Complete game notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
The Portland State women's basketball team will look for a better showing Saturday when the Vikings conclude their two-game road trip at Idaho State for a 2 p.m. tipoff.
 
The Vikings were in a one-point game at halftime Thursday at Weber State, but came out of the locker room cold. They went scoreless for nearly the first five minutes of the third quarter while Weber State opened the second half on an 11-0 run. The Wildcats largely led by double digits the rest of the way en route to a 62-48 victory over the Vikings.
 
The Wildcats dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Vikings 45-to-25. The minus-20 rebounding margin was a season low for the Vikings, who have now been out-rebounded by at least 10 in three of their last four games. Thursday's rebounding advantage for the Wildcats included a 17-to-7 advantage on the offensive glass, which led to the Wildcats outscoring the Vikings 18-6 on second-chance points.
 
Rebounding will be key against the Bengals, who like the Vikings have struggled at the start of Big Sky play. Both teams enter Saturday's game 1-5 within the conference standings. Both teams' lone win came over Northern Colorado, and by nearly identical scores as the Bengals beat the Bears 58-50 on Jan. 4 while the Vikings beat the Bears 58-52 on Jan. 16.
 
Both teams have also struggled to score at times. The Bengals and Vikings rank ninth and 10th in the Big Sky, respectively, in scoring offense (ISU 59.6, PSU 54.8). The teams also rank eighth and ninth in field goal percentage (ISU .384, PSU .383), as well as ninth and 10th in three-pointers made per game (ISU 4.94, PSU 4.40).
 
So, rebounding will take on added meaning as good offensive possessions become more and more precious Saturday. The Bengals have been a strong rebounding team this season. They head into Saturday's game ranked second in the Big Sky and 75th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (13.2) as well as fifth in the Big Sky in both total rebounds per game (37.0) and rebounding margin (+2.2).
 
The Vikings rebounded the ball well in their win over Northern Colorado last Thursday. They out-rebounded the Bears 35-to-28, including a 15-to-11 advantage on the offensive glass. Rhema Ogele and Lana Wenger combined for 17 of the team's 35 rebounds while also scoring 27 of the team's 58 points in the game. Ogele led all players in both points (14) and rebounds (10) in the game while shooting 7-of-9 from the field. Wenger poured in 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting to go with seven rebounds.
 
The Vikings will need big games from both of them Saturday. The Viking offense in general has slipped a little bit since their breakthrough win over Northern Colorado last Thursday. The Vikings shot 43.9 percent from the field in the win over the Bears, which was their third time topping 40 percent out of their previous four games at the time. But since then, the Vikings shot 32.1 percent in their loss to Northern Arizona, then 35.8 percent in their loss at Weber State Thursday.
 
The Vikings' assist numbers have also dropped since the team's high point against the Bears. The Vikings set a season high with 17 assists on 25 field goals against Northern Colorado, but followed up with 11 assists against NAU, and then seven Thursday at Weber State.
 
If the Vikings see a few early shots go in Saturday, then that'll do wonders for them in a game that will likely finish with both teams in the 50s.
 
If it is a low-scoring game, then Alaya Fitzgerald's ability to get to the basket could also play a big factor if it's close late and the Vikings need a bucket. Fitzgerald scored seven of the Vikings' first 12 points Thursday, but then only scored four points over the final 33 minutes of the game. She was at her best late in the Vikings' win over Northern Colorado when she scored the team's final eight points in the win. She heads into Saturday's game averaging 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game through the team's first six conference games.
 
Considering the similarities between both teams, Saturday figures to be a close finish. Whichever team plays better in crunch time will come away with the victory. The Vikings just need to make sure that's them.
 
