Vikings Open Five-Game Road Trip with Monday Afternoon Matchup against Eastern Washington

TIPOFF

Tourists on their first cruise wouldn't be expected to have their sea legs when they first step on the ship. Neither should anyone expect the Portland State women's basketball team, which went 27 days without playing a game, to have its basketball legs in their first game back.

The Vikings still haven't practiced as a full squad since their game against Simpson on Dec. 19, which puts them at a disadvantage against teams that haven't had similar interruptions, like the Vikings' opponent Saturday, Sacramento State. The Hornets used their better game conditioning to run past the Vikings in the second half, beating the Vikings 70-58 in the Vikings' first game in four weeks.

But the Vikings won't bring up that excuse again after Saturday, as the young team wants to win more than it wants to provide context for a bizarre season. Additionally, the upcoming schedule sets up to where the Vikings could get their basketball legs back in a hurry. Monday's road game against Eastern Washington kicks off a five-game road trip over a span of 11 days from Jan. 17-27. Saturday's game against Sacramento State also started a 24-day span from Jan. 15 to Feb. 7 in which the Vikings will play 11 games.

So, the 27-day hiatus will soon be in the rearview mirror for a Viking team that showed its talent Saturday, even in their loss to the Hornets. Four different Vikings scored in double figures between Alaya Fitzgerald, Jada Lewis, Esmeralda Morales and Savannah Dhaliwal. Those four accounted for 54 of the team's 58 points, as Fitzgerald led the team with 15 points, while the other three all scored 13 each.

Fitzgerald's 15 points were two off her career-high, which she set in the Vikings' game against Hawai'i back on Nov. 21. Additionally, she tied her career-highs for rebounds (5) and steals (3) in the game.

Lewis also posted one of her best games of the season despite playing for the first time in 27 days. Lewis recorded the first double-double of her career, as she added a career-high 11 rebounds to 13 points while playing a career-high 38 minutes against the Hornets.

Lewis's rebounding effort showed another facet of her game, which has typically been strongest from the perimeter. She and Morales lead the Vikings' effort from beyond the arc, as the Vikings rank third in the Big Sky and 58th in the nation while shooting 34.3 percent from three-point range. Lewis ranks second in the conference in both makes per game (2.36) and percentage (40.6%), while Morales ranks fourth in both categories (2.0 makes per game on 34.4% shooting).

Morales also leads the Vikings' strong free-throw shooting, as the Vikings rank third in the Big Sky and 18th in the nation while shooting 77.6 percent as a team. Morales is shooting 94.1 percent from the line individually, having gone 32-of-34 so far this season, ranking her second in the Big Sky and sixth in the nation in the category.

Morales also leads the Vikings while ranking fifth in the Big Sky with 14.2 points per game.

Dhaliwal, meanwhile, picked up where she left off before the Vikings' hiatus as one of the Vikings' most consistent performers. She's scored in double figures in all but two games this season, and scored eight and nine points in the two other games. For the season, Dhaliwal ranks second on the team with 11.2 points per game, and adds 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field.

Defensively, the Vikings have been strong on the perimeter all season. Sacramento State became the fourth straight team that failed to shoot better than 30.0 percent from three-point range against the Vikings. Portland State leads the Big Sky while ranking fourth in the NCAA for three-point field goal percentage defense, as teams are shooting just 22.9 percent against the Vikings this season. Seven of the Vikings' 11 opponents this season have also failed to make more than five three-pointers in their game against the Vikings.

The Eagles will test the Vikings' three-point defense most likely, as they shoot a high volume of outside shots, especially leading scorer Jaydia Marin. Martin, a freshman, averages more than eight three-point attempts per game, and leads the Big Sky – ranking her just ahead of the Vikings' Lewis – with 2.5 three-pointers made per game. Martin averages 15.9 points per game, a scoring output that ranks her third in the Big Sky.

Jacinta Buckley is the only other Eagles player who averages in double figures, as she adds 11.1 points to her 7.64 rebounds per game, which rank her fifth in the Big Sky.

