Complete game notes (PDF)
 

TIPOFF

The Portland State women's basketball team made strides while playing two games at Viking Pavilion last week. The Vikings will now have to make sure those improvements travel with them as they hit the road for four straight games, starting with Thursday's contest against Montana (6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT tipoff).
 
The Vikings' improvements included several in key areas that have hurt the Vikings in the past. The Vikings had given up 20+ points off turnovers in their last six games before facing Northern Arizona last Thursday. But they responded, holding NAU to just nine points off turnovers while outscoring them 12-9 in the category. Additionally, 14 of the Vikings' first 16 opponents of the season outscored them in the paint, and yet the Vikings outscored NAU 36-28 and then were even with Northern Colorado, 34-34, in the paint Saturday.
 
The Vikings also assisted on 14 of their 24 field goals against Northern Colorado for their most assists at any point during their 10-game losing streak. The last time the Vikings had more than 14 assists in a game was in their last win when they had 15 against Bushnell on Dec. 12.
 
Offensively, the Vikings also scored 65 points in Thursday's loss to NAU, their highest scoring output at any point during their 10-game losing streak. The Vikings had three players score in double figures between Mia 'Uhila (19 points), Alaya Fitzgerald (15) and Esmeralda Morales (11). 'Uhila scored her 19 points on a career-best 8-of-10 from the field while adding a career-high 10 rebounds for the first double-double of her career.
 
Despite the improvements, the Vikings didn't get the breakthrough they wanted. They'll have to look for that on the road, starting with their game against the Lady Griz this Thursday.
 
Montana's Dahlberg Arena will be a tough setting for the Vikings to get that breakthrough. The Vikings are just 5-32 all-time against the Lady Griz in Missoula, with their last road win coming on a buzzer beater, 61-60, on Feb. 4, 2021.
 
Within this season, the Lady Griz have been a strong team through the first three weekends of Big Sky play. They finished non-conference play with five straight wins, including a sweep of South Dakota and Omaha in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge. The Lady Griz have also opened Big Sky play 4-2, with their best conference win coming via an 89-84 road win over Northern Arizona on Jan. 13. That remains NAU's lone conference loss of the season so far.
 
They got back in the win column Monday with an 87-55 road win over Weber State, after dropping a rivalry game to Montana State, 64-55, last Saturday.
 
Statistically, the Lady Griz will challenge some of the Vikings' recent improvements, especially defensively and on the glass. The Lady Griz lead the Big Sky Conference and rank third nationally with 10.2 three-pointers made per game, while also ranking second in the conference and 19th nationally in percentage (.370). Additionally, the Lady Griz lead the Big Sky in rebounding margin (+6.4), while ranking second in overall field goal percentage (.440), scoring offense (73.9 points per game) and total rebounds per game (38.3).
 
Four different players average in double figures for the Lady Griz between Carmen Gfeller (14.0 points per game), Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw (11.0), Gina Marxen (10.2) and Mack Konig (10.1). Gfeller, Marxen and Konig were three of the Lady Griz's four returning starters coming into the season. Espenmiller-McGraw was one of two impact transfers for the Lady Griz, as she and MJ Bruno came from Iowa State and the University of Portland, respectively, and have started all 17 games so far this season.
 
The Vikings will have to dig in deep defensively against the Lady Griz, then. It should help that the Vikings also showed better energy across the board last weekend. Fans could see that in how they responded to deficits Saturday against Northern Colorado. Down as many as 13 early in the game, the Vikings came back to tie it several times before a late push extended the Bears' lead by the end.
 
Another mark of progress came in the team's bench points Saturday. The Vikings got 13 points from their bench between six from Paige Winter, four from Laynee Torres-Kahapea and three from Sofía Llanos. That tied the Vikings' second-most points from their bench this season.
 
But again, the Vikings will have to make sure all those improvements travel with them over the next two weeks. That starts as the Vikings pack their bags for Missoula Thursday.
 

GAME #19: PORTLAND STATE (5-13, 0-6) vs. MONTANA (12-5, 4-2)

