Complete game notes (PDF)
 

TIPOFF

Usually, people come out of a break with renewed energy. But the Portland State women's basketball team showed a new pep in its step last Wednesday against cross-town rival University Portland, their last game before an eight-day holiday break.
 
Despite dropping the game against the Pilots, the Vikings showed improved effort by out-rebounding Portland 41-to-35, including a 21-to-6 advantage on the offensive glass. The 21 offensive rebounds marked a new season high for the Vikings, while Cinco McCartney had a season-high 11 rebounds individually.
 
What's more, the Vikings won the turnover battle, committing only 13 turnovers to 17 for the Pilots despite Portland coming into the game averaging more than 20 turnovers forced per game.
 
So, if that's the energy the Vikings had going into a break, one can only imagine the spark they'll have when they return to play Thursday against Eastern Washington. The Vikings host the Eagles in what will be both teams' Big Sky Conference opener at 6 p.m. at Viking Pavilion.
 
The Vikings are likely to need a strong effort against the Eagles, who matched Northern Arizona for the best non-conference record within the Big Sky coming into Thursday. The Eagles and Lumberjacks were the two preseason favorites, according to the coaches and media polls. The Eagles topped the coaches poll, while the Lumberjacks topped the media poll.
 
The Eagles earned their spot as preseason favorites thanks to returning 16 players and all five starters from a team that went 11-7 in Big Sky play last season, making the Big Sky semifinals where they lost to NAU.
 
Opponents have seen that maturity reflected in the Eagles' strength on the ball this season. Heading into Thursday's conference opener, the Eagles lead the Big Sky and rank in the top 50 nationally in assists per game (17.3), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.54) and turnover margin (+6.91). The Eagles give up only 11.2 turnovers per game, an average that leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks them sixth nationally.
 
Jamie Loera, ESPN's pick for preseason MVP of the Big Sky, leads that effort, as she ranks second in the conference in both assists (5.3) and steals (2.3) per game. Loera also ranks second on the team with 11.9 points per game, one of five Eagles averaging at least 8.5 points per game. Aaliyah Alexander leads the team with 15.3 points per game, an average that also ranks her third in the Big Sky.
 
Of course, the Vikings have their own preseason MVP in Esmeralda Morales, who earned the honor from the conference. Morales has been playing like an MVP through non-conference play, as she leads the Big Sky with 20.3 points per game. Only three Vikings have ever averaged more than 20.0 points per game in a season. Morales' 20.3 points per game represent the second-best average ever, trailing only the single-season school record of 22.1 points per game that Karen Strong set during the 1975-76 season.
 
Morales has been at her best at home, where she's scored 20 or more points in four of the Vikings' five games at Viking Pavilion. The strong showing at home has come behind standout outside shooting from Morales. Besides leading the conference in scoring, Morales also tops the Big Sky while ranking fourth nationally with 3.6 three-pointers made per game. At home, that average rises to 4.6 makes per game while Morales is shooting 57.5 percent from three-point range at Viking Pavilion this season.
 
The career year from Morales hasn't been in isolation, thankfully. The Vikings are also getting career-best scoring from Rhema Ogele and Mia 'Uhila. Ogele ranks 11th in the Big Sky with 11.8 points per game, more than double what she averaged as a sophomore (5.3 ppg). Additionally, 'Uhila is averaging career bests for points (10.6), rebounds (5.4) and assists (3.6) per game now as a junior.
 
Still, the Vikings will need more from players outside of Morales when they face the Eagles. While Morales has gone 7-of-13 (.538) from three-point range over the team's last two games, the rest of the Vikings went just 1-of-22 (.045) combined against San Francisco and Portland.
 
The shot making became an issue in the second half against the Pilots last Wednesday. The Vikings led 30-27 at halftime, but then saw the Pilots outshoot them .640-to-.216 in the second half.
 
No amount of hustle could overcome that discrepancy.
 
Still, hustle remains the first step in any successful effort for the Vikings. First steps and success will both be top of mind for the Vikings Thursday, as they open Big Sky play against the Eagles.
 
Kicking off the conference season with a win is the goal, of course. And a win will only come if the Vikings show the same effort they did going into their holiday break.
 