GAME #16: PORTLAND STATE (4-11, 1-5) vs. IDAHO STATE (6-11, 1-5)
GAME DETAILS: Saturday, Jan. 25, 1 p.m. PT / 2 p.m. MT, Portland, Ore. (Reed Gym)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE: The Idaho State Bengals have a had a similar start to Big Sky play as the Vikings, as both teams head into Saturday's game 1-5 within the conference standings. Idaho State's lone conference win also came over Northern Colorado, same as the Vikings, as the Bengals beat the Bears 58-50 on Jan. 4. They nearly pulled out another win Thursday, as they took a 61-57 lead with 5:51 remaining against Sacramento State. But the Hornets closed the game on a 15-2 run to beat the Bengals, 72-63. The game still featured conference season highs for field goal percentage (.480) and three-point field goal percentage (.545) for the Bengals. Idaho State started the season 5-5 with a pair of wins in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge, including a 73-61 victory over a Denver team that beat the Vikings three days later. Idaho State has had some key injuries. They lost leading scorer Halle Wright to an injury one minute into the team's Big Sky opener against Northern Arizona. No other Bengal averages more than 10 points per game behind her. Four players still average at least 8.0 points per game, however, between Sophia Covello (9.4), Maria Dias (9.2), Piper Carlson (8.2) and Tasia Jordan (8.1). As a team, the Bengals rank highest in some of the hustle categories such as rebounding, blocks and steals. They lead the Big Sky and rank 54th nationally with 4.1 blocks per game. They also rank fourth in the conference with 7.9 steals per game. Rebounding-wise, they stand second in the conference and 75th nationally with 13.2 offensive rebounds per game, while they rank fifth in the conference in both total rebounds per game (37.0) and rebounding margin (+2.2). Kacey Spink leads the Bengals with 6.9 rebounds per game. Carlson ranks right behind her with 6.8 rebounds per game, nearly half of which have come on the offensive end. Spink also leads the Bengals with 2.6 steals per game, an average that ranks her second in the Big Sky and 36th nationally.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Bengals lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 44-26. The Vikings have won three of the last five meetings, however, after Idaho State had won 22 of the previous 23 before that stretch. The Bengals have won the last five meetings in Pocatello, with the Vikings' last road win in the series coming on Jan. 18, 2020.  
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings dropped a 62-48 game at Weber State Thursday. The Vikings have dropped two in a row after breaking through for their first conference win with a 58-52 victory over Northern Colorado on Jan. 16.
• It was a one-point game at halftime against Weber State Thursday before the Wildcats opened the second half on an 11-0 run. They held the Vikings scoreless for nearly five minutes out of the break.
• Weber State out-rebounded the Vikings 45-to-25 Thursday, including a 17-to-7 advantage on the offensive glass. The minus-20 rebounding margin was the worst of the season for the Vikings. They've been outrebounded by at least 10 in three of their last four games.
• Alaya Fitzgerald tied for the team lead with 11 points Thursday. She's scored in double figures in five of the team's six Big Sky games and 10 of her 14 appearances overall this season. Within Big Sky play, she's averaging 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
• Cici Ellington set season highs for points (13), rebounds (3), assists (2), blocks (2) and minutes played (21) in last Saturday's game against Northern Arizona. The former OSAA 6A State Co-Player of the Year is still working her way back from an injury that kept her out for nearly all of the last two seasons, but is averaging 7.4 points in only 14.8 minutes per game within Big Sky play.
• The Vikings held Weber State to just 16.7 percent (3-of-18) shooting from three-point range Thursday, making them the ninth team this season to fail to top 30 percent against the Vikings. The Vikings head into Saturday's game ranked second in the Big Sky and 62nd nationally for three-point field goal percentage defense (.278).
• The Vikings recorded a season-high 17 assists on their 25 field goals in their win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 16. But the Vikings dropped back down to seven assists Thursday against Weber State. The Vikings have recorded fewer than 10 assists in six of their last 10 games.
• Three of the Vikings' four-best field goal percentages this season have come in Big Sky play. The Vikings shot 46.0 percent against Sacramento State on Jan. 4, 44.2 percent against Idaho on Jan. 11, and then 43.9 percent against Northern Colorado on Jan. 16.
• The Vikings' win over Northern Colorado marked the first time this season they had won a game in which they didn't score at least 60 points. Sixty points still appears to be the magic number for the Vikings, as they're 3-1 when scoring more than 60 points versus 1-10 when they don't. Additionally, they're 3-1 when holding opponents below 60 points and 1-10 when they don't.
• Defensively, Northern Colorado's 52 points on Jan. 16 tied the lowest scoring output for a Viking opponent this season. The Vikings also held Cal State Fullerton to 52 points in a non-conference win on Nov. 24. The Vikings rank in the top half of the Big Sky in scoring defense (5th, 64.7), field goal percentage defense (4th, .395) and three-point field goal percentage defense (2nd, .278).
• Rhema Ogele started her 100th career game Thursday. A four-year starter for the Vikings, Ogele ranks ninth all-time in career starts. If she starts all of the Vikings' remaining games, she'll finish her career fourth all-time.
• The Vikings have started the same starting five in six straight games, snapping a run of seven straight games beforehand in which they started a new lineup each time. The changes had been necessitated due to injuries, but the Vikings got two starters back for the start of Big Sky play in Lana Wenger (missed five games with a hip injury) and Kyleigh Brown (missed a game and most of another with a concussion).
• Rhema Ogele recorded her third double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Northern Colorado on Jan. 16. She heads into Saturday's game at Idaho State ranked seventh in the Big Sky for rebounds per game (7.13), as well as sixth in offensive rebounds (2.67) and 10th in defensive rebounds (4.47) per game.
• Alaya Fitzgerald ranks among the Big Sky leaders in three different statistical categories between points (11th, 11.9), three-pointers made (13th, 1.36) and minutes played (4th, 33.0) per game.
• Lana Wenger was held scoreless for the first time this season last Saturday against Northern Arizona. She responded with 11 points Thursday at Weber State, and now heads into this Saturday's game averaging 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this season. She's scored in double figures five times out of her 10 appearances this season.
• Laynee Torres-Kahapea leads the Big Sky and ranks 27th nationally while playing 35.7 minutes per game. She also ranks 12th in the Big Sky with 2.73 assists per game.
• The Vikings returned 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."

