Complete game notes (PDF)
 

TIPOFF

It'll be a promotion party Saturday at Viking Pavilion.
 
Not only is the game sponsored by OnPoint Community Credit Union, it's the Portland State women's basketball team's Pink Out game in honor of those battling all forms of cancer. The team will also play a video that the Portland State Athletic Department produced in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which was Wednesday earlier this week.
 
So, the good vibes will be there for the Vikings when they tip off against Idaho State at 2 p.m.
 
The Vikings need something to lift their spirits after falling 67-46 to Weber State Thursday night. It was a tough shooting night for the Vikings, as they shot below 30 percent for the second straight game while finishing 18-of-62 (.290) from the floor.
 
The shooting numbers recently have been a hindrance for the Vikings, who have improved in other facets of the game. After six teams out of eight opponents in January shot 50 percent or better against the Vikings, they've held their last three opponents to under that mark. The Vikings held Eastern Washington to 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the floor Monday, which was the lowest an opponent has shot against the Vikings since they held Idaho to 40.7 percent (22-of-54) on Dec. 30.
 
Thursday night, the Vikings showed improvement in that regard yet again when facing Weber State. The Wildcats set a school record by shooting 64.3 percent against the Vikings in their win on Jan. 13. But Thursday, the Vikings held them to 45.8 percent (22-of-48) from the floor. The Wildcats started just 6-of-19 (.316) before distancing themselves from the Vikings over the final 25 minutes of the game.
 
Additionally, the Vikings played better in the post against the Wildcats. After Weber State outscored them 56-24 in the paint in their first game against each other, it was only a 28-24 advantage for the Wildcats Thursday.
 
So, there have been elements of the Vikings' game that have improved recently. They just need everything to come together.
 
Idaho State will be hungry to snap its own losing streak Saturday. The Bengals dropped their second straight game Thursday, falling 61-58 at Sacramento State. That followed a 73-59 home loss to Northern Arizona last Saturday.
 
The Bengals' back-to-back losses followed a stretch in which they won six of seven games. That stretch started with a 79-43 win over the Vikings in Pocatello on Jan. 11. Turnovers cost the Vikings in that game as they fell behind 30-10 while giving up 18 of the Bengals' first 30 points off turnovers.
 
That's been a particular strength of the Bengals this season, as they come into Saturday ranked third in the Big Sky in turnovers forced per game (16.1). It's part of what makes the Bengals such a strong defense team. In addition to forcing turnovers, the Bengals rank second in the Big Sky and 38th nationally while holding opponents to just 37.0 percent shooting from the floor.
 
The Vikings can take some confidence into Saturday's game knowing they've been better about turning the ball over of late. The Vikings are actually plus-4 combined in the turnover battle over their last three games (39-to-43). That equates to their best stretch in that regard during Big Sky play.
 
Negate the Bengals' turnover advantage Saturday, and the Vikings will have their foot in the door. More will have to follow, as the Vikings need to put all the pieces together to get a win, but that'd be an excellent first step.
 

GAME #24: PORTLAND STATE (5-18, 0-11) vs. IDAHO STATE (10-12, 6-5)