GAME #11: PORTLAND STATE (5-5, 0-0) vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON (8-3, 0-0)

GAME DETAILS: Thursday, Dec. 28, 6 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON: The Eastern Washington Eagles matched Northern Arizona for the best non-conference record among the Big Sky schools, going 8-3 so far this season. That's appropriate given that Eastern Washington and NAU split honors as conference preseason favorites, with the Eagles topping the preseason coaches poll, and the Lumberjacks topping the media poll. The Eagles earned their role as preseason favorites thanks to returning 16 players and all five starters from a team that went 19-11 overall and 11-7 in Big Sky play last season, making the Big Sky semifinals where they lost to NAU. This season, the Eagles have a number of solid wins, including three over Mountain West Conference schools in Utah State (75-39 on Nov. 10), Boise State (64-43 on Dec. 3) and Wyoming (62-43 on Dec. 22). None of the Eagles' three losses have come by more than 10 points, either, as the Eagles have dropped close contests with UC Irvine (71-63 on Nov. 20), Gonzaga (82-80 on Nov. 29) and Cal (78-70 on Dec. 15). Statistically, the Eagles have been an elite ball control team so far this season. They lead the Big Sky Conference while ranking in the top 50 nationally in assists per game (17.3), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.54) and turnover margin (+6.91). The Eagles give up only 11.2 turnovers per game, an average that leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks them sixth nationally. That efficiency means the Eagles also rank second in the Big Sky in scoring offense with 73.6 points per game, while they lead the conference in scoring margin (+16.7). Individually, Jamie Loera ranks second in the Big Sky in both assists (5.3) and steals (2.3) per game while also ranking third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.83). Loera ranks second on the team with 11.9 points per game, one of five Eagles averaging at least 8.5 points per game. Aaliyah Alexander leads the team with 15.3 points per game, an average that also ranks her third in the Big Sky. Besides Alexander and Loera, Jaleesa Lawrence (8.9 ppg), Jaydia Martin (8.7) and Jacinta Buckley (8.5) have also been regular contributors offensively. Milly Knowles leads the Eagles with 5.7 rebounds per game while also chipping in 7.0 points per game.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Eagles lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 43-36. The Eagles had won three in a row in the series until the Vikings beat them 80-71 on the road in their last meeting on Feb. 4, 2023. The Vikings lead the series at home, 19-18, though they've lost their last four meetings with the Eagles at Viking Pavilion. The Vikings' last home win in the series came on Jan. 4, 2020, when they beat the Eagles, 75-58.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings dropped their second straight game and third out of their last four last Wednesday, falling to intra-city rival University of Portland, 67-54. Despite the loss, the Vikings played with better energy than their previous game – a 74-63 loss to San Francisco on Dec. 16 – as they out-rebounded Portland 41-to-35, including a 21-to-6 advantage on the offensive glass. The 21 offensive rebounds were a season high for the Vikings.
• The Pilots outshot the Vikings .640-to-.216 in the second half. They shot 51.1 percent for the game, becoming the fifth team out of 10 this season to shoot better than 45 percent against the Vikings. Eight of the Vikings' 10 opponents have shot 42 percent or better, while the Vikings rank ninth in the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense (.452).
• San Francisco and Portland outscored the Vikings in the paint by a combined margin of 88-to-48. USF outscored the Vikings 48-to-24, while the Pilots outscored the Viks, 40-to-24. Eight of 10 opponents this season have outscored the Vikings in the paint.
• Esmeralda Morales leads the Big Sky Conference with 20.3 points per game, an average that also ranks her 24th in the NCAA. She's scored in double figures in all 10 games, while she's topped 20 points in six of the 10. Her 20.3 points per game would go down as the second-best single-season average in program history, trailing only the school record of 22.1 points per game that Karen Strong set during the 1975-76 season.
• The Vikings were 3-0 at home this season before losing to San Francisco and Portland in their last two games.
• The Vikings were 4-0 when out-rebounding their opponent before dropping last Wednesday's game against Portland despite winning the rebounding battle, 41-to-35. The Vikings are still 4-1 when out-rebounding their opponent and 1-4 when they don't this season.
• Besides scoring, Esmeralda Morales also leads the conference while ranking fourth nationally with 3.60 three-pointers made per game. Morales has hit at least three shots from three-point range in eight of the Vikings' 10 games this season. In five games at home, Morales is averaging 4.6 three-pointers made per game while shooting 57.5 percent from deep.
• Mia 'Uhila has scored 10+ points in four of the Vikings' last six games, including a career-high 20 against Oregon on Dec. 9. 'Uhila is averaging career bests for points (10.6), rebounds (5.4) and assists (3.6) per game this season.
• Rhema Ogele leads the Big Sky Conference in field goal percentage (.539). That's a career-best shooting mark for her, while she's also averaging career bests in points (11.8) and rebounds (5.6) per game. She's scored in double figures in five of her eight appearances this season, including two double-doubles.
• The Vikings are 4-0 when they score 70 points or more. They're averaging 72.2 points per game in their five wins, but just 50.4 points per game in their five losses.
• The two most common areas of struggle for the Vikings have been field goal percentage defense and rebounding. The Vikings rank ninth in the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense (.452), and 10th in rebounds per game (31.1), defensive rebounds per game (21.0) and rebounding margin (-3.80).
• The Vikings rank third in the Big Sky with 8.80 steals per game as a team. Freshman Joy Haltom leads the conference individually with 2.44 steals per game, an average that also ranks her 64th nationally. Esmeralda Morales ranks seventh in the conference with 1.70 steals per game, while Mia 'Uhila ranks tied for 14th with 1.40 per game.
• Lana Wenger set back-to-back career highs against Oregon (8 points) on Dec. 9 and Bushnell (12 points) on Dec. 12.
• Cinco McCartney set a season high with 11 rebounds against Portland last Wednesday. She's averaging a career-best 5.30 rebounds per game, ranking her 15th in the Big Sky Conference.
• 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 been dressed for any game 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.

