Complete game notes (PDF)
 

TIPOFF

The Portland State women's basketball found its groove last week, posting back-to-back wins for the first time this season with a 72-61 road victory over Fresno State last Wednesday after a 75-68 home win over Seattle U on Nov. 25. The challenge now will be for the Vikings to show they haven't skipped a beat after a long layoff, as they face in-state Pac-12 program University of Oregon Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
The game will be the Vikings' first contest in 10 days, as the team has been off since its win over the Bulldogs. The layoff will be an interesting element of Saturday's contest, especially considering the Ducks will have been busy during those 10 days. The Ducks will have played three times during the Vikings' 10-day layoff, including a game against Idaho Friday at 6 p.m., the day before the Ducks face the Vikings.
 
If the Vikings come out in the same form as they showed against Fresno State, then the favored Ducks could be in trouble. The Vikings shot a season-high 57.1 percent (28-of-49) from the field in their win over the Bulldogs, showing they can shoot just as well in an opponents' gym as their own.
 
The strong shooting against the Bulldogs followed another against Seattle U at home four days earlier. Through three quarters against the Redhawks, the Vikings were shooting 19-of-33 (.576) from the field and 11-of-17 (.647) from three-point range. Their final numbers fell a little bit after they went 2-of-12 in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings still come into Saturday's game ranked fourth in the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.425) and third in three-point field goal percentage (.355).
 
Esmeralda Morales has been Ms. Consistency for the Vikings through six games this season. She's scored at least 17 points in all six games, while she's scored 20+ points in all four of the team's wins. That included a season-high 27 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from three-point range against Seattle U. She followed up with a game-high 21 points against Fresno State last Wednesday.
 
Morales heads into Saturday's contest with the Ducks leading the Big Sky Conference and ranked 15th nationally with 21.3 points per game. She also leads the conference and ranks ninth nationally with 3.50 three-pointers made per game. She's hit at least three shots from three-point range in five of the team's six games, while she's 9-of-17 (.529) combined over the team's last two games.
 
The Vikings have also found consistency on the glass over their last two games. Rhema Ogele has led that effort as she posted her second double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds in last Wednesday's win over Fresno State. Freshman Joy Haltom led the Vikings with nine rebounds against Seattle U, while Mia 'Uhila added six from her guard spot.
 
Those efforts mean the Vikings have out-rebounded their last two opponents after losing three straight rebounding battles beforehand. Ogele's return from an early-season concussion has been a difference maker. The Vikings are 3-1 on the glass when Ogele plays and 0-2 without her.
 
The rebounding battle will be a stat to watch Saturday. The Ducks present a unique challenge for the Vikings in that regard as they will undoubtedly be the tallest team the Vikings have faced this season. Oregon's leading rebounder, Phillipina Kyei, stands 6-8, while the team also features 6-7 Kennedy Basham and two 6-3 players in leading scorer Grace VanSlooten and Sarah Rambus.
 
The Vikings will have an experience advantage over the Ducks, however, as underclassmen have accounted for more than 75 percent of the Ducks' scoring so far this season. VanSlooten and fellow sophomore Chance Gray lead the way with 16.0 and 12.6 points per game, respectively. Freshmen Sofia Bell and Sarah Rambus, meanwhile, stand fourth and fifth on the team with 10.1 and 6.3 points per game, respectively.
 
Kyei, a junior, represents the only upperclassmen among the Ducks' top five scorers, as she's averaging a double-double of 11.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
 
The youth movement has led to some tough results for the Ducks of late. They opened the year winning four of their first five games but dropped a 91-60 road game at University of Portland last Thursday, then followed with a 71-51 road loss to then-No. 13 Baylor Sunday. The Ducks have one win over a Big Sky Conference school already this season, though, having beat Northern Arizona, 81-48, to open their season on Nov. 6. Another could come Friday when the Ducks host Idaho the day before facing the Vikings.
 
If that happens, then the Vikings will have to fight for their conference as well as themselves against the Ducks. And that could be the motivation needed to make sure the Vikings don't skip a beat when their 10-day layoff ends Saturday.
 

