TIPOFF

It had been nearly eight months since the Portland State women's basketball team played in front of anybody other than each other and Portland State coaches and staff. So, the energy with which the Vikings played in a 91-37 exhibition win over Lewis & Clark Thursday seemed appropriate.
 
After all, the team that has long wanted to prove themselves better than last season's results. They picked "hungry" as one of their defining words of the season for a reason.
 
The trick will now be to maintain that level of energy throughout the Vikings' 2022-23 season, which officially gets underway Monday night when Warner Pacific comes to Viking Pavilion for a game that tips off at 6 p.m.
 
The Vikings should still be plenty hungry considering Thursday was an exhibition. It didn't count for anything, so it was tough to find too much satisfaction out of it. Even still, the exhibition gave plenty of promising signs for Viking fans.
 
Rebounding was one of the Vikings' struggles a year ago. They ranked last in the Big Sky in rebounds per game and rebounding margin last season, but out-rebounded Lewis & Clark 65-to-47 Thursday night. The 65 rebounds were 12 more than the Vikings recorded in any game last season, and just six under the single-game record of 71 that has stood since Nov. 29, 1993.
 
The rebounds were there for the Vikings thanks to a defense that held the Pioneers to only nine made field goals on 64 attempts for a field goal percentage of just .141. For context, that's five percent lower than the record low for a Viking opponent, which the Vikings set on Jan. 31, 2019, when they held Weber State to .194 (13-of-67) shooting.
 
The Vikings countered with an unselfish offense that assisted on 20 of the team's 35 field goals. Assists were another area that the Vikings struggled at times last season. They ranked 10th in the Big Sky with only 11.7 assists per game, but their 20 assists Thursday would have been the team's third-highest total in a game last season. Nine of the 13 Vikings who played Thursday recorded at least one assist. Sophomore Mia 'Uhila led the way with six assists, while classmate Alaya Fitzgerald and freshman Kiana Yesiki added three assists each.
 
Those three also all finished in double figures for scoring along with sophomore Rhema Ogele. 'Uhila led the team with 16 points to go with her six assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Ogele finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive end. Yesiki and Fitzgerald then chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Paige Winter-Blanchard nearly gave the Vikings another player in double figures, as she scored six of her nine points in the fourth quarter. Reilly Kelty also led all players with 13 rebounds in the game, five of which came on the offensive glass.
 
Most impressive about the team's offensive output Thursday was that neither of last season's two leading scorers – Esmeralda Morales and Jada Lewis – were among those scoring in double figures. The Vikings didn't need them to, and they both found other ways to contribute. Morales added three steals and two assists to her four points, while Lewis chipped in four rebounds, two assists and two steals in addition to her three points.
 
Those two will, of course, still be key parts of the Viking offense going forward. Still, it was encouraging that the team could score 91 points with those two contributing only seven points combined. Only two of those points came in a 34-point second quarter, which would have been a record scoring output for the Vikings in a single quarter had it been a counting game.
 
Monday's opponent, Warner Pacific, has already played two exhibitions this season. They played at the University of Washington on Oct. 31 and at the University of Portland two days later. Stats and a score weren't available for the exhibition against the Huskies, but the Pilots beat the Knights, 94-45. Alexa Mee, Emily Brown and Kenna Coleman all tied for the team lead with seven points each in the game against the Pilots. Brown also led the team with 10 rebounds, four of which came on the offensive glass.
 
The Knights have a re-tooled roster this season after they lost their top six scorers from a season ago. Mee represents the Knights' top returning scorer from last season at just 3.8 points per game, as the Knights returned only 13.1 percent of their scoring.
 
The Vikings don't have that issue. They returned five of their top six scorers between Morales (12.5 points per game last season), Lewis (10.0 ppg), Fitzgerald (9.3 ppg), 'Uhila (6.0 ppg) and Ogele (5.2 ppg).
 
Morales had her biggest game of the season last year against the Knights, which was also the team's season opener. Morales set five different freshman records while pouring in 32 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field and 8-of-11 from three-point range. Morales' eight three-pointers tied a single-game program record that has stood since 1991.
 
What does Morales do as an encore Monday night against the Knights? If Thursday's exhibition was any indication, then she won't need to do nearly as much.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (0-0) vs. WARNER PACIFIC (0-0)

