TIPOFF

Three-and-D. It's the magic combo in any NBA or WNBA wing prospect, and it's emerging as the identity of this year's Portland State women's basketball team.
 
The Vikings took a step further towards that identity last Saturday with a 73-55 win over Utah Valley. The Vikings hit nine shots from three-point range – the fourth time out of five games this season that they've hit at least eight shots from deep – while their defense turned 16 Utah Valley turnovers into 22 points. The Vikings also held Utah Valley to under 60 points defensively, a feat they've accomplished in three of their five games this season.
 
The Three-and-D identity will suit the Vikings well in their next game, as they face a similar team in Fresno State this Thursday at 6 p.m. at Viking Pavilion.
 
The Bulldogs sport an even better scoring defense than the Vikings' so far this season. They've held five of their first seven opponents to under 50 points while giving up only 48.3 points per game. That average ranks the Bulldogs eighth in the NCAA in scoring defense, while they also rank in the top 100 for three-point field goal percentage defense (.255) and overall field goal percentage defense (.371).
 
Both the Vikings and Bulldogs key their defense off of forcing turnovers. The Bulldogs average nearly 20 turnovers forced per game (19.6), while the Vikings aren't far behind them as they've forced 18.6 turnovers on average so far this season.
 
So, taking care of the ball will be paramount for the Vikings Thursday. It makes head coach Chelsey Gregg's repeated advice of controlling what the Vikings can control all the more prescient.
 
"For us, we continue to talk about controlling what we can control. I probably sound like a broken record, but the reality is that when we do that, we put ourselves in a good position," Gregg said after the Vikings' win over Utah Valley last Saturday.
 
Taking care of the basketball will also give the Vikings the best chance to knock down shots, which they'll need to do against the tough Fresno State scoring defense.
 
The Vikings did that last Saturday against Utah Valley behind their dynamic outside shooting duo of Esmeralda Morales and Jada Lewis. Both players scored season highs – Morales with 24 points, Lewis with 16 – while going a combined 9-of-13 from three-point range. Morales went a perfect 5-of-5 from deep, while Lewis set a season high with four makes on eight attempts against the Wolverines.
 
Those two now rank among the national leaders in both three-pointers made per game and three-point field goal percentage. Morales leads the Big Sky with 3.8 makes per game, an average that also ranks her third in the NCAA. Lewis, meanwhile, ranks third in the Big Sky and 43rd in the NCAA with 2.8 makes per game from the outside.
 
But both players haven't just been chucking the ball up. They've both been efficient in their shots as Morales ranks second in the Big Sky and 17th in the NCAA while making 52.8 percent of her shots from three-point range. Lewis isn't far behind as she ranks seventh in the Big Sky and 95th in the NCAA while making 41.2 percent of her shots from deep.
 
Morales is the rare player shooting 50.0 percent or better both overall and from three-point range. Besides her three-point field goal percentage, she also ranks tied for sixth in the Big Sky while making 50.0 percent of her shots overall. It's fitting for a player ranked in the top 15 of the Big Sky in nine different statistical categories, including scoring (4th, 18.2 points per game), assists (7th, 3.60 per game), steals (T-2nd, 2.60 per game) and minutes played per game (1st, 39.2).
 
If Morales and Lewis – and any another Vikings – go off Thursday, then it could put Fresno State in a tough spot since they haven't had the offense to match their defense so far this season. While the Bulldogs have held five of their first seven opponents to under 50 points, they've only scored more than 60 points twice themselves.
 
So, if the Vikings get going offensively, that could break the similarities between them and the Bulldogs and ensure another win for the team.
 
They just have to rely on both parts of their emerging identity. The three, and the D.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (3-2) vs. FRESNO STATE (4-3)

