Complete game notes (PDF)
 

TIPOFF

The Portland State women's basketball team felt like it missed an opportunity against in-state Pac-12 program Oregon Saturday. The Vikings led by one at halftime and stretched it to a 34-28 advantage midway through the third quarter before the Ducks pushed in front for good.
 
The fact that the Vikings could justifiably feel that way after facing what's likely to be the tallest and most talented team the Vikings will play during their non-conference schedule, shows how expectations have risen within the team this season.
 
It's what any Viking fan would want to hear. High expectations are a hallmark of any competitive team, after all, and the Vikings have repeatedly shown their competitiveness this season.
 
The expectations and competitive fire will rise even higher during a five-game homestand that the Vikings will open Tuesday with a 6 p.m. game against Bushnell at Viking Pavilion. The Vikings follow the game against Bushnell with home games against San Francisco and University of Portland on Dec. 16 and 20, respectively. They'll then open Big Sky Conference play at home against Eastern Washington and Idaho on Dec. 28 and 30, respectively.
 
The Vikings have only played twice at home through seven games this season, though they've performed well both times. The Vikings beat Warner Pacific, 74-62 on Nov. 14, in a game they led by as many as 31 points. They also beat Seattle U, 75-68, on Nov. 25, in which they shot 19-of-33 (.576) through the first three quarters while building an 18-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
 
The team's three-point shooting has been especially on point when the Vikings have played at home. The Vikings went 13-of-24 (.542) from three-point range against Warner Pacific and then 11-of-22 (.500) against Seattle U.
 
The Vikings also have 28 steals combined over their two home games this season between a season-high 17 against Warner Pacific and then 11 against Seattle U.
 
Those two aspects have been the strongest part of the Vikings' game this season. The Vikings head into Tuesday's game ranked third in the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage (.343) and second in steals per game (9.71).
 
Esmeralda Morales and Mia 'Uhila have led the three-point shooting. Morales is averaging 3.29 three-pointers made per game, an average that gives her the Big Sky lead in the category while also ranking her 19th in the nation. At home, Morales has gone 10-of-18 (.556) combined from three-point range between identical 5-of-9 showings against Warner Pacific and Seattle U.
 
'Uhila, meanwhile, has been coming on strong recently. She led the Vikings with a career-high 20 points Saturday against Oregon while going 7-of-12 from the field and 3-of-3 from three-point range. In the team's last three games, 'Uhila has averaged 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and 75.0 percent (6-of-8) from three-point range.
 
'Uhila has been the latest Viking to show that she's stepped up now as a junior. 'Uhila, Morales and fellow junior Rhema Ogele are all averaging career bests this season. Morales is averaging a career-best 19.7 points per game, making her the Big Sky's scoring leader heading into Tuesday's contest. 'Uhila and Ogele, meanwhile, are averaging career bests for points (12.4 for Ogele, 10.3 for 'Uhila) and rebounds (5.6 for Ogele, 5.4 for 'Uhila) per game while shooting career bests from the field (.636 for Ogele, .404 for 'Uhila).
 
They'll all look to keep rolling Tuesday against Bushnell. The Beacons have been a perennially strong program within the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC). They won back-to-back conference titles in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, and will be coming off their fourth straight winning season after a 17-11 overall record last season.
 
The Beacons return Aspen Slifka, a four-time All-CCC first-team selection, off last year's team, as well as 2021 CCC Freshman of the Year Aly Mirabile and Libby Mathis. Slifka and Mathis lead the Beacons with 14.9 and 14.0 points per game, respectively, this season, averages that rank them ninth and 11th in the CCC. Mathis also leads the Beacon with 9.9 rebounds per game, ranking her third in CCC. Mathis will be coming off CCC Player of the Week honors, as she posted a double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds in the Beacons' win over Corban last weekend.
 
The Beacons, as a team, will be coming off back-to-back wins going into Tuesday's contest. Besides a 53-48 win over Corban on Dec. 8, the Beacons also beat Multnomah, 66-59 on Dec. 2. The two straight wins came after a 53-49 loss to Warner Pacific, on Dec. 1, the only common opponent between the Beacons and Vikings this season.
 