The Eagles will be a confident group heading into Monday's game, as they just recorded their first Big Sky win over the season with a 56-52 win at home over Weber State Saturday. The Eagles played a typically tough defense for them against the Wildcats, as Weber State shot just 32.7 percent overall and 22.2 percent from three-point range. For the season, the Eagles rank third in the Big Sky for field goal percentage defense (.376), and stand fifth in scoring defense while allowing only 65.6 points per game.

So, the Eagles and the Vikings' other opponents won't let the Vikings get their basketball legs back easily. Still, if they come back in Monday's game (2 p.m. tip), then the Vikings could be off to the races, especially with such a busy schedule coming up.

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (5-6, 0-3) vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON (3-11, 1-4)

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
GAME DETAILS: Monday, Jan. 17, 2 p.m. PT, Cheney, Wash. (Reese Court)
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON: The Eastern Washington Eagles won their first Big Sky game of the season Saturday, beating Weber State at home, 56-52. That snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Eagles, and marked the Eagles' first win over a Division I opponent this season. The Eagles had dropped their first four Big Sky games before Saturday, losing at Southern Utah (60-46, Dec. 2) and Montana (68-50, Jan. 6), and at home against Idaho (63-42, Jan. 8) and Idaho State (87-66, Jan. 13). Defense led the Eagles to their win over the Wildcats Saturday, as they held Weber State to 32.7-percent shooting overall and 22.2 percent from three-point range. Defense has been a strength for the Eagles in general this season. They rank third in the Big Sky for field goal percentage defense (.376) and fifth in scoring defense while allowing only 65.6 points per game. Offensively, the Eagles rank third in the Big Sky with 7.29 three-pointers made per game, though they rank seventh in the conference in terms of three-point field goal percentage while hitting 31.3 percent of their shots from the outside. Individually, the Eagles' Jaydia Martin, a freshman, ranks third in the Big Sky with 15.9 points per game. Martin shoots a lot of three-pointers, as she attempts over eight triples a game and leads the Big Sky with 2.5 makes per game. She and Jacinta Buckley, who averages 11.1 points per game, are the only two Eagles averaging in double figures. Buckley adds 7.64 rebounds per game to her 11.1 points, ranking her fifth in the Big Sky for rebounds. Andie Zylak, another of the Eagles' freshmen, ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 3.58 assists per game, while also averaging 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. The Eagles, like the Vikings and their opponent Saturday, Sacramento State, are one of several Big Sky teams in their first years under a new head coach. Joddie Gleason took the helm of the Eagles during the offseason, after spending the previous five seasons as the associate head coach for Seattle University.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Eagles lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 40-35. The Vikings had won seven of nine in the series, however, until the Eagles won both regular-season matchups last season. The Vikings got revenge in the first round of last season's Big Sky tournament, however. In fact, the Vikings have eliminated the Eagles from the last four Big Sky tournaments, including in 2019, when the Vikings beat the Eagles in the championship game.