GAME DETAILS: Thursday, Dec. 1, 6 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING FRESNO STATE: The Fresno State Bulldogs won back-to-back games against UC Merced (71-28) and Delaware (53-49) last week, before falling to Penn State, 68-49, in the final game of the Daytona Beach Invitational. Most games for the Bulldogs have been played in the 40-60 scoring range. The Bulldogs have only scored more than 60 points twice out of their seven games this season, and both of those games came against lower division opponents in Fresno Pacific (Division II) and UC Merced (NAIA). But the Bulldogs' defense has been able to match the low scoring output of the team's offense, however. They've held five of their first seven opponents to under 50 points, and are giving up only 48.3 points per game – an average that leads the Mountain West and ranks the Bulldogs eighth in the NCAA. Teams are shooting just 37.1 percent against the Bulldogs, as well just 25.5 percent from three-point range. Additionally, the Bulldog defense has forced close to 20 turnovers per game (19.6) while they rank in the top 100 nationally with 9.6 steals per game. Individually, Yanina Todorova has been a do-everything player for the Bulldogs, as she leads the team in scoring (13.1 points per game), rebounding (5.9 rebounds per game) and assists (1.4 per game). Amaya West ranks second on the team with 8.1 points per game, and stands third in rebounding with 4.7 per game. The Bulldogs have spread the wealth on the boards so far this season. Six different players average at least 4.0 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs. Besides Todorova and West, Maria Guimaraes averages 5.5 rebounds per game, while Amiee Book (4.6 rpg), Franka Wittenberg (4.3 rpg) and Sydney Dethman (4.2 rpg) are all above the mark this season. The diversity of rebounders has meant a strong advantage on the boards for the Bulldogs. They enter their game against the Vikings ranked third in the Mountain West and 94th in the NCAA with a plus-5.1 rebounding margin.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Bulldogs won the only other meeting between them and the Vikings. They won that game, 82-63, on their home court back during the 1990-91 season.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings avenged a 19-point loss to Utah Valley last season with an 18-point win last Saturday. The Vikings flipped the script with a 73-55 win over the Wolverines on the same weekend – Thanksgiving Saturday – that the teams played a year ago.
• The Vikings converted 16 turnovers into 22 points in last Saturday's win over Utah Valley. For the season, the Vikings are forcing 18.6 turnovers per game, an average that ranks them third in the Big Sky.
• The Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and 38th in the nation with 11.4 steals per game. They had 11 steals in last Saturday's win over Utah Valley. Their season high came against Warner Pacific on Nov. 7, when they had 22 steals – their most in a single game since Dec. 20, 2006.
• Esmeralda Morales has led the Vikings in scoring in four of the team's five games this season. She scored a season-high 24 points against Utah Valley last Saturday while going 9-of-12 from the field and 5-of-5 from three-point range. She ranks fourth in the Big Sky and 61st in the NCAA with 18.2 points per game.
• Jada Lewis set season highs for points (16) and three-pointers (4) in last Saturday's game against Utah Valley. She's scored at least 15 points in each of the past three games, and ranks second on the team with 12.8 points per game.
• Esmeralda Morales and Jada Lewis went 9-of-13 combined from three-point range last Saturday. They now rank first and third, respectively, in the Big Sky with 3.8 and 2.8 makes per game. Morales' 3.8 makes per game also rank her third in the NCAA this season.
• Mia 'Uhila and Esmeralda Morales rank tied for second in the Big Sky and 70th in the NCAA with 2.6 steals per game. Cinco McCartney ranks tied for seventh in the Big Sky with 1.8 steals per game.
• Esmeralda Morales ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky in nine different statistical categories so far this season. She leads the conference in three-pointers made per game (3.8) and minutes played per game (39.2), while she's in the top five for three-point field goal percentage (2nd, .528), steals per game (T-2nd, 2.6) and points per game (4th, 18.2).
• Jada Lewis moved into a tie with Desirae Hansen for seventh all time in career three-pointers made with 140 during last Saturday's win over Utah Valley. She needs four more to pass Sidney Rielly (2016-19) for sixth all time.
• The Vikings chose "competitive," "hungry," and "family" as the three words to define their 2022-23 season. The players voted on the words at their team retreat in September.
• The Vikings are coming off a 2021-22 season in which they went 5-24 overall and 0-20 in Big Sky play. The Vikings started three freshmen in all but one game last season, while four of the team's top six scorers were freshmen. Esmeralda Morales, then a freshman, led the Vikings while ranking 11th in the Big Sky with 12.5 points per game last season. Her classmates Alaya Fitzgerald, Mia 'Uhila and Rhema Ogele followed with 9.3, 6.0 and 5.2 points per game, respectively.
• Head coach Chelsey Gregg enters her second year at the helm for the Vikings. Before becoming head coach, she spent the previous six seasons as first an assistant then an associate head coach for the Vikings.
• A season after they started three freshmen, the Vikings will still be young this season as they sport 10 underclassmen between three freshmen and seven sophomores (includes redshirts).

