TIPOFF

Being game fit remains on the to-do list for the Portland State women's basketball team two games into its crazy 2020-21 season. The Vikings have hardly had a chance to get there, however. Six of their first seven games of the season were canceled, and the Vikings still had less than 10 5-on-5 practices under their belts until the latter half of December.
 
The lack of game fitness showed itself in the Vikings' game against Air Force Monday, when the Falcons – who had already played four games before Monday – outshot the Vikings .609-to-.358. The Falcons also forced 24 turnovers from the Vikings, which they turned into 28 points.
 
Game shape will have to come soon for the Vikings, however, as they open Big Sky play with a home series against Eastern Washington this weekend. The Eagles will have the advantage of more game experience than the Vikings, having played seven games already to the Vikings' two. The Eagles have had their share of struggles within those seven games – they enter Thursday just 1-6 overall and 0-2 in Big Sky play – but they are still one of eight Big Sky teams to have played at least five games already.
 
The Vikings have shown their share of strengths despite their inexperience, especially in terms of perimeter defense. The Vikings rank tied for the Big Sky lead with 11.0 steals per game, and also lead the conference with 20.5 turnovers forced a game. Four different players average at least 1.5 steals per game between Kylie Jimenez (2.5), Nakia Boston (2.0), Syd Schultz (2.0) and Desirae Hansen (1.5). Jimenez and Schultz had three steals each against Air Force Monday, while Boston and Hansen had three steals each in the Vikings' season opener against Dixie State on Dec. 16.
 
Free-throw shooting has been another highlight for the Vikings, as they're averaging 28 free-throw attempts a game through their first two games of the season. The Vikings' recorded 33 free-throw attempts against Air Force Monday, the program's most attempts in a game since they had 37 against San Jose State on Nov. 19, 2017.
 
Fifth-year senior Tatiana Streun recorded 12 free-throw attempts against Air Force, and averages 10.0 attempts a game so far this season. Freshman Nakia Boston also went 7-of-10 from the line against Air Force, while senior Kylie Jimenez and junior Desirae Hansen each have eight total attempts so far through two games this season.
 
Getting to the line can bolster a Viking offense that hasn't found its shooting stroke yet this season. The Vikings enter the weekend shooting .370 overall and .313 from three-point range. Three-point shooting was key to all three of the Vikings' games against the Eagles last season. The Vikings averaged 13 three-pointers made between all three, while the Eagles averaged 11.3. 
 
The Eagles struggled from deep in their one previous Big Sky series this season, as they went 3-of-20 and 2-of-15 from three-point range in a pair of losses to Northern Arizona on Dec. 5 and 6, respectively. The Eagles still launch a lot of three-pointers when they're not making them, however, as they lead the Big Sky with 22.3 attempts per game. The Eagles attempted 27 or more three-pointers in three of their previous four games, including a season-high 34 against Grand Canyon on Dec. 14.
 
The Vikings have yet to put together a dominant shooting game this season, but they certainly have the firepower. Both Hansen and Jimenez hit more than 60 three-pointers last season, and the pair of them account for seven of the team's 10 makes from the outside this season. Hansen has gone 4-of-10 from deep so far, and leads the Vikings with 17.0 points per game. Jimenez hit double figures for the first time against Air Force, finishing with 11 points while going 2-of-4 from deep.
 
Streun can help counter on the inside if the Vikings aren't hitting from the outside against the Eagles. The fifth-year forward recorded her seventh-career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Air Force Monday, and heads into the weekend averaging 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
 
Game fitness might still be elusive, but if the Vikings can put both their inside and outside efforts together, along with the Vikings' strong free throw and steal numbers, then the Vikings shouldn't have to worry about that when they face the Eagles Thursday. It's a lot more fun getting in game shape when you're winning, after all.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (1-1, 0-0 Big Sky) vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON (1-6, 0-2 Big Sky)