 
DEFENSIVE STRENGTH
The Vikings held Northern Colorado to 52 points in their breakthrough win over the Bears on Jan. 16. That'll usually do the job. The 52 points tied a season low for a Viking opponent this season. The Vikings also held Cal State Fullerton to a season-low 52 points in a non-conference win on Nov. 24. The Vikings' win over Cal State Fullerton also marked the first time the Vikings had held an opponent below 30 percent shooting from the floor in nearly two years. The Vikings held the Titans to 28.6 percent (18-of-63) from the floor, matching the mark Idaho shot against the Vikings on Jan. 7, 2023. Coincidentally, the Vikings would also hold Idaho below 30 percent shooting when they'd face each other later in the season. The Vandals shot just 29.9 percent (20-of-67) from the floor on Jan. 11 despite them pulling out a 60-56 win over the Vikings. Defense has been a strength for the Vikings in general this season and is often the key factor in the Vikings' victories. The Vikings are 3-1 when holding opponents below 60 points this season and 1-10 when they don't. Statistically, the Vikings rank in the top half of the conference in scoring defense (5th, 64.7), field goal percentage defense (4th, .395) and three-point field goal percentage defense (2nd, .278).
 
EMERGING OFFENSE
Three of the Vikings' four-best shooting performances have come in their first four Big Sky Conference games, marking a strong start to league play for the team's offense. The Vikings had struggled at times during non-conference play, closing the preseason with three straight games in which they scored below 50 points. The Vikings snapped out of that with a season-high 74 points in their conference opener against Sacramento State, a game in which they also shot 46.0 percent from the field for their second-best mark of the season. The Viking offense then bounced back after a dip against Eastern Washington by outshooting Idaho .442-to-.299 on Jan. 11. In their first conference win against Northern Colorado on Jan. 16, the Vikings shot 43.9 percent (25-of-57) from the floor, including a 61.8-percent mark (21-of-34) on two-point field goals. The Vikings also assisted on a season-high 17 of their 25 field goals against the Bears, while Kyleigh Brown and Laynee Torres-Kahapea either set or tied their career highs with nine and five assists, respectively. Brown's return for the start of Big Sky play, along with Lana Wenger who missed the previous five games with a hip injury, has helped boost the Vikings. Alaya Fitzgerald has had the hot hand out of everyone, as she's averaging 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game through the team's first six conference games.
 
ROOTING FOR LAY IS A LAYUP
Alaya Fitzgerald – nicknamed Lay – put together a career performance in the Vikings' conference opener against Sacramento State on Jan. 4. The four-year starter scored a career-high 27 points while tying her then-season highs for rebounds (5) and assists (5) against the Hornets. She played aggressively, converting two three-point plays and driving to the basket throughout the game, including a game-tying layup with 36 seconds remaining in overtime. That kicked off a strong start to Big Sky play for the Viking senior. She's scored in double figures in four of the team's five conference games so far, including some clutch baskets in the Vikings' first conference win as she scored the last eight points of the game against Northern Colorado. Through six conference games, Fitzgerald is averaging 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. She heads into Saturday's game at Idaho State ranked among the Big Sky leaders in three different statistical categories. She ranks 11th in the Big Sky in points (11.9), 13th in three-pointers made (1.36) and fourth in minutes played (33.0) per game.
 