GAME DETAILS: Thursday, Jan. 25, 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT, Missoula, Mont. (Dahlberg Arena)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING MONTANA: The Montana Lady Griz bounced back from a rivalry loss to Montana State, 64-55, last Saturday with an 87-55 road win over Weber State Monday night. The Lady Griz are 8-2 out of their last 10 games, as they wrapped non-conference play with five straight wins, including a sweep of South Dakota and Omaha in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge. The Lady Griz's best conference win so far came in an 89-84 road win over Northern Arizona on Jan. 13, as they handed NAU its lone conference loss of the season so far. The Lady Griz were predicted to be a strong team at the beginning of the season, as Big Sky coaches and media picked them to finish third in both of their preseason polls. Four returning starters, including sixth-year senior Carmen Gfeller, justified that pick. Gfeller, a three-time All-Big Sky selection joined fellow returning starters Dani Bartsch, Mack Konig (the 2022-23 Big Sky Freshman of the Year) and Gina Marxen (two-time All-Big Sky selection while at Idaho). Gfeller, Bartch and Konig have started all 17 games so far this season, while newcomers MJ Bruno (from University of Portland) and Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw (from Iowa State) have joined them in the starting five. Gfeller (14.0 points per game), Espenmiller-McGraw (11.0), Marxen (10.2) and Konig (10.1) give the Lady Griz four players in double figures this season. Gfeller ranks sixth in the conference with her 14.0 points per game while she leads the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.511) and ranks third in blocks per game (1.12). Marxen, meanwhile, leads the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.38) while ranking third in assists per game (3.6). Bartsch tops the conference with 9.2 rebounds per game. Espenmiller-McGraw ranks second in three-point field goal percentage (.427), while she and Marxen rank fourth and sixth, respectively, with 2.24 and 1.94 makes per game. The Lady Griz have been an outstanding three-point shooting team in general this season, as they lead the conference while ranking third nationally with 10.2 makes per game this season. They also rank second in the Big Sky and 19th nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.370). Elsewhere, the Lady Griz lead the conference in rebounding margin (+6.4), while ranking second in field goal percentage (.440), scoring offense (73.9 points per game) and total rebounds per game (38.3).
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Lady Griz lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 54-22. The Vikings snapped a four-game losing streak to the Lady Griz with a 74-72 overtime win over Montana at home on Feb. 23 last season. The Vikings have generally been more successful against the Lady Griz in recent years, going 7-7 against them in their last 14 meetings.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings lost their 10th straight game last Saturday, falling 71-54 to Northern Colorado.
• Despite dropping both games last week, the Vikings made a number of key improvements. They outscored NAU 12-9 off turnovers last Thursday, the first time in 10 games that the Vikings had outscored their opponent off turnovers. They also outscored NAU 36-28 in the paint, only the third time all season the Vikings had won that battle. Against UNC, the Vikings recorded 14 assists on 24 field goals for their most assists since they had 15 against Bushnell on Dec. 12.
• The Vikings' 65 points against Northern Arizona last Thursday were their most in any game during their 10-game losing streak. The Vikings had three players score in double figures in Mia 'Uhila (19), Alaya Fitzgerald (15) and Esmeralda Morales (11) for the first time in their last six games.
• Mia 'Uhila recorded her first double-double with 19 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against NAU last Thursday. She scored her 19 points on a career-best 8-of-10 shooting from the field. Over the team's last three games, 'Uhila is averaging 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 61.5 percent from the field.
• Weber State shot 64.3 percent (36-of-56) against the Vikings on Jan. 13, the second-best mark against the Vikings over the past 18 seasons (game-by-game records are incomplete before the 2006-07 season). Four of the Vikings' last six opponents have shot 50 percent or better against the Vikings, while Weber State and Kansas City (.627) surpassed 60 percent.
• Before the Vikings held NAU to only nine points off turnovers last Thursday, the team's previous six opponents had all scored 20+ points off PSU turnovers. The Vikings rank eighth in the Big Sky in both turnovers per game (16.6) and turnover margin (-2.44).
• Consistent offense has been a struggle during the Vikings' 10-game losing streak. The Vikings are averaging 54.5 points per game during their losing streak, while shooting 37.0 percent from the floor and 25.1 percent from three-point range. They're averaging just 9.8 assists per game during that stretch against 16.3 turnovers per game.
• Before the Vikings outscored NAU in the paint last Thursday, 14 of the Vikings' first 16 opponents this season had outscored the Vikings in the paint. Eleven of those 14 have done so by at least 10 points. Weber State scored 56 of its 89 points in the paint on Jan. 13, which was the most by a Viking opponent this season.
• The Vikings are 5-2 when they score 60 points or more and 0-11 when they don't. They're averaging 72.2 points per game in their five wins, but just 52.3 points per game in their 13 losses.
• Esmeralda Morales was held to single digits for the first time all season Saturday when Northern Colorado held her to eight points. Despite that, she continues to lead the Big Sky Conference with 17.8 points per game, including seven 20-point games.
• Besides scoring, Esmeralda Morales also leads the conference while ranking sixth nationally with 3.17 three-pointers made per game. Morales has hit at least three shots from three-point range in 12 of the Vikings' 18 games this season.
• Juniors Rhema Ogele and Mia 'Uhila are averaging career bests in a number of categories. Ogele is averaging career bests for points (9.7) and rebounds (5.6) per game while shooting a career-best 52.3 percent from the floor. 'Uhila, meanwhile, is averaging career bests for points (8.9), rebounds (5.2) and assists (2.8) per game.
• Alaya Fitzgerald has scored in double figures in four of her eight games since returning from an injury that held her out of every game from Nov. 18 to Dec. 20. That included 15- and 14-point nights last week against Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado, respectively.
• The two most common areas of struggle for the Vikings have been field goal percentage defense and rebounding. The Vikings rank 10th in the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense (.470), as well as 10th in three of the four rebounding categories between rebounds per game (30.2), defensive rebounds per game (20.0), and rebounding margin (-5.06).
• The Vikings rank seventh in the Big Sky with 7.33 steals per game as a team. Freshman Joy Haltom ranks tied for fourth in the conference individually with 1.65 steals per game. However, after averaging 11.0 steals per game through their first five games, the Vikings are averaging just 5.9 steals per game over their last 13 games. The Vikings recorded a season-low one steal against Weber State on Jan. 13.
• Lana Wenger blocked a career-high four shots against St. Thomas on Jan. 6, while leading the Vikings to a season-high nine blocks as a team. Wenger ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 1.06 blocks per game.
• The Vikings have been bitten by the injury bug this season. With Cinco McCartney out for the year, the Vikings are guaranteed to never have all 15 players dressed for a single game this season. The bug started when starter Rhema Ogele missed the Vikings' games against San Diego and Warner Pacific on Nov. 11 and 14, respectively. Alaya Fitzgerald, another starter, then missed seven games between Nov. 18 and Dec. 20. McCartney, a third different starter, went down before the Vikings' game against Eastern Washington on Dec. 28.
• 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.