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
GAME #1: Thursday, Dec. 31, 6 p.m., Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
GAME #2: Saturday, Jan. 2, 12 p.m., Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON: The Eastern Washington Eagles have played seven games already, and while the team stands just 1-6, that experience will benefit the Eagles against the Vikings. The Eagles' one win came against The College of Idaho on Dec. 17, when the Eagles beat the Yotes, 59-46. The Eagles opened their season with a Big Sky series against Northern Arizona, losing both games to the Lumberjacks, 89-60 on Dec. 5 and 69-55 on Dec. 6. The Eagles returned three starters from last year's team that went 4-26 overall and 3-17 in Big Sky play. The Eagles lost starters Bella Cravens and Jessica McDowell-White to the transfer portal, but returned Grace Kirscher, Jenna Dick and Kennedy Dickie. This season, freshman Aaliyah Alexander leads the Eagles with 12.9 points per game, while Dickie ranks close behind with 12.7 ppg. The Eagles' top six players account for 56 of the team's 61.8 points per game, with Dick (9.9 ppg), Alexyss Newman (8.8 ppg), Maisie Burnham (8.8 ppg) and Kirscher (7.6 ppg) adding depth behind Alexander and Dickie. Burnham leads the Eagles with 6.0 rebounds per game, with Dickie (5.4 rpg) and Newman (5.2 rpg) close behind her. As a team, the Eagles lead the Big Sky in three-point attempts, as they average 22.3 attempts per game. The Eagles have shot 27 or more three-pointers in three of their past four matches, including a season-high 34 against Grand Canyon on Dec. 14. The Eagles started slow from the outside – going just 3-of-20 and 2-of-15 in their two games against Northern Arizona – but have hit at least seven shots in every game since then. Four different Eagles average at least one made three-pointer a game between Dick (1.9), Dickie (1.7), Alexander (1.3) and Kirscher (1.0).
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Eagles lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 38-34, though the Vikings have won six of their last seven meetings. The teams split their regular-season series last season, while the Vikings beat the Eagles 83-70 in the first round of the Big Sky tournament. The teams have met at the last three editions of the Big Sky tournament, with the Vikings winning all three postseason meetings, including in 2019, when the teams met in the Big Sky championship game.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings had six of their first seven games of the season canceled, and did not play their season opener until Dec. 16.
• The Vikings have played the fewest games (two) of any team in the Big Sky Conference. Eight of the 11 teams in the conference have played at least five games.
• The Vikings played their season opener against Dixie State with only seven 5-on-5 practices under their belts. The Vikings did not have an exemption to practice 5-on-5 until Nov. 25, the official opening date of the season. However, practice was shut down again four days later for a two-week quarantine and didn't resume again until Dec. 10.
• The Vikings' lack of game experience showed itself in the team's last game, a 94-65 loss to Air Force on Monday. The Falcons outshot the Vikings .609-to-.358 while the Falcons scored 28 points off 24 Viking turnovers.
• The Vikings have forced 20.5 turnovers per game so far this season, a mark that leads the Big Sky and ranks 45th in the nation. The Vikings rank tied for the Big Sky lead with 11.0 steals per game, and rank second in the conference with a plus-2.5 turnover margin.
• Desirae Hansen and Tatiana Streun stand 1-2 on the team in points and rebounds with Hansen leading in scoring (17.0 ppg to Streun's 14.5 ppg) and Streun leading on the boards (9.5 rpg to Hansen's 7.5 rpg). Hansen ranks fourth in the Big Sky for scoring, with Streun ninth, while Streun ranks fourth in rebounds, with Hansen 13th.
• The Vikings recorded 33 free-throw attempts against Air Force Monday, and are averaging 28 across their two games so far. The 33 attempts against the Falcons marked the program's most in a game since Nov. 19, 2017. Streun had 12 attempts against the Falcons, while freshman Nakia Boston had 10.
• Desirae Hansen has scored 10 or more points in 14 straight games, and has four 20-point games out of her last eight for the Vikings.
• Kylie Jimenez is 54 assists, 22 steals and 30 three-pointers away from becoming the only player in Portland State history to have 1,000 points, 500 assists, 250 steals and 200 three-pointers in her career.
• Freshman Jenna Kilty has started the Vikings' first two games of the season while fellow freshman Nakia Boston became the first of the first-year players to score in double figures with 11 points against Air Force.
• Portland State will be without a 6-4 forward starting in the middle of its defense for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Courtney West and Jordan Stotler – the two-best shot blockers in program history – graduated following each of the past two seasons.

 

CREATING CHAOS

The Portland State defense has created chaos on the perimeter so far this season. With 11.0 steals per game, the Vikings rank tied for the Big Sky lead while also ranking 30th in the nation in the category. Four different players average at least 1.5 steals per game between Kylie Jimenez (2.5), Nakia Boston (2.0), Syd Schultz (2.0) and Desirae Hansen (1.5). Jimenez's 2.5 steals per game rank her third in the Big Sky and 77th in the nation, while that average has helped her inch closer to 250 career steals at Portland State – a milestone only three players have reached previously at Portland State. The perimeter defense has helped the Vikings force 20.5 turnovers a game, a mark that leads the Big Sky and ranks 45th in the nation. The Vikings' plus-2.5 turnover margin also ranks them second in the Big Sky and 90th in the nation.
 

LONG-RANGE BOMBERS

The Vikings set a program record with 261 made three-pointers last season, and set a Big Sky-era program record while shooting 37.3 percent from deep. And yet, head coach Lynn Kennedy says this year's team could be an even better outside shooting team. No one will know for sure until a few games into the season – the Vikings are currently shooting 10-of-32 (.313) from three-point range – but the Vikings should have plenty of firepower from deep. Kylie Jimenez and Desirae Hansen both made 60 or more three-pointers last season, while Jada Lewis will start the season healthier than she was as a freshman when she would have been one of the Vikings' better outside shooters if not for an injury that kept her out of 18 games in the middle of the season. Freshmen Jenna Kilty and Itziar Ugarte hit their first-career three-pointers against Dixie State, and should be additional threats from the outside this season. Morgan Baird and Nakia Boston have yet to hit a three-pointer, but should also contribute to the Vikings' potency from three-point range.
 