A LEADER IN THE MIDDLE, RHEMA OGELE
One of two four-year starters on the roster with Alaya Fitzgerald, Rhema Ogele has owned the paint for the Vikings so far this season. She's scored in double figures seven times this season, including a game-high 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor in the team's breakthrough win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 16. Ogele added 10 rebounds to her 14 points against the Bears, leading the Vikings to a 35-to-28 rebounding advantage and giving Ogele her third double-double of the season. Her other two double-doubles also came in wins, as she recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds in the Vikings' win over Seattle U on Nov. 16. She followed up with season highs for points (16) and rebounds (13) two games later against UC Davis on Nov. 30. She now has nine double-doubles in her Portland State career, ranking her 10th all-time since game-by-game records were kept starting with the 2006-07 season. She hit another career milestone Thursday, when she started her 100th career game. She heads into Saturday's game ranked ninth all-time in career starts at Portland State, and will move up to fourth all-time if she starts every remaining game. Within this season, Ogele leads the Vikings with 7.13 rebounds per game, ranking her seventh in the Big Sky Conference. She also ranks sixth in the conference in offensive rebounds (2.67) and 10th in defense rebounds (4.47) per game.
 
SHE'S HER FROM HERSBERG
Lana Wenger – from Hersberg, Switzerland – made an immediate impact in her return from a five-game absence due to a hip injury. Starting again immediately, Wenger posted 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor against Sacramento State on Jan. 4. She went into double figures again in the Vikings' breakthrough win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 16, scoring 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting while also grabbing seven rebounds. After tying for the team lead with 11 points against Weber State Thursday, Wenger has now scored in double figures in five of her 10 appearances this season. Wenger's presence has helped buoy the Viking offense. Three of the team's four-best field goal percentages have come since Wenger's return for Big Sky play.  In the three games before Wenger's return, the Vikings averaged 42.3 points per game while shooting just 33.5 percent from the floor. Wenger also scored in double figures in two of the four games before her injury absence. That included a career-high 18 points to go with eight rebounds in the Vikings' loss at San Francisco on Nov. 12.
 
BAD, BAD, KYLEIGH BROWN
Like Leroy Brown, Kyleigh Brown proved she's the baddest (player) in the whole darn (gym). We may have made a few edits there, but the sentiment remains the same. With the Vikings trailing 49-40 entering the fourth quarter against UC Davis on Nov. 30, Brown went off for 14 points in the final period while leading the Vikings all the way back to a 66-61 victory over the Aggies. Brown's 14 points all came within the Vikings' first 16 points in the quarter, turning the team's nine-point deficit at the start of the period into a 56-all tie with 3:57 remaining. She finished with a game-high 18 points, then matched that with 18 points against Omaha five days later on Dec. 4. She added 10 rebounds to her 18 points against Omaha, giving the freshman the first double-double of her career. She's found that form again for the start of Big Sky play. She finished with nine points and nine assists in the Vikings' breakthrough win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 16. The nine assists marked a new career high for the freshman, while it led the Vikings to a season-high 17 as a team. Brown also scored in double figures against Eastern Washington and Idaho, while she's scored at least nine points in four of the team's six Big Sky games and nine of her last 14 appearances overall.
 
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 scored in double figures in back-to-back games against San Francisco and Seattle U, then followed with seven points and five assists in the Vikings' win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 24. She's handled duties as the Vikings' primary ball handler while leading the Big Sky and ranking 27th nationally with 35.7 minutes played per game. She also ranks 12th in the conference with 2.73 assists per game.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Jan. 16, 2025, Portland State 58, Northern Colorado 52: The Vikings won their first conference game of the season behind a season-high 17 assists. They out-rebounded the Bears 35-to-28, while tying their fewest points allowed with 52.
Nov. 30, 2024, Portland State 66, UC Davis 61: The Vikings erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to complete their second-biggest comeback in school history. Kyleigh Brown led the way, scoring 14 of her game-high 18 points in the final period.
Nov. 24, 2024, Portland State 61, Cal State Fullerton 52: The Vikings held Cal State Fullerton to just 28.6 percent (18-of-63) shooting Sunday, the lowest mark by a Viking opponent since Idaho shot an identical 28.6 percent (16-of-56) from the floor on Jan. 7, 2023. The Vikings also went 23-of-25 from the free throw line in the win.
Nov. 16, 2024, 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.