The Vikings won't put too much wait into that common opponent, however. Those previous results go out the window once the ball tips at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Then it's about meeting the high expectations the Vikings have for themselves.
 

GAME #8: PORTLAND STATE (4-3) vs. BUSHNELL (6-3)

GAME DETAILS: Tuesday, Dec. 12, 6 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING BUSHNELL: The Bushnell Beacons have opened the season 6-3 overall and 2-1 in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play. They're coming off back-to-back conference wins over Multnomah, 66-59 on Dec. 2, and Corban, 53-48 on Dec. 8, coming into Tuesday's game against the Vikings. The Beacons lost a CCC game to Warner Pacific, 53-49, on Dec. 1. That gives them a common opponent with the Vikings, as the Vikings beat Warner Pacific 74-62 at home on Nov. 14 in a game the Vikings led by as many as 31 points. The Beacons have been a successful program within the CCC under sixth-year head coach Chad Meadors. They won back-to-back conference titles during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, setting a school record with 26 wins in 2019-20. The Beacons went 17-11 last season while placing fifth in the CCC at 14-8 in conference play. The Beacons return Aspen Slifka, a four-time All-CCC first-team selection, off last year's team, as well as 2021 CCC Freshman of the Year Aly Mirabile and Libby Mathis. Slifka and Mathis lead the Beacons with 14.9 and 14.0 points per game, respectively, this season, averages that rank them ninth and 11th in the CCC. Mathis also leads the Beacon with 9.9 rebounds per game, ranking her third in the CCC. Mathis will be coming off CCC Player of the Week honors when the Beacons play the Vikings, as she posted a double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds in the Beacons' win over Corban last weekend. Outside of Slifka and Mathis, sophomore Ayden Krupke ranks third on the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 11.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Mirabile leads the Beacons with 3.4 assists per game, ranking her tied for sixth in the CCC. As a team, the Beacons have been strongest defensively, as they lead the CCC in field goal percentage defense (.349) and rank third in scoring defense (56.7). The Beacons also rank fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense, as they're allowing opponents to shoot just 25.6 percent from three-point range against them this season. The Beacons have a short roster this season, with only nine players listed on the team's website. Only eight of the Beacons' nine players have played in a game this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES: This will be the first-ever counting meeting between the Vikings and the Beacons.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings had a two-game win streak snapped with a 65-54 loss at Oregon last Saturday. The Vikings led the Ducks, 23-22, at halftime, and stretched that to a 34-28 lead midway through the third quarter before the Ducks came back.
• The Vikings had won back-to-back games for the first time this season before their game against the Ducks. They beat Fresno State 72-61 on the road on Nov. 29, after beating Seattle U, 75-68, at home on Nov. 25.
• The Ducks used a significant height advantage to out-rebound the Vikings 50-to-29. The Vikings aren't likely to face a similar height disadvantage than the one they had against the Ducks, but the minus-21 rebounding margin was still a season low.
• Mia 'Uhila set a career high with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 3-of-3 from three-point range against the Ducks. Over the team's last three games, 'Uhila is averaging 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
• Esmeralda Morales was held to a season-low 10 points in Saturday's loss at Oregon. She had scored 20+ points in four of the team's first six games of the season, all of which the Vikings won. Her previous season low had been 17 points at San Diego on Nov. 11.
• Esmeralda Morales leads the Big Sky Conference with 19.7 points per game, an average that also ranks her 34th in the NCAA. She also leads the conference with 3.29 three-pointers made per game, an average that ranks her 19th nationally. Morales has scored in double figures in every game this season and has made at least three shots from deep in all but two games.
• Rhema Ogele has two double-doubles this season, matching her career total coming into the year. She's now averaging career bests for points (12.4) and rebounds (5.6) per game, while shooting a career-best 63.6 percent from the floor.
• The Vikings are 4-0 when they score 70 points or more. They're averaging 73.0 points per game in their four wins, but just 45.0 points per game in their three losses.
• The Vikings turned the ball over a season-low nine times against Oregon last Saturday. They had turned the ball over at least 17 times in every game before Saturday. Conversely, the Vikings have forced at least 15 turnovers in six of their seven games and recorded 10 or more steals in four of seven.
• The Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and 81st in the NCAA with 9.71 steals per game as a team. Freshman Joy Haltom leads the Big Sky individually with 2.5 steals per game, an average that also ranks her 62nd in the NCAA. Esmeralda Morales ranks tied for fourth with 2.00 steals per game, while Mia 'Uhila ranks tied for 10th with 1.57 per game.
• The Vikings are making 34.3 percent of their shots from three-point range this season, ranking them third in the Big Sky and 84th in the nation. They stand fifth in the conference and 143rd nationally with 7.00 three-pointers made per game.
• The two most common areas of struggle for the Vikings have been field goal percentage defense and rebounding. Opponents have shot 40 percent or better in five of their seven games against the Vikings, while the Vikings rank ninth in the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense (.444). The Vikings also rank last in the conference in rebounds per game (29.3), offensive (8.29) and defensive (21.0) rebounds per game, and rebounding margin (-5.86).
• Esmeralda Morales needs nine points to become the 21st player in program history to score 1,000 points in her Portland State career. She would become the first Viking to do so since Desirae Hansen hit the 1k mark during the first round of the Big Sky tournament on March 8, 2021.
• The Vikings have been bitten by the injury bug so far this season. They haven't had all would-be starters available to them since their season opener against UC Davis. Rhema Ogele missed the Vikings' games against San Diego and Warner Pacific on Nov. 11 and 14, respectively. Alaya Fitzgerald, meanwhile, has been out since the Vikings' third game of the season against Warner Pacific on Nov. 14. All 15 players have not bee dressed and healthy at any point this season.
• Big Sky coaches and media members picked the Vikings to finish fifth in the conference in their respective preseason polls.
• The Vikings set a program record with eight more conference wins last season than they won the previous year. That was one off the best year-to-year turnaround in Big Sky Conference history.
• The Vikings advanced to the Big Sky semifinals last season for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The Vikings beat Idaho State, 73-58, in the first round of last year's tournament, then upset second-seeded and defending-champion Montana State, 77-65, in the quarterfinals.
• The Vikings returned four starters and nine letterwinners off last year's team. That group includes All-Big Sky second-team selection Esmeralda Morales, as well as third-leading scorer Alaya Fitzgerald and leading rebounder Rhema Ogele. Cinco McCartney, who averaged 6.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while starting 30 of 31 games also returns.
• The Vikings have more upperclassmen (8) than they do underclassmen (7) for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
• The Vikings made the program's first international trip with a tour of Costa Rica in September. The Vikings played two exhibitions against members of the Costa Rica National Team during the trip, winning both.