GAME DETAILS: Monday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING WARNER PACIFIC: The Warner Pacific Knights went 13-15 overall last season and 11-11 within the Cascade Collegiate Conference, losing in the quarterfinals of the CCC tournament to third-seeded Eastern Oregon. The Knights lost their two All-CCC honorees last season, however, as Hannah Meyers (a first-team selection) and Courtney Jackson (an honorable mention) were both seniors last year. The Knights will be without their top six scorers from a season ago, as Alexa Mee represents the team's top returning scorer after averaging just 3.8 points per game last season. All told, the Knights returned only 13.1 percent of their scoring from a season ago, making them essentially a new-look team for the 2022-23 season. The Knights brought in four transfers from two-year schools to add some experience to their team. They still won't have a senior on their roster this season outside of "sixth lady" Alexa De Los Reyes. The Knights have already played two exhibition games between matchups with the University of Washington on Oct. 31 and the University of Portland two days later, Nov. 2. Stats and a score weren't available for the exhibition against the Huskies, but the Pilots beat the Knights, 94-45. Mee, Emily Brown and Kenna Coleman all tied for the team lead with seven points each in the game against the Pilots. Brown also led the team with 10 rebounds, four of which came on the offensive glass. Guard Serena Sanchez led the Knights with four assists to go with a game-high-tying four steals. Coaches within the CCC picked the Knights to finish seventh in the conference in their annual preseason poll. The Knights enter their 15th season under head coach Matt Gregg (no relation to the Vikings' head coach Chelsey Gregg or associate head coach Keithan Gregg). Gregg has led the Knights to five winning seasons in his tenure, including just the fourth 20-win season in program history in 2011-12 when the Knights went 20-11 overall and 13-5 in CCC play. Monday's game will count as an exhibition for the Knights even as it's a counting game for the Vikings.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Knights, 4-1. The Knights won the first counting game in the series with a 76-64 victory back on Nov. 21, 2015. The Vikings have won all four games since that meeting, including an 87-64 win in last season's opener on Nov. 9, 2021.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• 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.
• Four Vikings scored in double figures in the team's 91-37 exhibition win over Lewis & Clark Thursday. Mia 'Uhila led all players with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go with seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. Rhema Ogele followed with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while recording a double-double with 10 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive glass. Freshman Kiana Yesiki and Alaya Fitzgerald followed with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
• 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.
• The Vikings had two breaks of 10 days or more last season. The Vikings went on a 27-day hiatus from Dec. 19 to Jan. 15 last season due to COVID-related cancellations or postponements. They also went 10 days without a game between Feb. 7 and 17. As a result, the Vikings only once had more than two days off between games from Jan. 15 to the end of the season. They played 10 games in 24 days following their 27-day hiatus and finished the season with nine games over 19 days from Feb. 17 to March 7.
• Despite the team's struggles last season, they were tied or leading in the fourth quarter of three of their final five games of the regular season. The Vikings were tied with Weber State, 63-63, with 2:15 to go on Feb. 23, only to lose 73-65. The Vikings led Big Sky regular-season champion Idaho State, 60-55, with 3:09 remaining on Feb. 26, only to fall 67-64. Then against Idaho on March 2, the Vikings led by as many as six in the fourth quarter and 64-62 with 4:06 remaining, but still lost 73-68.
• The Vikings finished last season ranked second in the Big Sky and 45th in the nation with a team free throw percentage of .756. Esmeralda Morales set a single-season school record while hitting 91.3 percent (63-of-69) of her shots from the line.
• Esmeralda Morales ranked in the top 15 of the Big Sky in six different statistical categories last season. In addition to ranking 11th in scoring, Morales ranked sixth in assists per game (3.66), fourth in steals per game (1.90), ninth in three-pointers made per game (1.62), 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28) and second in minutes played per game (35.3).
• Jada Lewis finished last season ranked third in the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage (.355) as well as fourth in three-pointers made per game (2.24). She enters this season ranked tied for 10th in career three-pointers made at Portland State with 126. She will pass Kelly Marchant (2007-11) for ninth if she makes two three-pointers against Warner Pacific.
• 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).

 

NOTICEABLE IMPROVEMENTS

The Vikings didn't get a breakthrough win at the end of last season, but they did show signs of improvement. Among those were:

• The Vikings led or were tied in the fourth quarter in three of their last five regular-season games. They led Idaho by six early in the fourth quarter on March 2, only to fall 73-68. Before that, the Vikings were tied with Weber State, 63-63, with 2:15 to go on Feb. 23, but lost 73-65. The Vikings also led two-time defending Big Sky regular-season champ Idaho State, 60-55, with 3:09 remaining on Feb. 26, but fell 67-64.
• The Vikings shot 40.0 percent or better in three of their last five regular-season games after failing to do so in 13 of their first 15 Big Sky games.
• The Vikings assisted on at least 60.0 percent of their field goals in three of their last six regular-season games. That followed a six-game stretch in which the Vikings averaged only 8.17 assists per game.
• The Vikings essentially matched their opponent on the glass in three of their last six regular-season games. That marked a big turnaround for the Vikings, who still ranked last in the Big Sky Conference in rebounding margin (-7.07), rebounds per game (33.6) and defensive rebounds per game (23.3). The Vikings out-rebounded Montana State, 39-37, on Feb. 21, which was the first time the Vikings had out-rebounded a Big Sky opponent last season. Additionally, the Vikings were even with Weber State, 32-32, on Feb. 23, which was a stark contrast to the Vikings' first game against the Wildcats in which they were out-rebounded, 43-21, on Dec. 4.

