Complete game notes (PDF)
 

TIPOFF

The second half of Big Sky Conference play opens Monday for the Portland State women's basketball team. It's not much of a break, considering the Vikings played Saturday. Certainly not on par with an all-star break in a professional league. But the Vikings will take the turn in the calendar – as short as it is – as a chance to start anew.
 
The Vikings' fresh start begins with a road matchup against Eastern Washington at 6 p.m. Monday night. The Eagles finished the first half of the Big Sky Conference schedule in second place at 7-2 in conference play.
 
The Eagles won their first six Big Sky contests, including a 68-58 win over the Vikings at Viking Pavilion back on Dec. 28. They dropped back-to-back games to Northern Arizona and Montana State in the past eight days, but bounced back with a 61-56 home win over Montana Saturday.
 
So, it won't be an easy opponent with which the Vikings will start the second half of their conference schedule. But it's a new opportunity nonetheless.
 
If the Vikings can take advantage of their new chance, it's clear where they'll need to improve. Six of the Vikings' last nine opponents have shot 50 percent or better against the Vikings, who now rank last in the Big Sky with a field goal percentage defense of .474. Sacramento State, which beat the Vikings 72-65 Saturday, would have been the seventh team to shoot better than 50 percent against the Vikings if they didn't go cold in the fourth quarter. The Hornets shot 54.1 percent (20-of-37) through the first three periods of the game, but then went 3-of-11 (.273) from the field in the fourth.
 
It's a shame from the Vikings' perspective because they likely win Saturday's game against the Hornets if not for their opponents' high shooting percentage. They were even with the Hornets on total field goals (23) and recorded similar numbers of three-pointers (PSU 7, SAC 6). Additionally, the Vikings controlled the glass, out-rebounding the Hornets 37-to-35, while also outscoring the Hornets in the paint (26-22) and on second-chance points (13-5).
 
Part of the Vikings' success on the glass included 17 offensive rebounds, the Vikings' second highest total on the offensive end this season.
 
The Vikings also forced the Hornets into 20 turnovers, tied for the second-highest total by a Viking opponent this season. No Big Sky team had given up more than 14 turnovers to the Vikings before the Hornets did Saturday. The Vikings turned those into a 21-14 advantage in points off turnovers, including 12 of the Vikings' first 23 points in the game.
 
The Hornets made up those differences with more made free throws (20 to PSU's 12) and better passing (17 assists to PSU's six), but the Vikings' improvements on the glass and in turning their opponent over should help them going forward.
 
Ball control will certainly take center stage of Monday's game against the Eagles. The Eagles were +13 (21-8) against the Vikings in turnover margin the last time they played each other this season. They turned that into a 23-11 advantage in points off turnovers, a stat that nearly explains the 10-point differential in the game by itself.
 
The Eagles have been strong on the ball all season. They lead the Big Sky Conference and rank 23rd nationally with a 1.26 assist-to-turnover ratio. Additionally, they top the conference and rank 26th nationally in turnover margin (+5.05), thanks to giving up the fewest turnovers per game (12.0) within the conference and 10th fewest in the nation.
 
Jamie Loera, ESPN's Preseason Big Sky MVP, leads that effort. She ranks second in the conference in both assist-to-turnover ratio (2.04) and assists per game (5.3). Loera does more than just that, though. She tops the conference in steals per game (2.33) and three-point field goal percentage (.457), while also ranking eighth in scoring (13.0 points per game) and 12th in rebounding (5.76 rebounds per game).
 
Aaliyah Alexander leads the Eagles in scoring, as she ranks second in the conference – behind the Vikings' Esmeralda Morales – with 16.0 points per game. She also ranks third in the conference in field goal percentage (.456) and second in free throw percentage (.849).
 
Alexander led the Eagles with 21 points against the Vikings in their first game against each other. Jacinta Buckley added 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting down low for the Eagles, though she hasn't played since the Eagles' game against Northern Colorado on Jan. 25.
 