 

DE-FENSE, DE-FENSE

A season after the Vikings ranked last in the Big Sky and 322nd in the NCAA for scoring defense, they've shown vast improvements on the defensive end so far this season. The team's first two opponents failed to score 60 points against the Vikings, while the Vikings also held Utah Valley to 55 points last Saturday. The Vikings now sit fourth in the Big Sky in scoring defense, allowing just 59.2 points per game. Strong on-the-ball defense has led the way for the Vikings. They're forcing 18.6 turnovers per game, which ranks them third in the Big Sky. They also rank fourth in the conference with a positive turnover margin of 1.40
 

SWIPING LEFT AND RIGHT

Gen Z knows how to swipe. Not just on their phones it turns out, as the Vikings have proven over their first three games of the season. The Vikings opened their season with 22 steals against Warner Pacific on Nov. 7, the program's most steals in a single game since they also had 22 in a win over Idaho on Dec. 20, 2006. They've followed with 10+ steals in their games against Seattle U on Nov. 17 and Utah Valley on Nov. 26. As a team, they now rank second in the Big Sky and 38th in the NCAA with 11.4 steals per game. Individually, Mia 'Uhila and Esmeralda Morales rank tied for second in the Big Sky and 70th in the NCAA with 2.6 steals per game. Cinco McCartney joins them in the top 15 of the Big Sky with 1.8 steals per game herself, ranking her seventh in the conference.
 

THREE-POINT SHOOTING

The Vikings came out firing from three-point range last Saturday against Utah Valley, hitting five shots from deep in the opening 10 minutes of play. They finished with nine makes for the game, the fourth time out of their five games this season that they've hit at least eight shots from beyond the arc. For the season, the Vikings in the top 50 nationally for both three-pointers made per game (46th, 8.4) and percentage (4th, .359). Esmeralda Morales and Jada Lewis – who accounted for all nine makes against Utah Valley while going a combined 9-of-13 from three-point range – have led the Vikings from the outside. The pair of them rank first and third in the Big Sky, respectively, with 3.8 and 2.8 makes per game. Morales' 3.8 makes per game also ranks her third in the NCAA, while Lewis ranks 43rd nationally. They also both rank among the Big Sky and NCAA leaders in terms of percentage. Morales is shooting over 50.0 percent from three-point range – 52.8 percent to be exact – which ranks her second in the Big Sky and 17th in the NCAA. Lewis is shooting 41.2 percent from three-point range, ranking her seventh in the Big Sky and 95th in the NCAA.
 

MONEY FROM THE LINE

The Vikings shot 36 free throws in their overtime win over Seattle U on Nov. 17, their most free throws in a single game since Nov. 19, 2017, when they had 37 against San Jose State. But it's not just the volume of free throws, the Vikings have also been hitting them as they rank fifth in the Big Sky in free throw percentage at 72.0 percent. The high percentage was part of how the Vikings came back against Seattle U. They went 14-of-17 (.824) from the line between the fourth quarter and overtime against the Redhawks when they made up a five-point deficit with 38 seconds remaining. Individually, Morales ranks 10th in the Big Sky while shooting 77.8 percent from the line. That's actually a dip from her freshman season when she set a single-season program record by going 63-of-69 (.913) from the charity stripe. All five Viking starters so far this season are shooting above 75 percent from the line.
 

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…THE FAB FOUR

Ed Sullivan introduced The Beatles – the original Fab Four – to America in 1964. The Vikings' Fab Four – a self-proclaimed title that Alaya Fitzgerald, Esmeralda Morales, Rheme Ogele and Mia 'Uhila adopted last season when they were freshmen – didn't quite get as grand of an introduction last year, but they did make a splash. The foursome all ranked among the Vikings' top six scorers last season, as they accounted for 52.8 percent of the team's scoring. Their roles have only expanded as sophomores, especially Morales who is now a co-captain with senior Syd Schultz. Morales has led the Vikings in scoring in four of the team's five games so far this season, and has scored in double figures every time. 'Uhila scored in double figures in the team's first three games of season before being held to five points against Boise State Sunday. She still ranks third on the team with 9.6 points per game. Fitzgerald scored in double figures against Boise State on Nov. 20, scoring 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting. She's averaging 6.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Ogele, meanwhile, scored a season-high 13 points against Seattle U on Nov. 17 while going 5-of-7 from the field. She's now averaging 5.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on .385 shooting from the field.
 

MORE OF MORALES, PLEASE

Esmeralda Morales was a captain in stature if not in name last season when she led the Vikings in scoring as a freshman. Now also a captain in name, Morales has continued to play like one as she's scored in double figures in every game while leading the team in four of their five games so far this season. Morales couldn't miss against Utah Valley last Saturday. She scored a season-high 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor while going a perfect 5-of-5 from three-point range. Against Seattle U on Nov. 17, the first six times Morales scored, it was always to give the Vikings the lead. That streak only stopped late in overtime when the Vikings were icing away the game from the free throw line. It's still early, but through five games this season, Morales already ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky in nine different statistical categories. She leads the conference with 3.8 three-pointers made per game, an average that also ranks her third in the Big Sky. She also leads the conference and ranks second in the NCAA while playing 39.2 minutes per game. Outside of those two categories, Morales ranks fourth in scoring (18.2 ppg), tied for sixth in field goal percentage (.500), seventh in assists per game (3.60), 10th in free throw percentage (.778), tied for second in steals per game (2.6), second in three-point field goal percentage (.528) and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.06).
 