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

Saturday's game against Sacramento State was the Vikings' first game in 27 days. Some of that rust and lack of game conditioning showed itself in the second half, as the Hornets came back from a five-point halftime deficit to beat the Vikings, 70-58.
Alaya Fitzgerald, Jada Lewis, Savannah Dhaliwal and Esmeralda Morales combined for 54 of the Vikings' 58 points against the Hornets Saturday. Those four lead the Vikings on the season, too, as they've accounted for 70.8 percent of the team's scoring. Morales leads the Vikings while ranking fifth in the Big Sky with 14.2 points per game.
Monday's road game against Eastern Washington kicks off a five-game road trip that spans 11 days from Jan. 17-27. After playing the Eagles on the road, the Vikings play at Montana (Jan. 20), Montana State (Jan. 22), Idaho (Jan. 24) and Southern Utah (Jan. 27).
The Vikings' last four opponents have all failed to shoot over 30.0 percent from three-point range, as the Vikings have taken over the Big Sky lead for three-point field goal percentage defense. Opponents are shooting just 22.9 percent from three-point range against the Vikings, which ranks the Vikings fourth in the nation in the category.
The Vikings rank third in the Big Sky for three-point field goal percentage, as they're shooting 34.3 percent from deep as a team. Jada Lewis ranks second in the conference in both makes per game (2.36) and percentage (40.6%), while Esmeralda Morales stands fourth in both categories (2.0 makes per game, 34.4%).
Esmeralda Morales has gone 32-of-34 (.941) from the free-throw line, good for second in the Big Sky and sixth in the nation. As a team, the Vikings are shooting 77.6 percent from the line, which ranks them third in the Big Sky and 18th in the nation.
The Vikings rank second in the Big Sky with 9.64 steals per game, and have finished with at least 10 steals in seven of their 11 games this season. Three different Vikings rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky for steals per game. Mia 'Uhila and Esmeralda Morales rank third and fourth, respectively, with 2.20 and 2.18 steals per game individually. Jada Lewis also ranks seventh in the league with 1.64 steals per game.
Savannah Dhaliwal has scored in double figures in all but two games this season, and she scored eight and nine points in the other two games. Dhaliwal averages 11.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 47.5 percent overall (48-of-101) and 40.9 percent from three-point range (9-of-22). Dhaliwal's production has provided a feel-good storyline for the Vikings this season after she missed the last two seasons due to back-to-back ACL tears. Dhaliwal played in her first counting game in 985 days when she started the team's season opener against Warner Pacific on Nov. 9.
Jada Lewis recorded the first double-double of her career Saturday, as she added a career-high 11 rebounds to 13 points in the Vikings' game against the Hornets. Lewis averages 10.8 points per game for the season, and has three 20-point games in which she's hit at least five three-pointers.
The Vikings have started three freshmen in Esmeralda Morales, Alaya Fitzgerald and Rhema Ogele in every game this season. Additionally, Mia 'Uhila averages 22.6 minutes per game off the bench, ranking her fifth on the team in minutes.
Head coach Chelsey Gregg is in her first year at the helm of the Vikings after spending the previous six seasons as first an assistant then an associate head coach for the Vikings. The players dumped ice water over Gregg's head following the team's first win of the season on Nov. 9. A photo of the moment was shared by the @NCAAWBB accounts as their photo of the week that week.
The Vikings have nine underclassmen out of the 14 players on their roster this season, while Savannah Dhaliwal represents the team's lone senior.

ELITE PERIMETER DEFENSE

The Vikings have held their last four opponents to under 30 percent shooting from three-point range, as the young Vikings have emerged as an elite defensive team on the perimeter. The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank fourth in the nation in three-point defense, as opponents are shooting just 22.9 percent against them this season. The high point defensively came against cross-town rival University of Portland on Dec. 12, when the Vikings held the Pilots without a make from three-point range as the Pilots went 0-of-17 in the game. The best three-point shooting percentage by a Viking opponent this season is just 33.3 percent, which Weber State shot against the Vikings while going 3-of-9 from in their game on Dec. 4. Otherwise, seven of the Vikings' 11 opponents have failed to shoot better than 30.0 percent from deep, while only four opponents have made more than five three-point attempts.

UP-AND-DOWN OFFENSE

The Vikings' 75-71 win over Pepperdine on Dec. 10 marked a resurgence for the Viking offense before its dormant run due to the COVID-19 cancellations. The Vikings shot over 50 percent for only the second time this season, going 29-of-57 (.509) against the Waves. That included a seasonal-best performance from three-point range as the Vikings went 12-of-19 (.632) from deep. But the Vikings followed with 54 points on 20-of-65 (.308) shooting against cross-town rival University of Portland two days later on Dec. 12. The up-and-down weekend typified the Vikings' inconsistent offense this season, as the team's youthful roster is just as likely to light up the scoreboard as it is to score fewer than 60 points. Three-point shooting has been key in the Vikings' wins this season. The Vikings are 4-0 when they hit at least nine three-pointers in a game, but they average only 4.4 makes per game in their seven other games. The Vikings rank third in the Big Sky and 58th in the nation while shooting 34.3 percent from three-point range this season. Jada Lewis and Esmeralda Morales lead the Vikings' effort from deep. They both have multiple games in which they've hit at least five three-pointers this season. Lewis ranks second in the Big Sky in both makes per game (2.36) and three-point field goal percentage (40.6%), and stands 67th and 48th in the nation, respectively, in both categories. Morales, meanwhile, ranks fourth in the Big Sky in both makes per game (2.0) and three-point field goal percentage (34.4%).

