Vikings Kick Off Last Home Weekend with Idaho State Thursday

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
The Portland State women's basketball team snapped a 16-game losing streak while ending a nine-year drought against Idaho State with a 69-64 win in Pocatello on Jan. 18. Since then, the teams' paths have diverged.

The Bengals, who dropped to 3-4 in Big Sky play after their loss to the Vikings, immediately turned things around while winning eighth of their next 10 games. The Vikings, meanwhile, have suffered the opposite fate, losing eight of their last 10 games following the win over Idaho State.

It's got all the makings of a late 90s psychological thriller. Cast Nicholas Cage as Portland State head coach Lynn Kennedy and we've got ourselves a green light in Hollywood.

The Vikings will hope a rematch against the Bengals Thursday (7 p.m. tipoff, Viking Pavilion) can reverse whatever curse got passed to them since that win over the Bengals.

It won't be an easy feat considering the Bengals' recent play, however. The Bengals have held seven of their last 10 opponents to 59 points or less, while their defense ranks second in the Big Sky in both scoring – opponents average just 60.7 points per game – and opponent field goal percentage (.367).

Besides their defense, the Bengals also have an efficient offense that leads the Big Sky in both overall field goal percentage (.437) and three-point field goal percentage (.363). Individually, Callie Bourne leads the Bengals in scoring (12.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg), while ranking eighth and seventh in the Big Sky, respectively, in each category.

Dora Goles, who ranks second on the team and 15th in the Big Sky with 12.1 points per game, has also been playing well over the Bengals' recent hot streak. Goles has scored 10 or more points in six of the Bengals' last seven games, including a career-high 36 points on 10-of-17 shooting against Montana on Feb. 15.

Goles led the Bengals with 20 points while going 6-of-7 from three-point range in the Bengals' first game against the Vikings this season. That's been typical of Goles this season, as she makes a high volume of three-pointers while still shooting a high percentage from deep. Goles ranks second in the Big Sky with 2.5 makes per game, and also ranks second in the conference with a .406 three-point field goal percentage.

Goles wasn't alone in shooting well from deep the first time the teams played each other, however. Viking freshman Belle Frazier went 4-of-6 from three-point range while leading Portland State with 17 points. Fellow freshman Cassidy Gardner also went 3-of-6 against the Bengals while setting a career high with 13 points.

The Vikings have struggled from three-point range in their last two games, but the Vikings still rank third in the Big Sky and 31st in the nation while shooting .357 from three-point range this season. Additionally, the Vikings are only three games removed from setting a new single-game program record with 15 three-pointers against Eastern Washington on Feb. 15.

A repeat of the Vikings' performance against the Eagles would certainly be welcomed for the Vikings Thursday. That's when the Vikings will attempt to put the bunny back in the box.

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (12-14, 6-10) vs. IDAHO STATE BENGALS (15-11, 11-6)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Thursday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m. (PT), Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE: Portland State beat the Bengals 69-64 in Pocatello on Jan. 18 to drop the Bengals to 3-4 in Big Sky play. Since then, the Bengals have won eight of their last 10 games, with their only losses in that stretch coming to Big Sky-leader Montana State. Consequently, the Bengals will be chasing a first-round bye at the Big Sky tournament when they face the Vikings again Thursday. The Bengals' defense has been dominant in their recent run, as they've held seven of their last 10 opponents to 59 points or less. Overall, the Bengals rank second in the Big Sky while giving up only 60.7 points per game this season, and also rank second in the conference with a field goal percentage defense of .367. The Bengals also have an efficient offense this season, as they lead the Big Sky in overall field goal percentage (.437) as well as three-point field goal percentage (.363). Individually, Callie Bourne leads the Bengals in scoring (12.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg), and ranks eighth and seventh in the Big Sky, respectively, in each category. Dora Goles, who ranks second on the team and 15th in the Big Sky with 12.1 points per game, has also been playing well over the Bengals' recent hot streak. Goles has scored 10 or more points in six of the Bengals' last seven games, including a career-high 36 points on 10-of-17 shooting against Montana on Feb. 15. Goles led the Bengals with 20 points while going 6-of-7 from three-point range in the Bengals' first game against the Vikings this season. Goles should be a threat from beyond the arc again Thursday, as she ranks second in the Big Sky for both makes (2.5 a game) and percentage (.406) from three-point range.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings snapped a 16-game losing streak to Idaho State that dated back to Jan. 17, 2011, with a 69-64 win in Pocatello on Jan. 18. The Vikings hadn't beaten the Bengals in Pocatello since Jan. 10, 2009. The Bengals still lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 36-23, however.