 

STEPPING UP AS UPPERCLASSMEN

The four juniors who have been with the Vikings since they were freshman – Alaya Fitzgerald, Esmeralda Morales, Rhema Ogele and Mia 'Uhila – have all elevated their game now as upperclassmen. Morales, Ogele and 'Uhila are all averaging career bests in the scoring column, and all three have done so by wide margins. Morales is averaging 20.3 points per game, making her the Big Sky Conference's scoring leader so far, and giving her close to five points per game more than she averaged as a sophomore (15.8). Ogele has more than doubled her previous best scoring average as she's scoring 11.8 points per game this year after averaging just 5.3 points per game as a sophomore. 'Uhila has increased her scoring average to 10.6 points per game, up from 6.1 as a sophomore. Both Ogele and 'Uhila have seen increases in other respects as well. Ogele is shooting a career-best 53.9 percent from the floor, giving her the Big Sky lead in the category. She's also averaging a career-best 5.63 rebounds per game, ranking her 11th in the conference. 'Uhila, meanwhile, is averaging career bests for rebounds (5.4) and assists (3.6) per game. Her 3.60 assists per game rank her third in the Big Sky Conference this season. Fitzgerald would be on a similar trajectory if not for an injury she suffered against Warner Pacific on Nov. 14. She's been out since then but will rejoin her classmates once she's healthy.
 

THREE-POINT SHOOTING

The Vikings haven't had their usual three-point shooting in either of their last two games. Against San Francisco and Portland, the Vikings shot a combined 8-of-35 (.229) from three-point range. It's been especially rare for the Vikings to shoot that poorly at Viking Pavilion this season, let alone in back-to-back games. Over the team's first three home games, the Vikings had been averaging 11.3 three-pointers made per game while shooting 46.6 percent from beyond the arc. Esmeralda Morales has shot better than anyone at home, as she's averaging 4.6 three-pointers made per game on 57.5 percent shooting from the outside in five games so far at Viking Pavilion. Morales was the lone player to shoot well in both recent games, going 7-of-13 (.538) combined against the Dons and Pilots. But the Vikings will need others to step up in Big Sky play. Overall this season, the Vikings' recent dip in form means they now rank sixth in the Big Sky in three-pointers made per game (6.70) and seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.327). Individually, Morales continues to lead the Big Sky with 3.6 three-pointers made per game, an average that also ranks her fourth nationally in the category. Additionally, Morales ranks tied for third in the Big Sky and 63rd nationally in percentage, making 40.9 percent of her shots from beyond the arc. No other Viking is ranked among the Big Sky leaders, but seven other Vikings have hit at least one shot from deep this season. Out of the others, Mia 'Uhila has 10 makes from three-point range this season while shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. Alaya Fitzgerald was also poised to be the Vikings' second option from three-point range this season, going 7-of-19 (.368) over the team's first two and a half games before going down with an injury.
 

