Complete game notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
Wins reinforce progress like nothing else, and the Portland State women's basketball team got that with a 67-57 road victory at Seattle U last Saturday. The victory solidified some of the early development for the Vikings this season. They'll now look to solidify it even more with another win Sunday when they'll host Cal State Fullerton at 1 p.m. at Viking Pavilion.
 
The Vikings' progress includes a better, more balanced offense. The Vikings were held to under 32 percent shooting from the floor in their first two games of the season, but then shot 49.1 percent (26-of-53) from the field against Seattle U Saturday, including 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from three-point range.
 
What's more, the Vikings out-rebounded the Redhawks 35-to-28 last Saturday, after their first two opponents – Hawai'i and San Francisco – both out-rebounded the Vikings by more than 10. That helped the Viking defense hold the Redhawks to an opponent season low 35.1 percent (20-of-57) from the field.
 
Offensively, it was the balance that seemed to lead the Vikings to their improved shooting. Six different players scored eight or more points, while four went into double figures. Alaya Fitzgerald led that group with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting overall and 4-of-6 from three-point range. Rhema Ogele and Lana Wenger followed with 12 points each, while Laynee Torres-Kahapea scored 10 points for the second straight game. Kyleigh Brown and Taylor Moffat chipped in nine and eight points, respectively.
 
The balance can be attributed to how the Vikings have moved the ball to start the season. The Vikings have assisted on more than 50 percent of their field goals in all three games, a year after they did so in only 14 of 31 games. On Saturday, the Vikings assisted on 15 of their 26 field goals, with Fitzgerald again leading the way with five helpers.
 
Ball control in general has been a strength for the Vikings. The Vikings lead the Big Sky with only 14.0 turnovers committed per game this season, while they also rank third in the conference in turnover margin (+0.67) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.98). Fitzgerald, Torres-Kahapea, Moffat and Brown have all contributed to that. Fitzgerald – one of the Vikings' two four-year starters – ranks tied for the Big Sky lead with a 3.00 assist-to-turnover ratio individually. She also ranks tied for fifth in the conference with 4.00 assists per game.
 
The other four-year starter in the Vikings' lineup, Ogele, led the Vikings on the glass last Saturday. Ogele added a game-high 10 rebounds to her 12 points against Seattle U, giving the senior her first double-double of the season and seventh of her PSU career. Moffat added seven rebounds against the Redhawks, while Wenger grabbed five.
 
Ogele heads into this Sunday's game against Cal State Fullerton ranked fifth in the Big Sky with 7.67 rebounds per game. She also ranks fourth in the conference in defensive rebounds (5.33) and 10th in offensive rebounds (2.33) per game.
 
The Vikings' veteran presence – even as they integrate eight newcomers on their roster – should help them against the Titans Sunday. By comparison, the Titans are an incredibly young team. They feature nine underclassmen on their 12-player roster, including four true freshmen.
 
The young roster has led to a rough start for the Titans this season. They've dropped their first four games, including a 67-40 loss to a Big Sky Conference team in Sacramento State. The Titans will play at Washington at 12 p.m. Thursday before playing the Vikings Sunday.
 
The Titans still represent a tough interior team despite their youth. They rank fourth in the Big West Conference in blocks per game (3.3) and sixth in scoring defense (63.8). The Titans rank third in the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense (.276), as well.
 
Aixchel Hernandez has led the defensive effort for the Titans during the early season. She ranks second in the Big West and 41st nationally with 2.00 blocks per game. She also leads the conference and ranks 18th nationally with 10.8 rebounds per game while playing the maximum 40 minutes per game.
 
No Titan averages more than 10 points per game, though. Aaliyah Stanton leads the Titans with 8.8 points per game while Hernandez and Demonnie Lagway rank tied for second on the team with 8.5 points per game each.
 
If the Vikings counter with the offensive balance they produced against Seattle U, then they could distance themselves from the Titans. They have the veteran presence, plus new faces, to do it. And that would only solidify the Vikings' progress even more.
 