Rhema Ogele led the Vikings with the third of her four double-doubles this season, finishing with 14 points and 14 rebounds against the Eagles. Ogele added her fourth double-double Saturday with 10 points and 12 rebounds against the Hornets.
 
Morales, who scored 12 points in the Vikings' first game against the Eagles, is also coming off a strong game against the Hornets. She recorded her eighth 20-point game of the season with 22 points and five assists. Mia 'Uhila also went into double figures Saturday with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field.
 
The Vikings will likely need that level of balance – or even a fourth in double figures – to beat the Eagles Monday. If they pull it off, then the second half of the Big Sky schedule will suddenly feel like riding a bike downhill.
 

GAME #22: PORTLAND STATE (5-16, 0-9) vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON (17-5, 7-2)

GAME DETAILS: Monday, Feb. 5, 6 p.m. PT, Cheney, Wash. (Reese Court)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON: The Eastern Washington Eagles returned to the win column Saturday with a 61-56 home win over Montana. The win followed rare back-to-back losses for the Eagles, as they fell to Northern Arizona, 89-81, on Jan. 27, then lost to Montana State, 62-61, last Thursday. The loss to NAU snapped a 10-game win streak for the Eagles, while the loss to the Bobcats knocked them out of a share of first place in the Big Sky standings. The Eagles still finished the first half of Big Sky play at 7-2. That includes a 68-58 win over the Vikings at Viking Pavilion to open Big Sky play on Dec. 28. The Eagles won that game behind a +13 turnover margin (21-8), which they turned into a 23-11 advantage in points off turnovers. Ball control has been a strength of the Eagles' all season. They lead the Big Sky Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.26) and turnover margin (+5.05), while also topping the conference and ranking 10th nationally with only 12.0 turnovers per game. Outside of those categories, the Eagles also lead the conference in scoring margin (+14.0), rebounds per game (38.8) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.289). Individually, Jamie Loera has been a do-everything player for the Eagles. She's the rare player that ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky Conference in all three categories between points per game (8th, 13.0), rebounds per game (12th, 5.76) and assists per game (2nd, 5.33). She's also the major reason why the Eagles are so strong in the ball control categories, as she tops the conference in steals per game (2.33) and ranks second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.04). Aaliyah Alexander leads the Eagles in scoring, ranking second to the Vikings' Esmeralda Morales with 16.0 points per game. Alexander also ranks second to Morales in free throw percentage (.849) while ranking third in the conference in field goal percentage (.456). Alexander led the Eagles with 21 points the last time the Eagles played the Vikings, while Jacinta Buckley added 18. Loera finished with five points, eight rebounds, nine assists and seven steals.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Eagles lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 44-36. The Eagles have won four of their last five meetings against the Vikings, though the Vikings won their last game at Reese Court when they beat the Eagles 80-71 on Feb. 4, 2023. The Vikings are 12-23 all-time in road games against the Eagles.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings lost their 13th straight game Saturday, falling 72-65 at Sacramento State.
• The Vikings recorded their second-most offensive rebounds of the season with 17 against the Hornets Saturday. That led to a 13-5 advantage for the Vikings in second-chance points.
• The Vikings forced the Hornets into 20 turnovers Saturday, tied for the second-highest total by a Viking opponent this season and most by a Big Sky Conference opponent. The Vikings turned that into a 21-14 advantage in points off turnovers.
• Sacramento State shot 54.1 percent (20-of-37) through the first three quarters of the game, before going cold in the fourth quarter and finishing at 47.9 percent (23-of-48). Still, six of the Vikings' last nine opponents have shot 50 percent or better against the Vikings, while two have shot better than 60 percent. Weber State shot 64.3 percent (36-of-56) against the Vikings on Jan. 13 for the second-best mark by a Viking opponent over the past 18 seasons (game-by-game records are incomplete before the 2006-07 season).
• Esmeralda Morales recorded her eighth 20-point game of the season with 22 points to go with five assists against the Hornets Saturday. Morales has scored in double figures in 19 of the Vikings' 21 games this season.