GAME DETAILS: Saturday, Feb. 10, 2 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE: The Idaho State Bengals have dropped their last two games heading into Saturday, losing 73-59 at home against Northern Arizona on Feb. 3, then 61-58 at Sacramento State Thursday night. The Bengals had won six of seven games before their recent dip, with their only loss during that stretch coming to Eastern Washington on Jan. 20. That stretch started with a 79-43 win over the Vikings in Pocatello on Jan. 11. Turnovers hurt the Vikings in that game, as the Bengals built an early 30-10 lead while scoring 18 of their first 30 points off PSU turnovers. Overall this season, the Bengals have been strongest defensively and on the glass. They come into Saturday ranked second in the Big Sky and 38th nationally while holding opponents to just 37.0 percent shooting from the floor. Additionally, they rank second in the Big Sky in both blocks per game (3.5) and offensive rebounds per game (11.9), as well as third in turnovers forced per game (16.1). Individually, Kacey Spink ranks second in the Big Sky with 2.09 steals per game, while Laura Bello stands fifth with 0.95 blocks per game. Offensively, Tasia Jordan had been leading the Bengals with 11.1 points per game, but hasn't played since the team's home win over Montana State on Jan. 22. Maria Dias tops the list of Bengals who have played in all 22 games this season, averaging 10.3 points per game. Bello and Spink then come in at third and fourth on the team with 8.5 and 8.0 points per game, respectively. Those two lead the Bengals' rebounding efforts, too, as Spink and Bello rank sixth and ninth in the Big Sky, respectively, with 6.64 and 5.95 rebounds per game.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Bengals lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 44-25. The Bengals have dominated the series of late, winning 24 of their last 27 meetings with the Vikings, including a 79-43 win in Pocatello on Jan. 11 earlier this season. Two of the Vikings' three recent wins over the Bengals came last season. That included a 48-47 win at home on Jan. 21 last season, as well as a 73-58 win at the Big Sky tournament on March 4.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings lost their 15th straight game Thursday, falling 67-46 to Weber State.
• The Vikings have shot below 30 percent in back-to-back games heading into Saturday. They went 13-of-49 (.265) from the field at Eastern Washington Monday, then shot 18-of-62 (.290) against Weber State Thursday.
• The Vikings scored 39 points against Eastern Washington Monday, a conference season low. Their 26.5 percent (13-of-49) field goal percentage was also a conference season low.
• After six of eight opponents shot 50 percent or better against the Vikings in January, the Vikings have held their last three opponents under 50 percent. The Vikings held Eastern Washington to 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the floor Monday. That was the lowest mark the Vikings have held an opponent since they held Idaho to 40.7 percent (22-of-54) on Dec. 30.
• The Vikings forced the Hornets into 20 turnovers last Saturday, tied for the second most by a Viking opponent this season. Over their last three games, the Vikings are plus-4 combined in the turnover margin (39-to-43). That's the Vikings' best stretch within Big Sky play.
• Esmeralda Morales recorded her eighth 20-point game of the season with 22 points to go with five assists against Sacramento State last Saturday.
• Rhema Ogele recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds against the Hornets last Saturday. Six of her 12 rebounds came on the offensive glass. Over the Vikings' last three games, Ogele is averaging 9.33 points and 8.67 rebounds per game.
• Weber State became the 18th team out of 23 opponents this season to outscore the Vikings in paint where they held a 28-24 advantage Thursday. Out of the 18 teams to outscore the Vikings in the paint, 13 have done so by at least 10 points.
• Consistent offense has been a struggle during the Vikings' losing streak. The Vikings are averaging 52.7 points per game during the streak, while shooting 35.5 percent from the floor and 24.5 percent from three-point range. They're averaging just 9.0 assists per game during that stretch against 15.4 turnovers per game.
• The Vikings are 5-3 when they score 60 points or more and 0-15 when they don't. They're averaging 72.2 points per game in their five wins, but just 51.4 points per game in their 18 losses.
• Esmeralda Morales continues to lead the Big Sky Conference with 17.1 points per game, despite the team's struggles. She also leads the conference while ranking eighth nationally with 3.00 three-pointers made per game. Morales has hit at least three shots from three-point range in 14 games this season.
• Esmeralda Morales has hit at least one three-pointer in all 23 games this season as well as the last seven games of last season. That gives her a streak of 30 straight games heading into Saturday. The school record is 32, set by Michelle Hughes from Feb. 10, 1990, to Feb. 25, 1991.
• Esmeralda Morales has also hit 21 consecutive free throws. The school record is 35, set by Kiana Brown from Nov. 28, 2017, to Jan. 20, 2018.
• 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 (5.9) per game while shooting a career-best 49.4 percent from the floor. 'Uhila, meanwhile, is averaging career bests for points (9.0), rebounds (4.8) and assists (2.6) per game.
• Alaya Fitzgerald would rank 11th in the Big Sky with a career-best 1.69 three-pointers made per game if not for missing all seven games between No. 18 and Dec. 20 due to an 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 (.470) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.356). 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 (-6.78).
• The Vikings rank eighth in the Big Sky with 7.13 steals per game as a team. Freshman Joy Haltom ranks 11th in the conference individually with 1.45 steals per game. However, after averaging 11.0 steals per game through their first five games, the Vikings are averaging just 6.1 steals per game over their last 18 games.
• 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 sixth in the Big Sky with 0.95 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.

 

SEARCHING FOR THE BREAKTHROUGH

The Vikings remain searching for a breakthrough. It'll take putting everything together in order to do it. The Vikings have improved in certain facets recently, but haven't put everything together yet. The Vikings came into their game against Northern Arizona on Jan. 18 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 last 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 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 17.1 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 49.4 percent from the floor, while also averaging a career-best 5.9 rebounds per game. 'Uhila, meanwhile, is averaging career bests for rebounds (4.8) 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 13 games since her return while averaging a career-best 1.69 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' percentage has dropped after the game against the Bobcats, however. They haven't shot better than 30 percent in any of their last three games. They went just 4-of-21 (.190) from beyond the arc Thursday against Weber State. The Vikings head into Saturday's game against Idaho State ranked sixth in the Big Sky with 6.09 makes per game this season. They rank eighth in percentage, having made just 28.0 percent of their outside shots. Esmeralda Morales has been outstanding individually. She leads the Big Sky with 3.00 three-pointers made per game, an average that also ranks her eighth nationally in the category. Additionally, Morales ranks sixth in the Big Sky in percentage, making 33.8 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 is averaging a career-best 1.69 makes per game on 30.3 percent shooting this season. Mia 'Uhila also has 18 makes this season on 31.6 percent shooting from three-point range.
 

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 with 19 points against Montana State on Jan. 27, then 22 points against Sacramento State last Saturday. Morales now has 21 10-point games this season and eight 20-point games to her credit. She continues to lead the Big Sky Conference while ranking 81st nationally with 17.1 points per game. Besides scoring, Morales leads the Big Sky in three-pointers made per game (3.00) and free throw percentage (.913), numbers that also rank her in the top 10 nationally in both categories. 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 (5th, .371), assists per game (9th, 2.74), three-point field goal percentage (6th, .338) 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 (15.0), fourth in free throw percentage (.862), fifth in three-point field goals made (193) and sixth in three-point attempts (548). 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 (4.8) 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 (2.57), 14th in free throw percentage (.667) and 15th 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 posted her fourth double-double of the season last 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 (5.9) per game while shooting a career-best 49.4 percent from the floor. Ogele ranks 10th in the Big Sky in rebounds per game (5.90) as well as fifth in offensive rebounds per game (2.24).
 

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 sixth in the Big Sky with 0.95 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.