 

RECENT SUCCESS

Saturday's close loss to Oregon out of the Pac-12 felt like a missed opportunity for the Vikings. That's a sign of the team's progress that a close loss to a Pac-12 program felt winnable. The Vikings went into the game off back-to-back wins over Fresno State, 72-61 on Nov. 29, and Seattle U, 75-68 on Nov. 25. The back-to-back wins snapped a streak of five straight games to open the season in which the Vikings alternated between wins and losses. It's been easy to see how a game is going for the Vikings this season. They are 4-0 when they score 70+ points in a game, but 0-3 when they don't reach 70 points. In fact, the Vikings are averaging 73.0 points per game in their four wins, but just 45.0 points per game in their three losses. The Vikings have been at their best when they rebound the ball. The Vikings are 3-0 this season when they out-rebound their opponent but 1-3 when they don't. Some of the team's best rebounding performances have come recently with Rhema Ogele back on the floor. Ogele recorded a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Fresno State, her second double-double of the season. She also helped the Vikings record a rebounding win against Seattle U on Nov. 25. Mia 'Uhila has contributed all around the floor recently. She scored a career-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 3-of-3 from three-point range while adding five rebounds and three assists against the Ducks. In the team's last three games, 'Uhila is averaging 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Esmeralda Morales has been steady throughout the season, even as the Ducks held her to a season-low 10 points Saturday. Morales' season-low before that had been 17 points, as she'd scored 20+ in four of the team's first six games of the year. Morales scored a season-high 27 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and 5-of-9 from three-point range against Seattle U on Nov. 25. The Vikings are 4-0 this season when Morales scores at least 20 points in a game.
 

