PORTLAND, Ore. — Exhibitions, by definition, are showcases. Displays for the public to view something new or exciting. The Portland State women's basketball team offered itself up as an exhibition Sunday against Multnomah University, with fans able to view the team at Viking Pavilion for the first time since Feb. 29, 2020.
 
The fans must have liked what they saw as the Vikings played a free-flowing, fast-paced game against Multnomah, beating the Lions, 95-75. The Vikings' youthful roster was on display for the first time Sunday, as the Vikings started three freshmen in Esmeralda Morales, Alaya Fitzgerald and Rhema Ogele, while the team's fourth freshman, Mia 'Uhila, played over 14 minutes.
 
"Multnomah gave us a really great look. They did some really great things. In the first half, we struggled covering that three-point line. But we really made some adjustments in the second half. Starting three freshmen, we're going to take our ups and downs, but collectively, I really like how hard we played," Portland State head coach Chelsey Gregg said of her team afterwards.
 
"It was a really great learning experience. They gave us some great looks and so now we know areas where we can improve on, and things we need to continue to work on going into that first counting game."
 
Morales showed her promise while starting at point guard for the Vikings. The freshman hit 10 of her first 14 shots from the field, while totaling 23 points, six assists and four rebounds just in the first half. Morales finished with 30 points and 12 assists, both of which would have been freshman records if Sunday had been a counting game.
 
"There's so much you can say about Esme," Gregg said of Morales. "She's ready to go. She came in early, knowing that she was going to be that point guard spot for us. Thirty and twelve? And only two turnovers? Her ability to take care of the basketball and lead for us, and score when need is special. I was just really, really proud of the way she played and how she prepared for this game."
 
Morales' play headlined a standout passing game for the Vikings, as they assisted on 29 of the team's 39 field goals. Morales had 12 of the 29, while Savannah Dhaliwal added six for what would have been a career high for her if it had been a counting game.
 
The 29 assists Sunday tied the most for the Vikings in a game since at least 2006-07, the first year with complete game-by-game totals in the program's archives. The last time the Vikings had 29 assists in a counting game was Jan. 6, 2018, in a 101-90 loss to Idaho.
 
"That's a preview of the kind of basketball that we can play," Gregg said of the team's 29 assists. "I think it's exciting to watch. You know, we're going to continue to improve and grow, and continue to get that game experience. I know that for a lot of us, it was our first game in a while in front of a crowd. And so ultimately, it was super fun to be back in front of our fans, in front of family and getting the opportunity to play and compete." 
 
The Viking defense needed a little bit of time to match the offense's level Sunday. Multnomah stayed with the Vikings in the first half, as the Lions trailed by only eight points at the break thanks to shooting 9-of-17 from three-point range in the first half.
 
The Vikings stiffened in the second half, however, as the Lions shot just 5-of-20 in the third quarter while the Vikings stretched their lead to 17 by the start of the fourth. The three-point shooting that had killed the Vikings in the first half was non-existent in the second half, as the Vikings held the Lions to 0-of-9 from deep after halftime.
 
The turnaround was a promising sign for the Vikings' youth, which is sure to have several moments this season where they need to take input and enact it in real-time during a game.
 
"We talk about how our defense continually gets better so that come March, that's when we're looking to play our best basketball. We also have to be flexible to where if teams are making shots, we have to make that adjustment. That's what we did in the second half," Gregg said of the team's defensive effort.
 
Two Multnomah three-pointers on back-to-back possession gave the Lions their first lead of the game at 23-20 with 8:58 left in the second quarter. The Vikings immediately responded with 14-2 run, however, that gave them the lead for good. Fitzgerald ended the run with back-to-back triples from the right wing, the second of which gave the Vikings a 34-25 lead with 6:20 left before halftime.
 
The Lions got back within three at 36-33, but Morales responded with three triples around a Multnomah bucket that put the Vikings back up 45-35.
 
The Vikings then put some distance between themselves and the Lions with a 21-12 third quarter. No single run put the game away for the Vikings, as they instead traded two buckets to every one for the Lions. A three-pointer from Jenna Kilty along the left baseline gave the Vikings their biggest lead to that point at 73-56 with 2:32 to go in the third quarter. Dhaliwal then put in a rebound bucket with 33 seconds remaining that gave the Vikings a 75-58 lead heading into the fourth.
 
Jada Lewis opened the fourth quarter with a fast-break layup, as the Vikings scored the first six points of the period to go up by more than 20. By the time Marina Canzobre scored off an assist from Fitzgerald with 4:15 to go, it was a 93-68 lead for the Vikings and it didn't get any closer than 20 points the rest of the way.
 
Besides Morales, Lewis also finished with a double-double with 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting to go with 11 rebounds, four steals and three assists. Fitzgerald and Ogele, meanwhile, both scored in double figures with 13 points each. Ogele added eight rebounds to her 13 points, while she went 6-of-7 from the field.
 
Dhaliwal had an all-around game with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting to go with 10 rebounds (five offensive) and six steals.
 
Games will now start to count for the Vikings, who officially open their season next Tuesday, Nov. 9, against Warner Pacific. Tipoff between the Vikings and Knights is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Viking Pavilion.
 
Game Notes: The Vikings out-rebounded the Lions, 58-to-38, including an 18-to-11 advantage on the offensive glass…Seven different Vikings had at least five rebounds in the game between Lewis (11), Dhaliwal (10), Ogele (8), Morales (6), Fitzgerald (5), 'Uhila (5) and Syd Schultz (5)…The Vikings out-scored the Lions 46-to-20 in the paint, as well as 15-to-3 on fast-break opportunities.