HOT-HAND HANSEN

Desirae Hansen finished her sophomore season playing the best basketball of her Viking career. The Vikings will count on her to continue that into her junior year, when she will be a second-year starter and a returning All-Big Sky third-team selection. Hansen scored 20-plus points in four of the Vikings' last six games of last season, including a career-high 27 points in the Vikings' first-round win over Eastern Washington at the Big Sky tournament. Hansen shot lights out during that final stretch, hitting 51.2 percent of her shots from the outside while making 3.67 three-pointers a game. Hansen started just 2-of-10 from the field in the Vikings' season opener against Dixie State on Dec. 16, but then hit four of her last five shots while scoring 13 of her game-high 18 points in the second half. Hansen led or tied for the team lead in four different categories in the game between points (18), rebounds (9), assists (3) and steals (3). Against Air Force, Hansen had 16 points only two minutes into the second half, but then sat much of the rest of the way as the game got away from the Vikings.
 

GET YOUR OWN TOTS!

Fifth-year senior Tatiana Streun enters her second year as a starter and first year as a team captain this season, when the Vikings will count on her to lead the team's frontcourt. Streun held the hot hand at the start of last season, recording four double-doubles in the Vikings' first nine games of the season – a period in which Streun averaged 15.1 points and 9.1 rebounds a game. Streun added her seventh-career double-double against Air Force Monday, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Streun nearly had another double-double in the Vikings' season opener against Dixie State, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds. Streun scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half, including nine in the fourth quarter. Streun scored seven straight points to finish off a 28-6 Portland State run that turned a 37-28 deficit with 7:13 left in the third quarter into a 56-43 lead with 4:26 left in the fourth.
 

IRON WOMAN

Senior Kylie Jimenez has started every game of her Viking career so far, and has played just about every minute of those 99 games. Jimenez averaged a career-high 36.9 minutes per game last season as a junior, when she ranked second in the Big Sky and 27th in the nation for minutes played per game. Jimenez's durability helped her surpass 1,000 career points against Weber State on Feb. 29 last season, and the senior guard is on the verge of hitting other milestones in her final year. Jimenez needs only 54 assists to become only the third player in Portland State history to record 1,000-career points and 500-career assists as a Viking. Jimenez also needs only 22 steals to reach 250 in her career, and only 30 three-pointers for 200 in that category. If she reaches all four marks, then Jimenez would become the only player to record over 1,000 points, 500 assists, 250 steals and 200 three-pointers in their career at Portland State.
 

MILESTONE WATCH

Three different Vikings are waiting on some career milestones this season between Kylie Jimenez, Desirae Hansen and Tatiana Streun. It's up in the air how many games the Vikings will get in this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with any luck, those three will reach the following milestones:

• Jimenez needs 54 assists to reach 500 in her career
• Jimenez needs 22 steals to reach 250 in her career
• Jimenez needs 30 three-pointers to reach 200 in her career
• Jimenez needs 24 starts to break the career record for starts at Portland State
• Hansen needs 259 points to reach 1,000 in her career
• Hansen needs 188 rebounds to reach 500 in her career
• Hansen needs 196 assists to reach 400 in her career
• Streun needs 346 points to reach 1,000 in her career
• Streun needs 21 rebounds to reach 500 in her career

Jimenez, having already reached 1,000-career points last season, could become only the third player in Portland State history with at least 1,000 points, 500 assists and 250 steals in her career, joining PSU hall-of-famers Claire Faucher and Kim Manifesto. Hansen and Streun could each become the first Viking to record over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in their career since Kelli Valentine reached both marks during the 2010-11 season. Whoever is first to both milestones will become just the 11th member of the 1,000-point, 500-rebound club at Portland State.
 

STREUN DEBUTS WITH SWISS NATIONAL TEAM

Tatiana Streun made her debut with the Swiss National Team in two qualifying games for the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021 tournament. Streun, who has dual citizenship between the U.S. and Switzerland thanks to her father Boris, appeared in the Swiss team's games against Russia and Estonia on Nov. 12 and Nov. 14, respectively. There's another qualifying period on Feb. 4 and 6, 2021, which Streun could potentially play in as well. Switzerland already played two of their qualifying games within Group C, beating Estonia 73-63 before losing 80-61 to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The nine group winners and the five-best second-place teams in each group will advance to the final round of the EuroBasket tournament.
 

NEWCOMERS

The Vikings added five freshmen this season in Morgan Baird, Nakia Boston, Reilly Kelty, Jenna Kilty and Itziar Ugarte. Of the freshmen, Baird, a 5-11 forward out of Coquille, Ore., was the Oregon State 2A Player of the Year as a junior, and was a unanimous all-state first-team selection as a senior even as Coquille moved up a classification to 3A. Boston, a 5-9 guard from Everett, Wash., regularly scored 30-plus points for Lynnwood High School, and was the 3A/2A WESCO Player of the Year. Kelty, a 6-3 forward out of Cottage Grove, Ore., played her first three years of high school for Cottage Grove before transferring to Sheldon for her senior season. Kilty, a 5-10 guard out of Oakland, Calif., won back-to-back NorCal titles as a junior and senior, and finished as state runners-up as a junior. Finally, Ugarte, a 5-11 guard out of Madrid, Spain, was the MVP of the 2017 International Basket Cup in Benidorm, Spain.