GAME #7: PORTLAND STATE (4-2) vs. OREGON (4-3)

GAME DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 9, 2 p.m. PT, Eugene, Ore. (Matthew Knight Arena)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING OREGON: The Oregon Ducks won four of their first five games of the season before dropping their last two games going into the weekend. The Ducks fell 91-60 on the road against University of Portland last Thursday, then followed with a 71-51 road loss to then-No. 13 Baylor Sunday. The Ducks could get back into the win column before facing the Vikings as they play another Big Sky Conference school in Idaho at 6 p.m. Friday. In addition to the game against Idaho, the Ducks beat Northern Arizona out of the Big Sky, 81-48, to open their season on Nov. 6. The Ducks are a young team this season with underclassmen accounting for over 75 percent of the team's scoring. Sophomores Grace VanSlooten and Chance Gray lead the way in that regard with 16.0 and 12.6 points per game, respectively. VanSlooten adds 9.4 rebounds per game to her 16.0 points while she's also averaging 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Gray, meanwhile, ranks ninth in the Pac-12 with 4.0 assists per game while she leads the conference with 35.7 minutes played per game. Freshmen Sofia Bell and Sarah Rambus have added to the youth movement with 10.1 and 6.3 points per game, respectively. The only upperclassman among the Ducks' top five scorers is junior Phillipina Kyei, who comes into Saturday's game averaging a double-double with 11.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Kyei has five double-doubles out of the Ducks' seven games this season, ranking her tied for sixth nationally in the category. She also ranks fifth in the Pac-12 with 1.83 blocks per game, while her 10.0 rebounds per game rank her third in the Pac-12 and 25th nationally. Kyei will be the tallest player the Vikings have faced all season, while the Ducks will unquestionably be the tallest team. Kyei stands 6-8, while sophomore Kennedy Basham stands 6-7. VanSlooten and Rambus stand 6-3 themselves. VanSlooten was named to the Cheryl Miller Award Watch List – awarded annually to the nation's best small forward – before the start of the season. She was also a Preseason All-Pac-12 Team selection.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Ducks lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 28-10. The Ducks have won the last five in the series and 15 of the last 16 meetings, including a 78-40 win over the Vikings in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 22, 2019. That was the last counting game between the two teams. The Vikings' last win in the series came on Nov. 15, 2012, when they beat the Ducks 87-85 in double overtime in Eugene.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings have won back-to-back games for the first time this season. They beat Fresno State 72-61 on the road last Wednesday, after beating Seattle U, 75-68, at home on Nov. 25.
• The Vikings shot a season-high 57.1 percent (28-of-49) from the field in their win over Fresno State. That came after the Vikings shot 46.7 percent (21-of-45) against Seattle U on Nov. 25, when they were also 11-of-22 (.500) from three-point range.
• Esmeralda Morales led all scorers with 21 points in the victory over Fresno State, her second straight game with 20+ points and fourth out of six games this season. The Vikings are 4-0 when Morales scores 20+ points this season.
• Esmeralda Morales leads the Big Sky Conference with 21.3 points per game, an average that also ranks her 15th in the NCAA.
• Rhema Ogele recorded her second double-double out of four appearances this season with 19 points and 10 rebounds against Fresno State. Ogele also had a double-double when she scored a career-high 24 points on 12-of-14 shooting to go with 11 rebounds in the Vikings' season opener against UC Davis on Nov. 9. The two double-doubles match her career total coming into the year.
• The Vikings have won the rebounding battle in each of their last two games after losing it in three of their first four games of the season. The Vikings are 3-1 in the rebounding battle when Rhema Ogele has played this season.
• 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 40.5 points per game in their two losses.
• The Vikings have turned the ball over at least 17 times in every game this season, including a season-high 26 against New Mexico State on Nov. 18. Conversely, the Vikings have forced at least 15 turnovers in every game and have recorded 10 or more steals in four of their six games.
• The Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and 54th in the NCAA with 10.5 steals per game as a team. Freshman Joy Haltom leads the Big Sky individually with 2.80 steals per game, an average that also ranks her 38th in the NCAA. Esmeralda Morales ranks tied for fourth with 2.00 steals per game, while Mia 'Uhila ranks tied for eighth with 1.83 per game.
• The Vikings are making 35.5 percent of their shots from three-point range this season, ranking them third in the Big Sky and 58th in the nation. They stand fourth in the conference and 87th nationally with 7.33 three-pointers made per game.
• Opponents have shot 40 percent or better in five straight games, including 52.5 percent by San Diego in its win over the Vikings on Nov. 11. The Vikings rank ninth in the Big Sky with a field goal percentage defense of .451.
• Mia 'Uhila has stuffed the stat sheet in all four wins for the Vikings. She's averaging 11.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game in the Vikings' four wins. Conversely, she's averaging just 3.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game in the team's two losses.
• Esmeralda Morales needs 19 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 missed the Vikings' last three games.
• 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.