SWIPING LEFT AND RIGHT

The Vikings head into Thursday's Big Sky opener against Eastern Washington ranked fifth in the conference with 8.8 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 64th nationally with 2.44 steals per game despite being just nine games into her collegiate career. Esmeralda Morales and Mia 'Uhila, meanwhile, join Haltom in the top 15 of the Big Sky, as they rank seventh and tied for 14th with 1.70 and 1.40 steals per game, respectively. The Vikings haven't recorded as many steals of late, however. After recording 10 or more steals in four of their first five games of the season, the Vikings have averaged just 6.6 steals per game over their last five games.
 

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 six of the Vikings' first 10 games, including four of the Vikings' five home games. It's typically been an efficient showing from Morales when she goes over 20 points, too. In her six 20-point games, Morales is a combined 40-of-80 (.500) from the field and 26-of-49 (.531) from three-point range. Morales heads into Thursday's Big Sky opener against Eastern Washington leading the conference and ranked 24th nationally with 20.3 points per game. Morales' 20.3 points per game would go down as the second-best single-season scoring average in program history, trailing only the record of 22.1 points per game that Karen Strong set during the 1975-76 season. Besides scoring, Morales also leads the Big Sky and ranks fourth nationally in three-pointers made per game (3.6), and tops the conference while ranking 14th nationally in free throw percentage (.907). Morales is no stranger to being ranked among the statistical leaders, though. She's ranked in the top 15 of the Big Sky in eight different statistical categories, a season after she was ranked in nine different categories. Besides the three categories she leads, Morales also ranks among the conference leaders in field goal percentage (6th, .421), assists per game (11th, 2.50), steals per game (7th, 1.70), three-point field goal percentage (T-3rd, .409) and minutes played per game (2nd, 36.6). At the same time, Morales is also moving up the career rankings at Portland State. She became the 21st member of the 1,000-point club at Portland State during the Vikings' game against Bushnell on Dec. 12. Additionally, Morales ranks eighth in career scoring average (15.1), fourth in free throw percentage (.855), and seventh in both three-point field goals made (160) and attempted (432). Her 21 points against San Francisco on Dec. 16 also marked her 21st career 20-point game, ranking her 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. 'Uhila has scored 10+ points in four of the Vikings' last six games, including a career-high 20 against Oregon on Dec. 9. Against Portland last Wednesday, 'Uhila recorded 12 points, five rebounds and five assists while committing only two turnovers against a Portland defense that came into the game averaging more than 20 turnovers forced per game. For the season, 'Uhila is averaging career bests for points (10.6), rebounds (5.4) and assists (3.6) per game while shooting a career-best 33.3 percent from three-point range. She heads into Thursday's Big Sky opener ranked in the top 15 of the Big Sky in seven different statistical categories. She ranks highest in assists where she stands third in the Big Sky with 3.60 per game. She also ranks among the conference leaders in rebounds per game (13th, 5.40), free throw percentage (10th, .722), steals per game (T-14th, 1.40), assist-to-turnover ratio (8th, 0.97), defensive rebounds per game (10th, 4.30) and minutes played per game (7th, 31.8).
 

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 nearly added a third double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds against Bushnell on Dec. 12. Ogele did add a fifth double-digit scoring performance, out of eight appearances, with 12 points against San Francisco on Dec. 16. She's now averaging career bests for points (11.8) and rebounds (5.6) per game while shooting a career-best 53.9 percent from the floor. Ogele's 53.9 percent shooting gives her the Big Sky lead in the category while she also ranks 59th nationally. Additionally, Ogele ranks 11th in the Big Sky in both points (11.8) and rebounds (5.63) per game. Ogele also ranks sixth in the Big Sky with 2.50 offensive rebounds per game.
 

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

Dec. 12, 2023, Portland State 69, Bushnell 60: Esmeralda Morales hit the 1k career scoring mark in the second quarter while leading the Vikings with 26 points. Rhema Ogele (13 points) and Lana Wenger (12 points) joined Morales in double figures.
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.