 

THREE-POINT SHOOTING

One of the Vikings' most effective weapons throughout last season was their three-point shooting. While the Vikings ranked last in the Big Sky in scoring offense at 59.5 points per game, they were in the middle of the conference in three-pointers made per game (6th, 6.48) and three-point field goal percentage (5th, .312). Jada Lewis and Esmeralda Morales gave the Vikings a solid 1-2 punch from the outside. Lewis ranked third in the Big Sky and 94th in the nation while hitting 35.5 percent of her shots from the outside. Lewis and Morales, meanwhile, ranked fourth and ninth, respectively, with 2.24 and 1.62 three-pointers made per game. In four of the team's five wins last season, the Vikings hit at least nine three-pointers. The Vikings hit at least eight three-pointers in eight of their 20 Big Sky games last season, including a season-high-tying 12 in the Vikings' home game against Montana State on Feb. 21.
 

MONEY FROM THE LINE

Another strength last season was the Vikings' ability to hit free throws when they got to the charity stripe. The Vikings ranked second in the Big Sky and 45th in the nation with a team free throw percentage of .756. The high-water mark for the Vikings came at home against Montana on Feb. 19, when they went 11-of-11 from the line – their most makes without a miss last season. Esmeralda Morales set a single-season school record while going 63-of-69 (.913) from the line last season. She broke the record that Hall-of-Famer-elect Eryn Jones set while going 51-of-56 (.911) from the line during the 2011-12 season. Morales wasn't alone, though, as four of the Vikings' five most frequent free-throw shooters hit at least 75.0 percent of their shots from the line last season.
 

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…THE FAB FOUR

Ed Sullivan introduced The Beatles 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. Morales led the way with 12.5 points per game, while Fitzgerald followed at 9.3 ppg. 'Uhila and Ogele chipped in 6.0 and 5.2 points per game, respectively. All four had their moments last season. Morales opened the season with a 32-point debut against Warner Pacific last season, a game in which she set the freshman records for points in a game (32), points in a debut (32), field goals (11), three-point field goals (8) and three-point field goal percentage (.727). She added four other 20-point games later in the season, including two in Big Sky play. Fitzgerald had a stretch between the Vikings' first and second restarts in which she was the team's leading scorer. Fitzgerald averaged a team-high 12.0 points per game between Jan. 15 and Feb. 7, including a career game against Northern Arizona on Jan. 29. Fitzgerald scored a career-high 23 points against the Lumberjacks while going 9-of-12 from the field, 3-of-4 from three-point range, and adding eight assists, five rebounds and three steals. Ogele had her career game in the Big Sky tournament against Idaho, finishing with 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go with nine rebounds. 'Uhila arguably had her best game of the season in the Vikings' near-upset of Big Sky regular-season champion Idaho State on the road on Feb. 26. 'Uhila finished with 12 points in that game to go with seven assists and four rebounds in the game.
 

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 steps into an official leadership role within the team. Morales was already a strong leader for the Vikings – ranking in the top 15 of the Big Sky in six different statistical categories, including scoring last season – but she still turned a corner late in the year following the team's second hiatus. Morales broke out of an offensive slump in the Vikings' game at Northern Arizona on Feb. 17, as she set a conference season-high with 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting overall and 5-of-8 from three-point range. Morales followed with big games against Idaho State (19 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals) and Idaho (22 points, eight assists, three rebounds and three steals) as she continued to show growth during her freshman campaign. In the team's final nine games of the season, Morales averaged 14.7 points, 3.8 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 2.0 three-pointers made and 1.8 steals per game. Morales' best game as a Viking remains her debut when she set multiple records while scoring 32 points against Warner Pacific in last season's opener on Nov. 9. Morales tied a single-game record that has stood since 1991 with eight three-pointers in the game. She also set five freshman records between those 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). For the season, Morales finished the year leading the Vikings while ranking 11th in the Big Sky with 12.5 points per game. Morales also ranked sixth in the Big Sky for assists per game (3.66), fourth in steals per game (1.90), ninth in three-pointers made per game (1.62), 10th in assists to turnover ratio (1.28) and second in minutes played per game (35.3).
 

JADA CAN KNOCK DOWN THE J's, DUH

Jada Lewis has always been a sharpshooter for the Vikings, but she stepped into a leadership role last season and will continue in that role this year. Lewis will aim to be more consistent as a senior. She hit at least four three-pointers in seven games last season, but was also held without a three-pointer in six games, and held to only one three-pointer on seven other occasions. Still, Lewis ranked fourth in the Big Sky and 76th in the nation with 2.24 three-pointers made per game last season, while also ranking third in the conference for three-point field goal percentage (.355). Her high-water mark came in the Vikings' game against Prairie View A&M in Hawai'i on Nov. 20. Lewis set a career high with seven made three-pointers in that game while going 7-of-12 (.583) from beyond the arc and scoring a career-high 23 points. That game followed a 6-of-9 (.667) performance for Lewis from the outside in the Vikings' 80-52 win over Dixie State on Nov. 12 last season. Lewis also hit six three-pointers in the Vikings' near-comeback win at Weber State on Feb. 23. Lewis went 6-of-10 (.600) from deep in that game, while scoring nine of her 22 points in the fourth quarter. Lewis also twice went 5-of-7 from three-point range in games last season. The first such performance came in the Vikings' 75-71 win over Pepperdine, while the second came at Montana State on Jan. 22.
 

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).