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

The Vikings fell 98-67 to league-leading Montana State last Thursday, giving the Vikings their sixth straight loss and seventh out of their last eight games.
Opponents have shot 40 percent or better in all six of the Vikings' recent losses. Montana State was the third team in that stretch to shoot over 50 percent against the Vikings, joining Southern Utah on Feb. 8 and Eastern Washington on Feb. 15. The Vikings are 10-0 this season when holding opponents below 40 percent from the field, and 2-13 when opponents shoot above the mark.
The Vikings have gone 12-of-52 (.231) from three-point range over their last two games, which has come on the heels of a record-breaking performance from deep against Eastern Washington on Feb. 15. The Vikings set a new single-game program record with 15 three-pointers against the Eagles, breaking the previous record of 13 that had stood since Dec. 29, 2007.
Despite their recent struggles, the Vikings still rank third in the Big Sky and 31st in the nation while shooting .357 from three-point range this season. The .357 mark gives the Vikings a chance to set a new Big Sky-era program as the current record stands at .359, set during the 2017-18 season.
Junior guard Kylie Jimenez has 979 points in her Portland State career after the Montana State game, leaving her 21 points shy of becoming the 19th member of the 1,000-point club at Portland State.
Four of the Vikings' five starters average in double figures this season, while the fifth – freshman Belle Frazier – averages 9.7 points per game. Desirae Hansen and Tatiana Streun lead the Vikings while ranking ninth and 13th in the Big Sky with 12.8 and 12.5 points per game, respectively. Besides those two, Jimenez averages 12.0 points per game, while Jordan Stotler averages 10.2. Cassidy Gardner leads the Vikings' bench players with 5.2 points per game.
Stotler has been held to one block over the Vikings' last four games, but still leads the Big Sky while ranking ninth in the NCAA with 3.1 blocks per game.
Stotler has 80 total blocks this season, leaving her 14 blocks shy of the Portland State single-season record that Courtney West set with 94 blocks during the 2016-17 season.
Four different Vikings average more than one three-pointer a game in Frazier (2.0), Jimenez (1.9), Hansen (1.5) and Gardner (1.3). Gardner leads the group in percentage, as she's shooting 40 percent (30-of-75) from beyond the arc this season.
The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 10th in the nation with a team free throw percentage of .781. Jimenez leads the Big Sky with an .857 individual free throw percentage, while Stotler and Streun rank sixth and seventh, respectively, at .797 and .795. Hansen also ranks 11th in the Big Sky while shooting .779 from the line this season.
The Vikings have been out-rebounded in 13 straight games. The Vikings haven't won the rebounding battle since Jan. 2, when they out-rebounded Idaho 49-33.
Jimenez and Hansen rank sixth and seventh in the Big Sky with 4.1 and 4.0 assists per game, respectively.
Jimenez ranks third in the Big Sky and 36th in the nation with 2.5 steals per game. Frazier also ranks among the conference leaders at ninth with 1.6 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 in double figures, while the fifth – freshman Belle Frazier – averages 9.7 points per game. Each starter has scored in double figures in at least 12 games this season, while each starter has also led the Vikings in scoring in at least four games. Desirae Hansen and Tatiana Streun lead the Vikings while ranking ninth and 13th in the Big Sky with 12.8 and 12.5 points per game, respectively. Besides those two, Jimenez averages 12.0 points per game, while Jordan Stotler averages 10.2. Cassidy Gardner leads the Vikings' bench players with 5.2 points per game.

