nominees while in high school, while Gardner led her team to a 3A Washington state title as an all-state honorable mention as a senior. Schultz, meanwhile, recorded 1,000-career points and 1,000-career rebounds in high school, and led the entire state of Wisconsin in rebounds as a high school senior. Canzobre was also part of the invited players pool for the Spain U-15 team.
 
VIKINGS IN THE PRESEASON WNIT
The Vikings made their first-ever appearance in the Preseason WNIT this season. The Vikings lost their first-round game against Boise State, 82-57, on Nov. 8, then lost two consolation games to Kansas City (87-69 on Nov. 15) and UC Irvine (83-75 on Nov. 16). Jordan Stotler was named to the KC Site Preseason WNIT Consolation All-Tournament Team after averaging 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game in the Vikings' two consolation games in Kansas City. The Vikings are the third Big Sky team to participate in the Preseason WNIT in the past four seasons, joining Montana State in 2018 and Eastern Washington in 2016.
 
VIKINGS PICKED FOR THIRD IN PRESEASON COACHES, MEDIA POLL
Big Sky media and coaches picked the Vikings to finish third in the conference this season in the preseason polls. Montana State, Idaho and Portland State went 1-2-3 in both the media and coaches polls, but the major takeaway from both polls was uncertainty. Seven of the 11 teams in the Big Sky received at least one first-place vote in the preseason media poll, while five of those seven teams received multiple votes. Additionally, four different teams received first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll, three of which received two or more.
 
JIMENEZ NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG SKY TEAM
Junior guard Kylie Jimenez was named to the preseason All-Big Sky team, voted on by the Big Sky's media members. Jimenez was one of seven players named to the preseason all-conference team. Fallyn Freije, a two-time All-Big Sky honorable mention while at North Dakota but now with Montana State, was named the conference's preseason MVP. Sacramento State's Kennedy Nicholas, Idaho State's Estefania Ors, Montana State's Oliana Squires, Montana's McKenzie Johnston and Idaho's Gina Marxen were the other preseason all-conference selections. The preseason honor was just the latest in what has already been a decorated career for Jimenez at Portland State. Jimenez was named the Big Sky Freshman of the Year following the 2017-18 season, and was an All-Big Sky honorable mention last season. Additionally, Jimenez made the All-Big Sky tournament team as the Vikings won the tournament last season.
 
VIKINGS PLAN INTERNATIONAL TRIP TO SPAIN IN AUGUST 2020
The Vikings will make what is believed to be the women's basketball program's first-ever international trip when they head to Spain in August 2020. The Vikings will visit Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona on a 10-day trip that will see them play three different exhibition games against local Spanish teams.
 
The Vikings are currently fundraising for the trip, which will cost around $4,000 per person. Anyone who would like to donate towards the team's travel fund can visit GoViks.com and click on the "Spain 2020 Trip Donations" link under the "Donate" drop-down menu.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Nov. 5, Portland State 104, Multnomah 48: The Vikings hit the century mark in their season opener for the second straight season. Before last season, the Vikings hadn't scored over 100 points in a game since Dec. 2, 1995. The Vikings also tied a program record with 13 three-pointers in the game, and assisted on 28 of their 37 field goals.
Nov. 23, Portland State 80, Nevada 75: The Vikings handed Nevada its first loss of the season, while junior guard Kylie Jimenez beat her sister, Alyssa Jimenez, who's a freshman guard for the Wolf Pack.
Nov. 30, Portland State 76, UC Davis 70: The Vikings beat a fellow 2019 NCAA tournament team on the road in UC Davis. The Vikings hit 18-of-18 free throws in the game, tied for the second most makes without a miss within a game in program history. Kylie Jimenez led the Vikings with 25 points, while setting or tying career highs for steals (8) and three-pointers made (5).
Dec. 2, Portland State 70, UC Irvine 61: The Vikings avenged two recent losses to UC Irvine, including one earlier this season in a consolation game of the Preseason WNIT. The win marked the Vikings' third straight win, as well as their second straight road win over a team that won at least 20 games last season.
Dec. 6, Portland State 69, Grand Canyon 46: The Vikings held Grand Canyon – a team that came into the game ranked in the top 10 for both overall field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage – to just 29 percent shooting (18-of-62) from the floor. The Lopes went just 2-of-17 from the three-point line, when they had been hitting more than 47 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.
Dec. 15, Portland State 77, Portland 71: The Vikings overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to beat cross-town rival University of Portland for the third straight season. The Vikings hadn't overcome a 15-point halftime deficit since Jan. 8, 2010, when they came back to beat Montana State, 69-62.
Dec. 21, #23 Tennessee 88, Portland State 61: The Vikings lost to the 23rd-ranked Lady Volunteers, but the game marked the first time the Vikings hosted an AP-ranked opponent since Dec. 23, 2000. The Vikings also set a new program record with 1,748 fans in attendance at Viking Pavilion.
Jan. 2, Portland State 74, Idaho 53: With the score tied at 49 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Vikings closed on a 25-4 to win their second straight game against the Vandals after snapping a 10-game losing streak to them in the Big Sky semifinals last season. The Vikings held the Vandals to 28.4 percent shooting in the game, and out-rebounded them 49-33.
Jan. 4, Portland State 75, Eastern Washington 58: The Eagles started 2-of-32 from the field while the Vikings led by double digits for the final 31 minutes of their win over Eastern Washington. The Vikings, meanwhile, tied a program record with 13 three-pointers, with six different players hitting at least one shot from deep. Freshman Belle Frazier led the way from beyond the arc while hitting a career-high five on only seven shots from deep.