PORTLAND, Ore. — You get a bucket! You get a bucket! You get a bucket!
It was like Oprah was Santa again Sunday afternoon at Viking Pavilion. All 12 players dressed for the Portland State women's basketball team's game against Simpson University scored for the Vikings, as the team passed the wealth around during a 73-45 win over the Red Hawks.
The even distribution was a fitting touch ahead of the Vikings' holiday break. The Vikings (5-5) assisted on 19 of their 27 field goals Sunday, while nine of their 12 players recorded at least one assist.
"Our hope for this game was to just treat it like it was against any other opponent. We always talk about how it's about us. We have to get better," Portland State head coach
Chelsey Gregg said afterwards.
"It was awesome just to play after our game was canceled at Long Beach. Everybody got to play, everybody got to score. Those are some great positives. Moving forward, though, we have to continue to grow. It doesn't matter who you play, you have to stay ready."
Sunday's game not only offered the Vikings a chance to get everyone in the score book, the Vikings also worked out a few kinks before returning to Big Sky Conference play for the rest of the season. The Vikings out-rebounded the Red Hawks 53-to-36, the first time they've done that over an opponent since their win over Prairie View A&M on Nov. 20. Additionally, the 53 rebounds represent a new season high for the Vikings, while their 19 offensive rebounds tied a season high they originally set against Dixie State on Nov. 12.
And like the scoring, the Vikings distributed the boards across their roster. All 12 players grabbed at least two rebounds, while seven different players recorded at least four.
"We're asking our young women to get the rebound and go. Better rebounding turns into offense," Gregg said of the team's emphasis on the glass. "We won the rebounding battle, as we should. And 19 offensive rebounds were great to see."
The Vikings were also nearly perfect at the free throw line, going 15-of-16 (.938) with their only miss coming in the fourth quarter. The 15 made free throws are their second most of the season, while their 93.8 percent conversion rate stands second only to the team's 8-of-8 performance against Weber State on Dec. 4.
Still, Gregg noted a few areas that could improve from Sunday's game, chief among them the Vikings' 18 turnovers, which led to 22 of Simpson's 45 points.
"We were a little bit lax with the basketball," Gregg acknowledged afterwards. "We had our ups and downs throughout the game. I'd like to see a little bit more consistency throughout the game."
The Vikings forced 17 turnovers themselves, with 12 of those coming off of steals for the Vikings.
Esmeralda Morales swiped five of the Vikings' 12 steals, while
Rhema Ogele doubled her career high with four steals as she persistently knocked interior passes away throughout Sunday's game.
The onslaught started early for the Vikings, who never trailed the Red Hawks (2-11) at any point Sunday. It was 9-2 less than 90 seconds into the game, and the Vikings led by double digits for more than 30 minutes of game time.
An 18-4 start to the second quarter put the Vikings firmly in control, as they took a 37-14 lead with only 2:28 remaining before halftime.
Alaya Fitzgerald scored 10 of the 18 points in the run, including two baskets in a ruthless, four- or five-possession stretch where the Vikings didn't let the Red Hawks cross mid-court with steal after steal.
Reilly Kelty also scored four points in the 18-4 start to the second quarter, while she and Fitzgerald tied for the team lead with 12 points each. The 12 points for Kelty came on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, and doubled her previous career high which she set earlier this season with six points against Utah Valley on Nov. 27.
The Vikings pushed their lead to 30 points in the third quarter, with Morales hitting a three-pointer to make it 52-21 with 6:17 in the third quarter. It was a 35-point game by the end of the third quarter, and the Vikings cruised in the fourth.
Besides Fitzgerald and Kelty, Morales also went into double figures with 10 points to go with seven assists and five steals. Three other players also scored seven points or more in
Savannah Dhaliwal (eight),
Mia 'Uhila (eight) and
Jenna Kilty (seven).
Marina Canzobre led the Vikings with six rebounds, tying a career high, while three of those six rebounds came on the offensive end.
The Vikings won't practice again until Dec. 26, when they'll start preparation for a Big Sky road weekend at Eastern Washington and Idaho. The Vikings open against Eastern Washington at 6 p.m. on Dec. 30, then travel to Idaho for a game on New Year's Day at 2 p.m.
Game Notes: Sunday's game was the first counting game between the Vikings and Red Hawks, though they've played exhibition games against each other in the past, including on Oct. 26, 2018, when the Vikings beat the Red Hawks, 90-52…Kelty blocked a season-high three shots in Sunday's game, while the Vikings set a season high with five blocks as a team…The Vikings' 12 steals tied another season high, as the Vikings also had 12 steals in their wins over Warner Pacific on Nov. 9 and Dixie State on Nov. 12.
