Complete game notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
The Portland State women's basketball team will be thankful for the home cooking and familiar beds it will get over the next two weeks as the Vikings return home for their next four games. That stretch begins Thursday, as the Vikings host Montana for a 7 p.m. tip at Viking Pavilion.
 
The Vikings need the familiarity of home after a tough road trip at Weber State and Idaho State last week. The Vikings dropped both games by 14 points while being out-rebounded by at least 20 in each. Weber State out-rebounded the Vikings 45-to-25 (-20), which was a season low for rebounding margin for the Vikings until Idaho State out-rebounded them 46-18 (-28) two days later.
 
The Vikings know they'll need to be better than that Thursday if they hope to get back in the win column against the Lady Griz.
 
Fortunately, the Vikings have been better at home than they have been on the road this season. Outside of a better record – 3-5 at home, 1-7 on the road – the Vikings average more points per game (57.4 at home vs. 51.9 on the road) while shooting a higher percentage (.392 at home vs. .373 on the road). More pertinent to last week's struggle on the boards, the Vikings have a much better rebounding margin at home (-2.7) than they do on the road (-9.7).
 
Rhema Ogele seems to especially play better at home. In eight home games, she leads the Vikings with 12.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor.
 
The Vikings could use a big game from her Thursday. She's been an indicator of success for the Vikings this season. In three of the Vikings' four wins, Ogele has recorded a double-double. That includes 14 points and 10 rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting in the Vikings' first conference win of the season over Northern Colorado on Jan. 16.
 
Alaya Fitzgerald and Lana Wenger also went into double figures in the Vikings' win over Northern Colorado, scoring 13 points each. For Fitzgerald, that was one of six double-digit scoring games so far in Big Sky play as she heads into Thursday's game averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game against conference opponents.
 
Other recent contributors for the Vikings include Kyleigh Brown and Cici Ellington. Brown led the Vikings with 15 points at Idaho State, which was her most points in a game since she scored 18 in back-to-back games against UC Davis and Omaha on Nov. 30 and Dec. 4, respectively. Ellington, meanwhile, earned her first start of the season Saturday at Idaho State. It was a reward for her recent performances, as she's averaging 10.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game on 52.0 percent shooting over the team's last three games.
 
The Vikings will need multiple players to step up Thursday as the Lady Griz are known for their scoring depth. Six different rotation players average at least 6.0 points per game for the Lady Griz, who lead the Big Sky and rank 18th nationally with 27.7 bench points per game.
 
The Lady Griz have generally been strong offensively this season. Besides their bench scoring, the Lady Griz lead the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage (.340) while they also rank second in the conference and 26th nationally with 8.6 three-pointers made per game.
 
Individually, Mack Konig leads the team with 10.8 points per game. She also ranks second in the Big Sky with 5.2 assists per game while leading Montana to 14.7 assists per game as a team. Besides Konig, Avery Waddington (8.4 ppg), Tyler McCliment-Call (8.1), Dani Bartsch (7.8), Izabella Zingaro (6.8) and MJ Bruno (6.1) have all contributed on the offensive end.
 
Bartsch ranks second to Konig with 2.3 assists per game while she leads the Lady Griz in both rebounds (6.3) and three-pointers made (1.7) per game. Aby Shubert and McCliment-Call rank behind Bartsh with 1.5 and 1.4 three-pointers made per game. Waddington, meanwhile, ranks second to Bartsch with 5.9 rebounds per game.
 
The Lady Griz will be hungry to get back in the win column themselves Thursday. They nearly pulled off a comeback against rival Montana State last Saturday, erasing a 12-point third-quarter deficit to lead 66-64 with 1:31 remaining. The Bobcats scored with the final three points of the game, however, while the Lady Griz missed a potential game-winning layup in the final seconds.
 
So, the Vikings won't have it easy Thursday, even as they return home for the first of four straight. But it's certainly easier to get up for the fight when you're waking up in your own bed.
 
PROMOTIONS
Thursday's game will serve as the Vikings' Pride Game. Pride Northwest is sponsoring the game.
 