 

SIGNS OF LIFE

Portland State head women's basketball coach Chelsey Gregg called the Vikings' improvements in last Thursday's game against Northern Arizona, "signs of life." The Vikings warranted that after bettering their previous showings in several key areas. The Vikings came into Thursday having given up 20+ points off turnovers in their last six games. Thursday, they held NAU to only nine points off turnovers while outscoring them 12-9 in the category. Additionally, 14 of the Vikings' first 16 opponents had outscored the Vikings in the paint, and yet the Vikings outscored the 'Jacks 36-28 in the area. Offensively, the Vikings had three players score in double figures for the first time in six games, as Mia 'Uhila scored 19 points on a career-best 8-of-10 shooting, while Alaya Fitzgerald and Esmeralda Morales added 15 and 11, respectively. The Vikings' 65 points as a team were their most at any point during their 10-game losing streak. The Vikings followed with 14 assists on 24 field goals Saturday against Northern Colorado for their most assists in a game since they had 15 in their last win of the season, which came against Bushnell on Dec. 12.
 

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 17.8 points per game, making her the Big Sky Conference's scoring leader so far and giving her two points per game more than she averaged as a sophomore (15.8). Ogele has nearly doubled her previous best scoring average as she's scoring 9.7 points per game this year after averaging just 5.3 points per game as a sophomore. 'Uhila has increased her scoring average to 8.9 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 52.3 percent from the floor, while also averaging a career-best 5.6 rebounds per game. 'Uhila, meanwhile, is averaging career bests for rebounds (5.2) and assists (2.8) per game. Fitzgerald would be on a similar trajectory if not for an injury she suffered against Warner Pacific on Nov. 14. She's still scored in double figures in four of her eight games since her return, including 15- and 14-point nights last weekend against Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado, respectively.
 

THREE-POINT SHOOTING

The Vikings haven't had reliable three-point shooting during their losing streak. While the Vikings shot 9-of-24 (.375) against Idaho on Dec. 30, they've shot 25 percent or worse in six of their other nine recent losses. That leaves the Vikings averaging just 5.3 makes per game on 25.1 percent shooting from three-point range during their current 10-game losing streak. The recent dip leaves the Vikings sixth in the Big Sky in three-point field goals made per game (6.22) and eighth in percentage (.294). The Vikings still have the firepower to be a strong three-point shooting team. Esmeralda Morales has been outstanding individually. Morales leads the Big Sky with 3.17 three-pointers made per game, an average that also ranks her sixth nationally in the category. Additionally, Morales ranks fifth in the Big Sky in percentage, making 35.8 percent of her shots from beyond the arc. No other Viking is ranked among the Big Sky leaders. Alaya Fitzgerald would be ranked if she hadn't missed seven straight games with an injury. Fitzgerald has only played in 11 games due to her early season injury but is averaging a career-best 1.91 makes per game on 31.3 percent shooting. Mia 'Uhila also broke out of a slump from deep by going 2-for-2 from three-point range against Weber State on Jan. 13. 'Uhila now has 14 three-point makes this season on 31.8 percent shooting.
 