BALL CONTROL

The Vikings have forced at least 15 turnovers in all but four games this season, and yet the Vikings have lost the turnover battle in five of their past six games. So, ball control has been a theme for the Vikings this season. The Vikings rank fifth in the Big Sky in turnover margin (+0.36) while they rank second in the conference and 77th in the nation with 9.64 steals per game. The Vikings were held to seven steals in their game against Sacramento State Saturday, but they've recorded at least 10 steals in seven of their 11 games. Three different Vikings rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky for steals per game, led by Mia 'Uhila and Esmeralda Morales who rank third and fourth, respectively, with 2.20 and 2.18 steals per game. Jada Lewis also ranks seventh in the conference with 1.64 steals per game. Additionally, Morales ranks fourth in the conference with 4.5 assists per game, and stands third with a 1.69 assist-to-turnover ratio.

MORE OF MORALES, PLEASE

Esmeralda Morales took a step forward in the Vikings' win over Pepperdine on Dec. 10, breaking out of a shooting slump with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting overall and 5-of-6 from three-point range while tying a career-high with nine assists. Morales has had to adjust to being one of the primary targets of opposing teams' defensive plans, which she's been the subject of ever since her record-breaking debut against Warner Pacific on Nov. 9. Morales tied a single-game record that has stood since 1991 with eight made three-pointers in her debut against Warner Pacific. She also set five other freshman records in the game between the records for points (32), points in a debut (32), field goals made (11), three-point field goals made (8) and three-point field goal percentage (.727). Morales also made the Bank of Hawai'i Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.0 three-pointers per game against Prairie View A&M on Nov. 20, and Hawai'i on Nov. 21. Morales now ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 14.2 points per game and also stands among the leaders in a number of other categories as well. Morales ranks second in the Big Sky and sixth in the nation while shooting 94.1 percent from the free-throw line. Additionally, Morales ranks third in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.69), as well as fourth in steals per game (2.18), three-pointers made per game (2.00) and three-point field goal percentage (.344).

JADA CAN KNOCK DOWN THE J's, DUH

Jada Lewis' 5-of-7 performance from three-point range in the Vikings' Dec. 10 win over Pepperdine wasn't an outlier. Rather, it was a return to the norm for the Vikings' junior guard. Lewis has three games this season in which she's hit at least five three-pointers, and has shot at least 58.3 percent from deep while topping at least 20 points in all three of those games. Besides her 21-point performance against Pepperdine, Lewis also lit it up in back-to-back games against Dixie State and Prairie View A&M on Nov. 12 and 20, respectively. Lewis set a new career-high for points in both games while going a combined 13-of-21 (.619) from beyond the arc. Lewis started with 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting from deep against Dixie State, then topped that with 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the outside against Prairie View A&M. Lewis showed a new facet of her game Saturday against Sacramento State, as she recorded her first double-double with a career-high 11 rebounds to go with 13 points. For the season, Lewis ranks second in the Big Sky in both three-pointers made per game (2.2) and percentage (.406), and also ranks seventh in the conference with 1.64 steals per game.

THE LONG-AWAITED RETURN OF SAVANNAH DHALIWAL

For someone who went 985 days between counting games, Savannah Dhaliwal has been remarkably consistent for the Vikings since making her return from back-to-back ACL tears. Dhaliwal has scored in double figures in all but two games so far this season, and scored eight and nine points in the other two games. Dhaliwal hasn't just been a scorer, though, as she's done a little bit of everything for the Vikings. Through 11 games this season, she's averaging 11.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 47.5 percent (48-of-101) from the field and 40.9 percent (9-of-22) from three-point range. Dhaliwal also ranks eighth in the conference with 2.36 offensive rebounds per game. So, it's been a dream return to play for Dhaliwal, who first tore the ACL in her right knee in the Vikings' home game against Idaho on Feb. 28, 2019. That kept her out of the entire 2019-20 season, and she re-tore her ACL in the fall of 2020, which forced her out of the entire 2020-21 season as well.