GAME #4: PORTLAND STATE (1-2) vs. CAL STATE FULLERTON (0-4)
GAME DETAILS: Sunday, Nov. 24, 1 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING CAL STATE FULLERTON: The Cal State Fullerton Titans have opened their season with four straight losses, including a 67-40 loss to a Big Sky Conference team in Sacramento State last Thursday. They'll play at Washington at 12 p.m. this Thursday before playing the Vikings Sunday. The Titans came into the year picked to finish ninth in the 11-team Big West Conference in the league's preseason coaches poll. The Titans will be a young team this year with nine underclassmen on their 12-player roster, including four true freshmen. Statistically, the Titans rank strongest defensively, as they rank third in the Big West Conference in three-point field goal percentage defense (.276), fourth in blocks per game (3.3) and sixth in scoring defense (63.8). Aixchel Hernandez has been a big part of that effort as she ranks second in the conference and 41st nationally with 2.00 blocks per game. Hernandez also leads the Big West and ranks 18th nationally with 10.8 rebounds per game while playing a conference- and national-best 40.0 minutes per game. She ranks tied for second on the team with 8.5 points per game, equal with Demonnie Lagway and just behind scoring leader Aaliyah Stanton at 8.8 points per game. No Titan player averages more than nine points per game so far this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Titans, 3-2. The teams haven't played each other since Dec. 10, 2016, which was an 81-73 home win for the Vikings. The Titans last beat the Vikings the previous year, winning 84-69 in Fullerton on Nov. 13, 2015.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings broke through for their first win of the season last Saturday, beating Seattle U 67-57 on the road.
• The Vikings shot season highs from the field (49.1 percent) and from three-point range (42.9 percent) in their win over Seattle U. They also held Seattle U to an opponent season low field goal percentage (35.1 percent).
• Six different Vikings scored eight points or more against Seattle U. Alaya Fitzgerald led the way with 14 points, while Rhema Ogele (12), Lana Wenger (12) and Laynee Torres-Kahapea (10) all finished in double figures. Kyleigh Brown (9) and Taylor Moffat (8) nearly joined them.
• The Vikings out-rebounded Seattle U 35-to-28 last Saturday. It was the first time the Vikings had out-rebounded an opponent this season, as Hawai'i and San Francisco – the Vikings' first two opponents – both out-rebounded the Vikings by more than 10.
• Rhema Ogele posted her first double-double of the season with 12 points to go with a game-high 10 rebounds in the Vikings' win over Seattle U. She ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 7.67 rebounds per game for the season, while she also ranks fourth in defensive rebounds (5.33) and 10th in offensive rebounds (2.33) per game.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky with only 14.0 turnovers committed per game. They also rank third in the conference in both turnover margin (+0.67) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.98). Alaya Fitzgerald ranks tied for the conference lead individually with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.00.
• The Vikings rank third in the Big Sky for three-point field goal percentage (.343) as well as fourth in three-pointers made per game (7.67). Alaya Fitzgerald ranks second in the Big Sky in both categories individually, as she's averaging 3.00 makes per game on .500 shooting from three-point range.  Lana Wenger ranks 12th in the conference with 1.67 makes per game.
• Lana Wenger and Alaya Fitzgerald lead the Vikings with 13.0 and 12.7 points per game, respectively, ranking them ninth and 11th in the Big Sky for scoring. Both have scored in double figures in each of the last two games along with Laynee Torres-Kahapea.
• The Vikings shot less than 32 percent from the floor in their first two games of the season. While their 49.1 percent (26-of-53) shooting against Seattle U boosted their numbers, they still rank 10th in the Big Sky in both field goal percentage (.363) and scoring offense (57.7).
• Senior Alaya Fitzgerald ranks among the top five of the Big Sky Conference in five statistical categories between assists per game (T-5th, 4.00), three-point field goal percentage (2nd, .500), three-pointers made per game (2nd, 3.00), assist-to-turnover ratio (T-1st, 3.00) and minutes played per game (2nd, 34.0).
• Laynee Torres-Kahapea leads the Big Sky while ranking third nationally with 38.0 minutes played per game. She also ranks sixth in the conference in free throw percentage (.818) and tied for sixth in steals per game (2.00).
• The Vikings return three starters from last season in Alaya Fitzgerald, Rhema Ogele and Lana Wenger. Fitzgerald and Ogele will both be four-year starters for the Vikings this season, while Wenger enters her second year as a starter.
• Big Sky coaches picked the Vikings to finish ninth in the Big Sky in their preseason poll, while conference media members picked the Vikings to finish 10th.
• The Vikings brought in eight newcomers to mesh with their eight returners. Out of the eight newcomers, three are freshmen – Katelyn Best, Kyleigh Brown and Avery Kraft – while five are transfers – Jamia Carter (Seward County CC/Salt Lake CC), Cici Ellington (Grambling State/Loyola Marymount), Taylor Moffat (Williston State/UAlbany) Kirstine Munk (Central Arizona) and Courtney Turner (FIU/USC Upstate/Harcum College).
• The Vikings have two former Oregon State Players of the Year on their roster now in Kyleigh Brown and Cici Ellington. Brown was the 5A State Player of the Year in 2024 after leading Silverton to the 5A state title. Ellington, meanwhile, was the 6A State Co-Player of the Year – sharing the award with former NCAA champion and current WNBA star Cameron Brink – in 2019 when she led Benson Polytechnic to the 6A state title.
• The Four R's of the Portland State women's basketball program are: Relational, Resilient, Reliable and Ready.
• The Vikings picked five words to define their 2024-25 season: Accountable, Driven, Commitment, Trust and Together. They worked that into a mantra, which is "TOGETHER we rise, DRIVEN by TRUST and COMMITTED to ACCOUNTABILITY."