SWIPING LEFT AND RIGHT

The Vikings currently stand seventh in the Big Sky Conference with 7.33 steals per game. Freshman Joy Haltom has been a surprise leader for the Vikings in that regard, as she ranks tied for fourth in the Big Sky with 1.65 steals per game despite being in her first collegiate season. No other Viking ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky, but Esmeralda Morales did grab a season-high five steals last Thursday against Northern Arizona. 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 5.9 steals per game over their last 13 games. The Vikings recorded a season-low one steal against Weber State on Jan. 13.
 

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

Esmeralda Morales has proven her preseason Big Sky MVP credentials already this season. She scored in double figures in the Vikings' first 17 games of the season – she was held to single digits for the first time last Saturday against Northern Colorado – including seven 20-point games. Morales leads the Big Sky Conference while ranking 61st nationally with 17.8 points per game. Besides scoring, Morales also leads the Big Sky in three-pointers made per game (3.17) and free throw percentage (.897), numbers that rank her sixth and 18th nationally in both categories, respectively. Morales is no stranger to being ranked among the statistical leaders, as she's ranked in the top 15 of the Big Sky in seven different statistical categories. Besides the three categories she leads, Morales also ranks among the conference leaders in field goal percentage (7th, .384), assists per game (10th, 2.72), three-point field goal percentage (5th, .358) and minutes played per game (2nd, 35.9). 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 (15.0), fourth in free throw percentage (.855), and seventh in both three-point field goals made (181) and attempted (503). Her 21 points against Idaho State on Jan. 11 also marked her 22nd career 20-point game, ranking her tied with current assistant coach Ashley Bolston for seventh all time.
 

MIA OOOOOO-HE-LUH ('UHILA)

Mia 'Uhila has sparked some "oooo's" from fans at times this season. She scored a career-high 20 against Oregon on Dec. 9, and is averaging career bests for points (8.9), rebounds (5.2) and assists (2.8) per game. She broke out of an offensive slump against Weber State on Jan. 13 when she recorded 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor, 2-of-2 from three-point range, to go with six rebounds. She followed that up with her first double-double, scoring 19 points on a career-best 8-of-10 shooting to go with a career-high 10 rebounds against Northern Arizona last Thursday. 'Uhila heads into the game against Montana averaging 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 61.5 percent from the floor over the Vikings' last three games. 'Uhila now ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky in three different statistical categories. She ranks seventh in assists per game (2.83), 15th in defensive rebounds per game (4.00) and 14th in minutes played per game (29.7).
 

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 what was then only her third career double-double. 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 added a third against Eastern Washington on Dec. 28, leading the Vikings with 14 points to go with a career-high 14 rebounds. Ogele heads into Thursday averaging career bests for points (9.7) and rebounds (5.6) per game while shooting a career-best 52.3 percent from the floor. Ogele ranks 13th in the Big Sky in rebounds per game (5.63) as well as ninth in offensive rebounds per game (2.19).
 

ROOTING FOR LAY IS A LAYUP

Junior Alaya Fitzgerald – nicknamed Lay – returned from a seven-game injury absence during the Vikings' game against Eastern Washington on Dec. 28. She fully announced her return with a season-high 17 points against Idaho two days later while tying her career high with four made three-pointers. Fitzgerald followed that performance with 14 points against Kansas City on Jan. 3, including 10 straight points for the Vikings in the fourth quarter of the game. She added a third and fourth double-digit scoring game since her return last weekend, scoring 15 points against Northern Arizona and then 14 against Northern Colorado.
 

SHE'S HER FROM HERSBERG

Lana Wenger – from Hersberg, Switzerland – has added a new element for the Vikings offensively this season. She's set a new career high three different times, the latest coming with 13 points against Eastern Washington on Dec. 28. That bettered her previous best of 12 points, which she set while going 5-of-6 from the floor against Bushnell on Dec. 12. Wenger also set a career high with four blocked shots against St. Thomas on Jan. 6, while leading the Vikings to a season-high nine blocks as a team in the game. That was the program's most blocks in a game since the 2019-20 season. Overall, Wenger ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 1.06 blocks per game this season.
 

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Jan. 18, 2024, Northern Arizona 73, Portland State 65: The Vikings outscored NAU 36-28 in the paint, marking just the third time all season the Vikings had outscored their opponent in the paint. They also outscored NAU 12-9 off turnovers, the first time the Vikings had outscored their opponent off turnovers in their last 10 games.
Dec. 30, 2023, Idaho 61, Portland State 55: In just her second game back from an injury that held her out of seven games early in the season, Alaya Fitzgerald scored a season-high 17 points while tying a career high with four three-pointers against Idaho.
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.