DEPTH FROM DEEP
The Vikings broke a program record that had stood since Dec. 29, 2007, with 15 three-pointers against Eastern Washington on Feb. 15. The Vikings had twice tied the record earlier in the season, as three-point shooting has been a weapon for the Vikings all season. Despite going 12-of-52 (.231) from deep in their last two games, the Vikings rank third in the Big Sky and 31st in the nation with a team three-point field goal percentage of .357. That mark gives the Vikings a chance to set a new Big Sky-era program record as the old mark stands at .359, set during the 2017-18 season. Four different Vikings average more than one three-pointer a game in Belle Frazier (2.0), Kylie Jimenez (1.9), Desirae Hansen (1.5) and Cassidy Gardner (1.3). Gardner leads the group in percentage, as she's shooting 40 percent (30-of-75) from beyond the arc this season.

MONEY FROM THE LINE
A weapon throughout the season for the Vikings has been their free-throw shooting, and with good reason as the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 10th in the nation with a team free throw percentage of .781. All five Viking starters shoot 77 percent or better from the line, while three of the Vikings' top bench players are also shooting over 72.5 percent. Kylie Jimenez moved into the Big Sky lead for free throw percentage after going 8-of-8 from the line against Eastern Washington on Feb. 15. Jimenez leads the conference while shooting .857 from the charity stripe, while Jordan Stotler and Tatiana Streun rank sixth and seventh, respectively, at .797 and .795. Desirae Hansen also ranks 11th in the conference with a .779 free throw percentage after going 8-of-8 from the line against Montana State last Thursday.

PUZZLING TREND ON THE BOARDS
Through the first 13 games this season, the most reliable indicator of success for the Vikings had been the team's rebounding numbers. The Vikings were 6-0 when out-rebounding their opponent, 1-1 when tying in rebounds and 0-5 when losing the rebounding battle. That's changed over the last 13 games, when the Vikings are 5-8 despite being out-rebounded in every game. The Vikings haven't won the rebounding battle since Jan. 2, when the Vikings ironically had one of their best rebounding performances of the season while out-rebounding Idaho 49-33 at home. Regardless of the puzzling trend, the Vikings still have two players ranked in the top 10 of the Big Sky for rebounds in posts Jordan Stotler and Tatiana Streun. Stotler ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 7.5 rebounds per game, while Streun ranks eighth with 6.9. Stotler ranks second in the Big Sky with 5.9 defensive rebounds per game, while Streun ranks eighth in defensive rebounds (4.9) and 11th in offensive rebounds (1.9) per game.

STOTLER CHASING BLOCKS RECORD
With four games left in the regular season, and at least one more game guaranteed at the Big Sky tournament, senior forward Jordan Stotler has a chance to break the single-season school record this season. Courtney West, Stotler's teammate last season when the two towers played together, set the current record with 94 blocks during the 2016-17 season. Stotler has 80 blocks after last weekend, leaving her 14 from tying the record and 15 from breaking it. Stotler averages 3.1 blocks per game this season, giving her the Big Sky lead in the category and ranking her ninth in the nation. Stotler had appeared destined for the record before a recent cold spell saw her limited to just one block in the Vikings' last four games. Stotler had 61 blocks in the 13-game stretch before the cold spell, a run that started when she tied a program record with nine blocks in the Vikings' home game against then-No. 23 Tennessee on Dec. 21. Stotler had four or more blocks in 10 games within that 13-game stretch, which started with that game against the Lady Vols. Stotler now has 125 blocks in her career, ranking her second only to West in the Portland State record books.

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 has scored in double figures in nine of the Vikings' past 10 games, and now leads the Vikings while ranking ninth in the Big Sky with 12.8 points per game. Hansen has been about more than scoring this season, however, as she also ranks third on the team with 4.5 rebounds per game, and ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 4.0 assists per game. Hansen has six games with 10+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists this season, and has two more games where she's finished with nine points while recording over five rebounds and five assists for the Vikings.