 
BALL CONTROL
Every team can say they want to take care of the ball, but the Vikings can legitimately claim that they do. They average just 14.0 turnovers committed per game so far this season, ranking them first in the Big Sky and 59th nationally. The Vikings also stand third in the conference in both turnover margin (+0.67) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.98). The ball security is a tribute to the Vikings' depth of ball-handlers this season. The Vikings play three different point guards at times between Kyleigh Brown, Taylor Moffat and Laynee Torres-Kahapea, and then can also go to Alaya Fitzgerald on the wing. It's Fitzgerald who's leading the Vikings with 4.00 assists per game so far this season. She also ranks tied for the Big Sky lead in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.00). Neither Fitzgerald nor Torres-Kahapea committed a turnover in the Vikings' game at San Francisco on Nov. 12 despite both players playing over 36 minutes in the game. Torres-Kahapea has forced as many turnovers as she's committed this season, as she heads into Sunday's game against Cal State Fullerton ranked tied for sixth in the Big Sky with 2.00 steals per game.
 
SHARING IS CARING
A point of emphasis during preseason practices was to share the basketball. Through three games this season, the Vikings have fulfilled that brief. They've assisted on over half of their field goals all three games so far this season. That includes 13 assists on 15 field goals in their season opener against Hawai'i on Nov. 9 – a higher assist percentage (86.7%) than the Vikings had in any game last season. The Vikings assisted on 15 of their 26 field goals in last Saturday's win at Seattle U. Alaya Fitzgerald led the way with five assists in the game, while Laynee Torres-Kahapea followed her with four. Fellow point guards Kyleigh Brown and Taylor Moffat added three and two assists, respectively. Fitzgerald has led the Vikings in assists in all three games this season, and heads into Sunday's game against Cal State Fullerton ranked tied for fifth in the Big Sky with 4.00 assists per game.
 
THE VIKS DIG THE LONG BALL
The Vikings cracked 40 percent from three-point range for the first time this season while making 9-of-21 attempts (42.9 percent) in their win over Seattle U last Saturday. Alaya Fitzgerald led the way while hitting four of six attempts from three-point range. Lana Wenger hit two of her five attempts from deep while Laynee Torres-Kahapea, Taylor Moffat and Kyleigh Brown all added one three-pointer each. As a team, the Vikings rank third in the Big Sky for three-point field goal percentage (.343) and fourth in makes per game (7.67). Fitzgerald ranks second in both categories individually, as she's averaging 3.00 makes per game on .500 shooting from three-point range. Wenger ranks 12th in the Big Sky with 1.67 makes per game herself.
 