THREE-POINT SHOOTING

The length of Oregon not only affected the Vikings in the rebounding battle, but it also stopped the Vikings' potent three-point shooting. The Vikings went 5-of-19 (.263) from deep against the Ducks, with leading scorer Esmeralda Morales going 2-of-11 (.182). But again, that length should be an anomaly for the Vikings. In their two games before the matchup with the Ducks, the Vikings had shot 18-of-38 (.474) combined from three-point range against Seattle U and Fresno State. Against Fresno State, the Vikings shot a season-high 57.1 percent from the floor and 43.8 percent (7-of-16) from three-point range. Meanwhile, in their two home games – vs. Warner Pacific on Nov. 14 and Seattle U on Nov. 25 – the Vikings are a combined 24-of-46 (.522) from three-point range. The Vikings head into Tuesday's game shooting 34.3 percent from three-point range as a team this season, a mark that ranks them third in the Big Sky and 84th nationally. They also rank fifth in the conference with 7.00 makes per game. Morales leads the way, as she tops the conference while ranking 19th nationally with 3.29 three-pointers made per game individually. Morales has hit at least three triples in five of the team's seven games this season, including a season-high five against Warner Pacific and Seattle U. Mia 'Uhila is also coming off a career-high three three-pointers against Oregon, and ranks 15th in the conference with 1.29 makes per game this season. The Vikings will get another option back when Alaya Fitzgerald returns from injury. Fitzgerald was averaging 2.33 three-pointers made per game before going down with an injury in the Vikings' game against Warner Pacific on Nov. 14.
 

SWIPING LEFT AND RIGHT

The Vikings have grabbed at least 10 steals in four of their seven games this season, including a season-high 17 steals against Warner Pacific on Nov. 14. The Vikings head into Tuesday's game against Bushnell ranked second in the Big Sky and 81st nationally with 9.71 steals per game. Multiple players have contributed to the strong perimeter defense. Freshman Joy Haltom has been a revelation for the Vikings in that regard, as she leads the Big Sky and ranks 62nd nationally with 2.5 steals per game despite being just six games into her collegiate career. Esmeralda Morales and Mia 'Uhila, meanwhile, join Haltom in the top 15 of the Big Sky, as they rank tied for fourth and tied for 10th with 2.00 and 1.57 steals per game, respectively. Overall, seven different players have recorded at least four steals for the Vikings this season.
 

AROUND HERE, WE SPELL M-V-P AS E-S-M-E

Esmeralda Morales has proven her preseason Big Sky MVP credentials in the early going of the season. She's scored 20+ points in four of the Vikings' first seven games, all of which have been wins for the Vikings. She scored a season-high 27 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and 5-of-9 from three-point range against Seattle U on Nov. 25. She then followed with a game-high 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting against Fresno State on Nov. 29. She was held to a season-low 10 points at Oregon last Saturday, but still scored in double figures for the seventh straight game to open the season. Morales heads into Tuesday's game against Bushnell leading the Big Sky and ranked 34th nationally with 19.7 points per game. Morales is no stranger to being ranked among the Big Sky leaders, of course. She's ranked in the top 15 of eight different statistical categories, a season after she was ranked in nine different categories. Besides scoring, Morales also leads the conference with 3.29 three-pointers made per game, an average that ranks her 19th nationally. Additionally, Morales ranks among the conference leaders in field goal percentage (5th, .414), assists per game (10th, 2.57), free throw percentage (2nd, .892), steals per game (T-4th, 2.00), three-point field goal percentage (6th, .348) and minutes played per game (2nd, 35.7). At the same time, Morales is also moving up the career rankings at Portland State. Heading into Tuesday, Morales needs just nine more points to become the 21st player in program history to score 1,000 career points. Whenever she hits the mark, she would become the first Viking to reach the mark since Desirae Hansen on March 8, 2021. Additionally, Morales ranks tied for eighth in scoring average (14.8), fourth in free throw percentage (.848), seventh in three-point field goals made (147) and eighth in three-point attempts (410). Her 21 points against Fresno State also marked her 19th career 20-point game, ranking her tied for eighth all time.
 