• Rhema Ogele recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds against the Hornets Saturday. Six of her 12 rebounds came on the offensive glass.
• Montana State outscored the Vikings 48-8 in the paint on Jan. 27, the biggest point differential against the Vikings this season. Overall, 16 of 21 opponents have outscored the Vikings in the paint this season, while 12 of those 16 have done so by at least 10 points.
• Sofía Llanos started her first career game against Montana on Jan. 25 and all three games since. She responded to her first start with career highs for points (10), field goals (4), rebounds (4, tied), steals (2) and minutes played (25).
• Mia 'Uhila recorded her first career double-double with 19 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against NAU on Jan. 18. She scored her 19 points on a career-best 8-of-10 shooting from the field. 'Uhila returned to double figures for the first time since that game with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field Saturday against the Hornets.
• Consistent offense has been a struggle during the Vikings' 12-game losing streak. The Vikings are averaging 54.3 points per game during their losing streak, while shooting 36.7 percent from the floor and 24.7 percent from three-point range. They're averaging just 9.23 assists per game during that stretch against 16.1 turnovers per game.
• The Vikings are 5-3 when they score 60 points or more and 0-13 when they don't. They're averaging 72.2 points per game in their five wins, but just 52.6 points per game in their 16 losses.
• Esmeralda Morales continues to lead the Big Sky Conference with 17.5 points per game, despite the team's struggles. She also leads the conference while ranking seventh nationally with 3.14 three-pointers made per game. Morales has hit at least three shots from three-point range in 14 of the Vikings' 21 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 (9.1) and rebounds (5.8) per game while shooting a career-best 50.7 percent from the floor. 'Uhila, meanwhile, is averaging career bests for points (9.0), rebounds (5.0) and assists (2.6) per game.
• Alaya Fitzgerald has scored in double figures in five of her 11 games since returning from an injury that held her out of every game from Nov. 18 to Dec. 20. She would rank ninth in the Big Sky with a career-best 1.86 three-pointers made per game if not for missing time due to that injury.
• The two most common areas of struggle for the Vikings have been defense and rebounding. The Vikings rank 10th in the Big Sky in both overall field goal percentage defense (.474) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.362). They also rank 10th in three of the four rebounding categories between rebounds per game (30.0), defensive rebounds per game (19.8), and rebounding margin (-5.90).
• The Vikings rank seventh in the Big Sky with 7.19 steals per game as a team. Freshman Joy Haltom ranks 10th in the conference individually with 1.55 steals per game. However, after averaging 11.0 steals per game through their first five games, the Vikings are averaging just 6.0 steals per game over their last 16 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 now ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 1.00 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. The Vikings were also without three players and assistant coach during their trip to Montana and Montana State (Jan. 25-27).
• 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 the team's game against Northern Arizona on Jan. 18, "signs of life." The Vikings warranted that after bettering their previous showings in several key areas. The Vikings came into the game against NAU having given up 20+ points off turnovers in their last six games. But against the Lumberjacks, 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 matched that with three in double figures again Saturday against Sacramento State. Morales scored 22 while 'Uhila and Rhema Ogele added 15 and 10, respectively. Ogele also chipped in 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season while leading the Vikings to one of their best rebounding games in recent history. Six of Ogele's 12 rebounds came on the offensive glass where the Vikings recorded 17 as a team. The 17 offensive rebounds were the Vikings' second-highest total this season and led to a 13-5 advantage in second-chance points. Bright spots have also come recently against Northern Colorado when the Vikings recorded 14 assists on 24 field goals on Jan. 20. Additionally, the Vikings made nine three-pointers against Montana State on Jan. 27, tying their highest total at any point during their 13-game losing streak. The Vikings missed their first 10 shots from beyond the arc against the Bobcats, but finished the game 9-of-20 (.450), including a stretch in which they made seven of nine.
 