JADA CAN KNOCK DOWN THE J's, DUH

Jada Lewis lived up to her reputation as a sharpshooter against Seattle U on Nov. 17, converting a four-point play with 23.9 seconds left that forced overtime. Lewis scored 11 of her 15 points after halftime in that game, including nine points in the fourth quarter alone. Lewis followed up with another 15-point performance against Boise State on Nov. 20, while she set season highs for points (16) and three-pointers (4) in last Saturday's win over Utah Valley. She'll head into Thursday's game against Fresno State having scored 15+ in three straight games. For the season, she's averaging 12.8 points per game with 14 of her 22 field goals coming from three-point range. Lewis ranks third in the Big Sky and 43rd in the NCAA with 2.8 makes per game from three-point range. She also stands seventh in the conference and 95th in the NCAA while making 41.2 percent of her shots from deep. From a career perspective, her four three-pointers last Saturday moved her into a tie with former teammate Desirae Hansen (2018-21) for seventh on the all-time career list with 140 makes in her career. She needs four more to pass Sidney Rielly (2016-19) for sixth on the all-time list.
 

OOOOO-HEE-LUH

The Pizza Planet aliens in the Toy Story franchise don't say "ooooooooh" about Buzz Lightyear. They're actually talking about Mia 'Uhila. 'Uhila scored in double figures in the team's first three games of the season and now ranks third on the team with 9.6 points per game. She also ranks tied for second in the Big Sky and 70th in the NCAA with 2.6 steals per game. With her and teammate Esmeralda Morales leading the way, the Vikings second in the Big Sky and 38th in the NCAA with 11.4 steals per game.
 

YOUTHFUL ROSTER

A season after the Vikings started three freshmen in all but one game, the Vikings will again have a youth-heavy roster this season. Ten of the team's 15 players enter the year as underclassmen between three freshmen and seven sophomores (including redshirts). Last year's freshmen – Alaya Fitzgerald, Esmeralda Morales, Rhema Ogele and Mia 'Uhila – got plenty of experience last season, but they'll still only be sophomores this season. Sophomore transfers Sofía Llanos and Paige Winter-Blanchard will join them as underclassmen this season, while Nakia Boston also returns as a redshirt sophomore after sitting all of last season with an ankle injury. Additionally, the Vikings brought in three freshmen in Alani Encinas, Brooklyn Strandy and Kiana Yesiki, all of whom could see time for the Vikings this season.
 

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

Last season's struggles shaped the preseason expectations for the Vikings among Big Sky coaches and media members. The Vikings were picked to finish last in the conference by both groups, while last year's tournament champion Montana State was picked to finish first in both polls. The Vikings returned five of their top six scorers from a year ago, however, between Esmeralda Morales (12.5 points per game), Jada Lewis (10.0 ppg), Alaya Fitzgerald (9.3 ppg), Mia 'Uhila (6.0 ppg) and Rhema Ogele (5.2 ppg). This year's roster also features a full 15 players, including six newcomers between three freshmen – Alani Encinas, Brooklyn Strandy and Kiana Yesiki – and three transfers – Sofía Llanos (from Marshall), Cinco McCartney (from Northeastern) and Paige Winter-Blanchard (from Centralia/William Jessup).
 

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Nov. 26, 2022, Portland State 73, Utah Valley 55: The Vikings avenged a 19-point loss to Utah Valley last season with an 18-point win over the Wolverines on the same weekend of the calendar, Thanksgiving Saturday. Esmeralda Morales went a perfect 5-of-5 from three-point range, while she and teammate Jada Lewis combined to go 9-of-13 from deep.
Nov. 17, 2022, Portland State 80, Seattle U 73: The Vikings erased a five-point deficit with 38 seconds remaining thanks in part of a four-point play by Jada Lewis that tied the game with 25 seconds remaining. It was the Vikings' first road win since the end of the 2020-21 regular season, and their first overtime win since Jan. 7, 2021.
Nov. 7, 2022, Portland State 67, Warner Pacific 40: The Vikings recorded 22 steals for their most steals in a single game since Dec. 20, 2006. They also assisted on their first 19 field goals in the game, while finishing with 20 assists on 22 field goals.