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 sixth double-double of the season against Weber State on Jan. 20, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds to go with a season-high five assists. Streun scored a career-high 30 points the previous week against Montana (Jan. 13), shooting 10-of-14 from the field while going 10-of-13 from the free throw line and adding nine rebounds and four steals. For the season, Streun ranks 13th in the Big Sky with 12.5 points per game, and also ranks eighth in the conference with 6.9 rebounds per game. Streun has been especially effective at getting to the free throw line this season, as she ranks 71st in the nation with 101 free throws made. Streun ranks seventh in the Big Sky for free throw percentage (.795), and also ranks among the Big Sky leaders for defensive rebounds (8th, 5.0) and offensive rebounds (11th, 1.9) per game.

IRON WOMAN
Junior guard Kylie Jimenez did not miss a second of action while scoring a season-high 27 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the Vikings' game at Eastern Washington on Feb. 15. It was the seventh time this season that Jimenez has played all 40 minutes of action, as well as the fifth time in Big Sky play. Jimenez's durability shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone since Jimenez ranks second in the Big Sky and 39th in the nation with 36.3 minutes played per game, similar numbers to her first two years on the Park Blocks. That productivity has Jimenez moving up the career rankings at Portland State in her third year within the program. Jimenez now ranks fifth in school history in assists (407), fifth in three-pointers made (153), and sixth in steals (212). Additionally, Jimenez remains on pace to become the 19th member of the Vikings' 1,000-point club by season's end, as she ranks third on the team with 12.0 points per game. Jimenez has 979 career points entering the weekend, leaving her 21 points short of the landmark. Statistically, Jimenez also leads the Big Sky in free throw percentage (.857) while ranking third in steals per game (2.5), fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0), sixth in assists per game (4.1) and ninth in three-pointers made per game (1.9).

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 scored in double figures in six of the Vikings' past 11 games, and finished within a basket of double digits in three of the other five games in that stretch. For the season, Frazier leads the Vikings while ranking seventh in the Big Sky with 2.0 three-pointers made per game. Additionally, Frazier ranks ninth in the Big Sky with 1.6 steals per game, and stands 12th in the conference with 31.9 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.
Jan. 13, Portland State 78, Montana 65: Tatiana Streun led the Vikings with a career-high 30 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field while going 10-of-13 from the free throw line and adding nine rebounds and four steals. Jordan Stotler nearly recorded a triple-double in the game with 12 points, nine rebounds and eight assists – not to mention the six blocks she had against the Lady Griz.
Jan. 18, Portland State 69, Idaho State 64: The Vikings snapped a 16-game losing streak to Idaho State while winning their first game against the Bengals since Jan. 17, 2011, and their first road game against ISU since Jan. 10, 2009. Freshmen Belle Frazier and Cassidy Gardner led the way with 17 and 13 points, respectively, for the Vikings while combining to go 7-of-12 from beyond the arc.
Jan. 20, Portland State 76, Weber State 57: The Vikings completed only their second Big Sky road weekend sweep since 2012 with a win over the Wildcats. Posts Jordan Stotler and Tatiana Streun each had double-doubles against the Wildcats. Stotler finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks, while Streun recorded 15 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Desirae Hansen also had a perfect shooting night, going 4-of-4 from the field and 9-of-9 from the free throw line while scoring 17 points.
Jan. 25, Portland State 66, Montana State 54: The Vikings overcame a 13-2 deficit while outscoring NAU 31-10 over the rest of the first half. The Vikings trailed 22-15 early in the second quarter, but closed the half on an 18-1 run to take a 33-23 lead into halftime.
Feb. 15, Eastern Washington 79, Portland State 75: The Vikings broke a program record with 15 three-pointers against the Eagles, surpassing the old record of 13 which had stood since Dec. 29, 2007. Kylie Jimenez and Cassidy Gardner led the way with five and four three-pointers, respectively.