MIA OOOOOO-HE-LUH ('UHILA)

Mia 'Uhila has sparked some "oooo's" from fans at times this season, and the Vikings have been at their best when she's playing like that. Despite the Vikings dropping their game against Oregon Saturday, 'Uhila posted a career game with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 3-of-3 from three-point range, all of which were career highs. In the team's last three games, 'Uhila has averaged 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and 75.0 percent (6-of-8) from three-point range. For the season, 'Uhila is averaging career bests for points (10.3), rebounds (5.4) and assists (3.1) per game. She heads into Tuesday's game ranked in the top 15 of the Big Sky in nine different statistical categories. She ranks 14th in points (10.3), 13th in rebounds (5.43) and fifth in assists (3.14) per game. Besides those categories, 'Uhila also ranks among the leaders in free throw percentage (11th, .750), steals per game (T-10th, 1.57), three-pointers made per game (15th, 1.29), assist-to-turnover ratio (8th, 0.76), defensive rebounds per game (9th, 4.57) and minutes played per game (10th, 30.7).
 

RHEMA REMADE

Junior center Rhema Ogele signaled that she's leveled up over the offseason with a standout showing in the team's season opener against UC Davis. Ogele set a career high with 24 points on 12-of-14 shooting while adding 11 rebounds for her third career double-double. Ogele was a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor in the first half when she helped lead the Vikings to a 21-point halftime advantage. Ogele posted her second double-double of the season in the Vikings' 72-61 win over Fresno State on Nov. 29, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. She's now averaging career bests for points (12.4) and rebounds (5.6) per game while shooting a career-best 63.6 percent from the floor. Beyond her individual stats, Ogele has made a big impact on the Vikings' team stats. The Vikings have out-rebounded their opponent in three of Ogele's five appearances this season. They lost the rebounding battle in the two games Ogele missed. Additionally, the Vikings have out-scored their opponent in the paint in two of Ogele's five games while they went 0-2 without Ogele. The Vikings scored 40 points in the paint as Ogele went off in their win over UC Davis. That's more points than they scored in any game last season when their season high for points in the paint was 34 against Utah Valley on Nov. 26.
 

YEAR-TO-YEAR IMPROVEMENTS

At 8-10 in Big Sky play last season, the Vikings improved their conference win total by eight after going 0-20 the year before. That's the best year-to-year turnaround in conference wins in program history and tied the second-best turnaround in Big Sky Conference history. The conference record stands at +9, which four different teams have accomplished, most recently North Dakota during the 2013-14 season. The Vikings also improved their overall win total by 10 last season, the second-best year-to-year improvement in overall wins in program history.
 
Best Year-to-Year Improvements in Conference Wins (Big Sky History)
+Total     Team                             Year
+9           Idaho State                   1996-97
+9           Montana State              2000-01
+9           Idaho State                   2003-04
+9           North Dakota                2013-14
+8           Montana State              2019-20
+8           Southern Utah              2021-22
+8           Sacramento State         2021-22
+8           Portland State              2022-23
+7           CSUN                             1997-98
+7           Eastern Washington     2009-10
+7           Montana                       2012-13
 

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Nov. 29, 2023, Portland State 72, Fresno State 61: The Vikings won back-to-back games for the first time this season while shooting a season-high 57.1 percent from the field. Rhema Ogele recorded her second double-double of the season (19 points, 10 rebounds), while Esmeralda Morales led all scorers with 21 points for her fourth 20-point game of the season.
Nov. 25, 2023, Portland State 75, Seattle U 68: Esmeralda Morales scored a season-high 27 points while Mia 'Uhila (16 points) and Rhema Ogele (11) joined her in double figures. The Vikings made 11 three-pointers as a team and swiped 11 steals.
Nov. 14, 2023, Portland State 74, Warner Pacific 62: The Vikings went 13-of-24 (.542) from three-point range and swiped 17 steals against the Knights.
Nov. 9, 2023, Portland State 71, UC Davis 62: Rhema Ogele led the Vikings to a road win in their season opener with a career-high 24 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the field. The win was the Vikings' sixth straight in their season opener.