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 17.5 points per game, making her the Big Sky Conference's scoring leader. Ogele has nearly doubled her previous best scoring average as she's scoring 9.1 points per game this year after averaging just 5.3 points per game as a sophomore. 'Uhila has increased her scoring average to 9.0 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 50.7 percent from the floor, while also averaging a career-best 5.8 rebounds per game. 'Uhila, meanwhile, is averaging career bests for rebounds (5.0) and assists (2.6) 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 five of her 11 games since her return while averaging a career-best 1.86 three-pointers made per game this season.
 

THREE-POINT SHOOTING

The Vikings opened their game against Montana State on Jan. 27 by missing their first 10 shots from three-point range. That followed three straight games in which they shot 25 percent or worse from beyond the arc. But the Vikings kicked into gear from there, making seven of their next nine while finishing the game with nine makes from the outside. The nine made three-pointers tied the Vikings' most since they hit 10 against Bushnell on Dec. 12. The Vikings followed up with seven makes against Sacramento State Saturday, though their percentage dipped back down to 24.1 percent (7-of-29). As a result, the Vikings head into Monday's game at Eastern Washington ranked sixth in the Big Sky with 6.29 makes per game this season. They rank eighth in percentage, having made just 28.4 percent of their outside shots. Esmeralda Morales has been outstanding individually. She leads the Big Sky with 3.14 three-pointers made per game, an average that also ranks her seventh nationally in the category. Additionally, Morales ranks sixth in the Big Sky in percentage, making 34.4 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 is averaging a career-best 1.86 makes per game on 31.7 percent shooting this season. Mia 'Uhila also has 16 makes this season on 30.8 percent shooting from three-point range.
 

SWIPING LEFT AND RIGHT

The Vikings currently stand seventh in the Big Sky Conference with 7.19 steals per game. Freshman Joy Haltom has been a surprise leader for the Vikings in that regard, as she ranks 10th in the Big Sky with 1.55 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 against Northern Arizona on Jan. 18. 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 6.0 steals per game over their last 16 games. The Vikings recorded a season-low one steal against Weber State on Jan. 13, and had three steals against Montana on Jan. 25.
 

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. After two games in which she was held to single digits – the only two times this season – she followed up with 19 points against Montana State on Jan. 27, then 22 points against Sacramento State Saturday. Morales now has 19 10-point games this season and eight 20-point games to her credit. She continues to lead the Big Sky Conference while ranking 71st nationally with 17.5 points per game. Besides scoring, Morales also leads the Big Sky in three-pointers made per game (3.14) and free throw percentage (.904), numbers that rank her seventh and 11th 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 (4th, .378), assists per game (11th, 2.76), three-point field goal percentage (6th, .344) and minutes played per game (2nd, 35.6). 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 (.858), fifth in three-point field goals made (190) and seventh in three-point attempts (536). Her 22 points against Sacramento State Saturday also marked her 23rd career 20-point game, moving her past current assistant coach Ashley Bolston for seventh all time.
 

MIA OOOOOO-HEE-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 (9.0), rebounds (5.0) and assists (2.6) 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 on Jan. 18. She then returned to double figures with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go with five rebounds against Sacramento State Saturday. For the season, 'Uhila ranks 13th in the Big Sky Conference in assists per game (2.62), as well as 14th in minutes played per game (29.8).
 

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 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 posted her fourth double-double of the season Saturday with 10 points and 12 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive glass, against Sacramento State. For the season, Ogele is averaging career bests for points (9.1) and rebounds (5.8) per game while shooting a career-best 50.7 percent from the floor. Ogele ranks 11th in the Big Sky in rebounds per game (5.79) as well as fifth in offensive rebounds per game (2.26).
 

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 scored in double figures in back-to-back games with 15 and 14 points against Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado on Jan. 18 and 20, respectively. She added a fifth double-digit scoring game since her return last Saturday, scoring 13 points on 3-of-8 shooting from three-point range against Montana State.
 

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 fifth in the Big Sky with 1.00 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.