ROOTING FOR LAY IS A LAYUP
Alaya Fitzgerald – nicknamed Lay – will enter her fourth year in the Vikings' starting lineup this season, joining classmate Rhema Ogele as one of the two veterans in the team's starting five. She's provided a veteran presence already in the Vikings' first three games of the season. She led the Vikings with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting overall and 4-of-6 from three-point range in last Saturday's 67-57 road win over Seattle U. That followed a 15-point game from her against San Francisco on Nov. 12, as she's scored in double figures in back-to-back games heading into this weekend's game against Cal State Fullerton. Fitzgerald now ranks 11th in the Big Sky with 12.7 points per game. She also ranks in the top five of five other statistical categories between assists per game (T-5th, 4.00), three-point field goal percentage (2nd, .500), three-pointers made per game (2nd, 3.00), assist-to-turnover ratio (T-1st, 3.00) and minutes played per game (2nd, 34.0).
 
SHE'S HER FROM HERSBERG
Lana Wenger – from Hersberg, Switzerland – posted career numbers in the Vikings' close loss to San Francisco on Nov. 12. She scored a career-high 18 points to go with eight rebounds and three blocks against the Dons. She followed with 12 points to go with five rebounds in the Vikings' 67-57 win over Seattle U last Saturday. Through three games, Wenger leads the Vikings with 13.0 points per game, ranking her ninth in the Big Sky Conference so far this season. Wenger ranks seventh in the conference for field goal percentage (.421), while she also ranks tied for seventh in blocks per game (1.00) after her three blocks against the Dons. Wenger's strong start to the season follows a big finish to the previous year. Over the team's final seven games of the 2023-24 regular season, Wenger averaged 9.4 points per game while shooting 55.1 percent (27-of-49) from the field and 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from three-point range. That was a big jump from her season-long averages of 6.3 points per game on 44.3 percent shooting overall and 31.1 percent from three-point range.
 
A LEADER IN THE MIDDLE, RHEMA OGELE
One of two four-year starters on the roster with Alaya Fitzgerald, Rhema Ogele will undoubtedly be counted on as a leader for the Vikings this season. She proved that with her first double-double of the season in last Saturday's win over Seattle U. Ogele finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the game, giving her seven double-doubles in her PSU career now. Ogele's efforts on the boards helped the Vikings beat the Redhawks on the glass, as the Vikings out-rebounded Seattle U 35-to-28. She leads the Vikings with 7.67 rebounds per game for the season, ranking her fifth in the Big Sky Conference in the category. She also ranks fourth in the conference in defensive rebounds (5.33) and 10th in offensive rebounds (2.33) per game.  
 
GIVE HER A GATORADE…PLAYER OF THE YEAR, THAT IS
Sophomore Laynee Torres-Kahapea – the 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Hawai'i – has seamlessly stepped into the starting lineup for the Vikings. Torres-Kahapea has scored in double figures in back-to-back games after only doing so once as a freshman. She finished with 10 points to go with a career-high five rebounds and two assists against San Francisco on Nov. 12. She followed with another 10 points to go with two rebounds and four assists in the Vikings' 67-57 win over Seattle U last Saturday. Beyond her scoring, though, Torres-Kahapea's biggest contribution may be her ball-handling. She played all but 49 seconds against San Francisco and yet did not commit a turnover. She's forced as many turnovers as she's committed so far this season, as she ranks tied for sixth in the Big Sky with 2.00 steals per game. Additionally, she ranks sixth in the Big Sky in free throw percentage (.8181), while she leads the conference and ranks third nationally with 38.0 minutes played per game.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Portland State 67, Seattle U 57: The Vikings picked up their first win of the season as six different players scored eight or more points. They shot season highs from the field (49.1 percent) and from three-point range (42.9 percent) while out-rebounding the Redhawks 35-to-28.