ROOTING FOR LAY IS A LAY-UP

Alaya Fitzgerald, nicknamed Lay, had one of her best games of the season in the team's official re-start Saturday against Sacramento State. Fitzgerald led the Vikings with 15 points, nine of which she scored after halftime. Fitzgerald also tied career-highs for rebounds (5) and steals (3) against the Hornets. The game marked a return to form for Fitzgerald, who opened her season with four straight double-digit scoring games. Fitzgerald averaged only 4.6 points over the next five games, however, before she finally hit double figures again with 12 points in the Vikings' 73-45 win over Simpson University on Dec. 19. Fitzgerald's career-high came against Hawai'i on Nov. 21, when she scored 12 of her 17 points after halftime.

OOOOOOOOOO-HEE-LUH

Pixar took the little green aliens saying 'oooooooooo' in Toy Story from watching freshman guard Mia 'Uhila. At least that's the story we're telling ourselves. 'Uhila has the game to make it believable, especially in terms of her perimeter defense. 'Uhila has grabbed at least three steals in four of her 10 appearances this season. That's put 'Uhila third in the Big Sky and 97th in the NCAA with 2.2 steals per game. 'Uhila has also helped the Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and 77th in the nation with 9.64 steals per game as a team.

YOUTHFUL ROSTER

Nine of the Vikings' 14 players this season will be freshmen or sophomores, and neither class has had a normal basketball season due to the pandemic since they were either sophomore or juniors in high school. That should make for a youthful roster at times for the Vikings this season, especially considering the Vikings' only have one senior – Savannah Dhaliwal – to counterbalance that youth. Even the Vikings' juniors had their freshmen years in 2019-20 cut short in March due to the pandemic, and then weren't able to work on their games nearly as much as they would have liked as sophomores during the 2020-21 season.

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

Big Sky coaches and media members picked the Vikings to finish ninth and eighth in their respective preseason polls. The top three in both polls were identical, with Idaho State the clear favorite in both. The Bengals return several key players from last year's team that ran away with the Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles. Because of that, the Bengals earned all but their own first-place vote in the coaches poll, and picked up 17 of the 22 first-place votes in the media poll. Montana State followed the Bengals at second in both polls, narrowly edging Idaho in third.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Dec. 19, 2021, Portland State 73, Simpson 45: Every player who dressed scored for the Vikings in their game against the Red Hawks. The Vikings assisted on 19 of their 27 field goals in the game, while nine of their 12 players recorded at least one assist.
Dec. 10, 2021, Portland State 75, Pepperdine 71: The Vikings erased a 16-6 deficit early in the game while returning to form from the outside. The Vikings went 12-of-19 (.632) from three-point range after going just 9-of-48 (.188) combined over their previous three games. Jada Lewis and Esmeralda Morales both broke out of individual shooting slumps, as they tied for the game high with 21 points while going 5-of-7 and 5-of-6 from deep, respectively.
Nov. 20, 2021, Portland State 75, Prairie View A&M 61: Savannah Dhaliwal recorded the first double-double of her career with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Jada Lewis set career highs for points (23) and three-pointers (7) to lead the Vikings offensively.
Nov. 12, 2021, Portland State 80, Dixie State 52: The Vikings held a Dixie State team that had just set a new school record with 22 made three-pointers in its season opener to 5-of-34 (.147) shooting from deep. Jada Lewis set a career high with 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
Nov. 9, 2021, Portland State 87, Warner Pacific 64: Esmeralda Morales tied a single-game record that's stood since 1991 with eight three-pointers against the Knights, while setting five new freshman records in the game. Morales broke the freshman records for points (32), points in a debut (32), field goals made (11), three-point field goals made (8) and three-point field goal percentage (.727). Savannah Dhaliwal also made her return after missing the last two seasons due to back-to-back ACL tears. Dhaliwal had 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting while setting new career highs for assists (6) and steals (2) in her first counting game in 985 days.

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