 

BACK-TO-BACK DUBS

The Vikings got off the roller coaster last week, beating Fresno State 72-61 last Wednesday to earn their first back-to-back wins of the season. In addition to the win over the Bulldogs, the Vikings also beat 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 have scored 70+ points in all four of their wins so far this season, but average just 40.5 points per game in their two losses. The Vikings have been at their best when they rebound the ball. The Vikings have won the rebounding battle in their two recent wins and are 3-0 this season when they out-rebound their opponent. Rhema Ogele has contributed to all three of those efforts as the Vikings are 3-1 in the rebounding battle when Ogele has played and 0-2 when she doesn't play. Ogele recorded a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Fresno State her second double-double of the season. Esmeralda Morales has been steady throughout the season, but she led the Vikings in scoring in both recent wins. 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, then followed with a game-high 21 points against Fresno State last Wednesday. The Vikings are 4-0 this season when Morales scores at least 20 points in a game.
 

THREE-POINT SHOOTING

The Vikings answered the question of whether they could shoot lights out in an opposing gym last Wednesday, shooting a season-high 57.1 percent from the floor and 43.8 percent from three-point range at Fresno State. The three-point shooting came after the Vikings went 11-of-22 (.500) against Seattle U on Nov. 25, leaving the Vikings 18-of-38 (.474) combined over their last two games. That's raised the team's season-long three-point field goal percentage to 35.5 percent, a mark that ranks them third in the Big Sky and 58th in the nation. It's better than the 35.0 percent the Vikings shot last year, which was the third-best single-season three-point field goal percentage for the Vikings during the program's Division I era. The Vikings also rank fourth in the conference and 87th nationally with 7.33 makes per game. Esmeralda Morales has been the steady presence for the Vikings from deep. She's 9-of-17 (.529) combined from three-point range over the team's last two games, and has hit at least three shots from deep in five of the team's six games. Morales leads the Big Sky while ranking ninth nationally with 3.50 makes per game across all games this season. She also ranks fifth in the conference while converting 38.2 percent of the time from deep. Outside of Morales, Alaya 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. Mia 'Uhila ranks behind her with six makes in six games this season.
 

SWIPING LEFT AND RIGHT

The Vikings have grabbed at least 10 steals in four of their six games this season, while they've swiped at least seven in all six games. That includes a season-high 17 steals against Warner Pacific on Nov. 14. The Vikings head into Saturday's game against Oregon ranked second in the Big Sky and 54th nationally with 10.5 steals per game. Multiple players have contributed to that strong perimeter defense. Freshman Joy Haltom has been a revelation for the Vikings in that regard, as she leads the Big Sky and ranks 38th nationally with 2.8 steals per game despite being just five 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 eighth with 2.00 and 1.83 steals per game, respectively. Overall, six 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 six 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 last Wednesday, as she led the Vikings to their first back-to-back wins of the season. Morales' lowest scoring output this season was 17 points against San Diego on Nov. 11. Morales heads into Saturday's game against the Ducks leading the Big Sky and ranked 15th nationally with 21.3 points per game. Morales is no stranger to being ranked among the Big Sky leaders, though. 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 3.50 three-pointers made per game. She's 9-of-17 (.529) combined from three-point range across the team's last two games, and has hit at least three shots from deep in five of the team's six games. Outside of scoring and three-point makes, Morales also ranks among the conference leaders in field goal percentage (3rd, .452), assists per game (8th, 2.83), free throw percentage (2nd, .912), steals per game (T-4th, 2.00), three-point field goal percentage (5th, .382) and minutes played per game (2nd, 35.0). At the same time, Morales is also moving up the career rankings at Portland State. Heading into Saturday, Morales needs just 19 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 eighth in scoring average (14.9), fourth in free throw percentage (.850), seventh in three-point field goals made (145) and eighth in three-point attempts (399). 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. In the team's four wins, 'Uhila is averaging 11.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range. She's as good a bellwether as any for the Vikings, then. Her numbers drop to 3.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game in the team's two losses. Across all games, 'Uhila heads into Saturday's game ranked in the top 15 of seven different statistical categories between rebounds per game (13th, 5.5), assists per game (5th, 3.17), free throw percentage (T-9th, .750), steals per game (T-8th, 1.83), assist-to-turnover ratio (6th, 0.73), defensive rebounds per game (9th, 4.67) and minutes played per game (10th, 30.5).
 

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 last Wednesday, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. She also went into double figures against Seattle U on Nov. 25, recording 11 points in just over 19 minutes of game time. 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 four 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 four 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.