GAME #17: PORTLAND STATE (4-12, 1-6) vs. MONTANA (7-12, 3-5)
GAME DETAILS: Thursday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING MONTANA: The Montana Lady Griz are coming off a narrow, 67-66, rivalry loss to Montana State last Saturday. The Lady Griz erased a 12-point third-quarter deficit to take a 66-64 lead with 1:31 remaining in the game. But the Bobcats scored the final three points of the game while the Lady Griz missed a potential game winner at the basket in the final seconds. The Lady Griz are still 2-2 under Acting Head Coach Nate Harris, winning at home against Weber State, 74-70 on Jan. 16, and Idaho State, 81-60 on Jan. 18. Statistically, the Lady Griz have been strong offensively this season, especially from three-point range. They head into Thursday's game leading the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage (.340) while also ranked second in the conference and 26th nationally with 8.6 three-pointers made per game. Elsewhere, they rank second in the conference in assists per game (14.7), as well as fourth in overall field goal percentage (.420). Individually, the Lady Griz have pretty balanced scoring. They lead the conference and rank 18th nationally with 27.7 bench points per game. Mack Konig leads the team with 10.8 points per game, but she's one of six rotational players who average at least 6.0 points per game. Besides Konig, Avery Waddington (8.4 ppg), Tyler McCliment-Call (8.1), Dani Bartsch (7.8), Izabella Zingaro (6.8) and MJ Bruno (6.1) have all contributed on the offensive end. Konig also leads the Lady Griz while ranking fifth in the conference and 35th nationally with 5.2 assists per game. Bartsch ranks second on the team with 2.3 assists per game, while she leads the Lady Griz in both rebounds (6.3) and three-pointers made (1.7) per game. Aby Shubert and McCliment-Call rank behind Bartsh with 1.5 and 1.4 three-pointers made per game. Waddington, meanwhile, ranks second to Bartsch with 5.9 rebounds per game.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Lady Griz lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 56-22. They've won six of the last seven meetings between the teams. The Vikings' most recent win came on Feb. 23, 2023, with a 74-72 overtime victory at Viking Pavilion.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings dropped both games of their Weber State-Idaho State road trip, losing 62-48 to Weber State last Thursday and 66-52 to Idaho State last Saturday. The Vikings have now dropped three games in a row and 10 of their last 11.
• The Vikings faced a steep rebounding discrepancy in both losses last week. Weber State out-rebounded the Vikings 45-to-25 (-20), which was a season low for the Vikings in rebounding margin until Idaho State out-rebounded them 46-to-18 (-28) two days later. The Vikings' 18 rebounds were their lowest total in a game since at least the start of the 2006-07 season.
• The Vikings have been outscored in the second half 261-180 within Big Sky Conference games. They've been outscored in the third quarter in five of their seven conference games, and have also been outscored in five of seven fourth quarters.
• The Vikings are 3-5 at home and 1-7 on the road this season. At home, the Vikings are averaging 57.4 points per game on 39.2 percent shooting. On the road, those numbers drop to 51.9 points per game on 37.3 percent shooting. The Vikings also have a rebounding margin at home (-2.7) than they do on the road (-9.7).
• Alaya Fitzgerald has scored in double figures in six of seven Big Sky games so far this season, as well as 11 of her 15 appearances overall. Within Big Sky play, Fitzgerald is averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
• Kyleigh Brown led the Vikings with 15 points at Idaho State last Saturday. That was her most points since she scored 18 in back-to-back games against UC Davis and Omaha on Nov. 30 and Dec. 4, respectively.
• Cici Ellington started her first game of the season Saturday at Idaho State. It was a reward for some recent breakout performances for Ellington, who sat out all but one game over the past two seasons due to injury. In her last three games, Ellington is averaging 10.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game on 52.0 percent shooting.
• A bright spot of last weekend's road trip was that the Vikings went 20-of-23 (.870) combined from the line across both games. The Vikings head into this week ranked third in the Big Sky and 57th nationally with a .752 team free throw percentage.
• The Vikings held Weber State to just 16.7 percent (3-of-18) shooting from three-point range last Thursday, making them the ninth team this season to fail to top 30 percent against the Vikings. The Vikings head into Thursday's game ranked third in the Big Sky and 70th nationally for three-point field goal percentage defense (.280).
• 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 recorded only seven and three assists in their games at Weber State and Idaho State, respectively. The Vikings have recorded fewer than 10 assists in seven of their last 11 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.
• Sixty points appears to be the magic number for the Vikings. They're 3-1 when scoring more than 60 points versus 1-11 when they don't. Additionally, they're 3-1 when holding opponents below 60 points and 1-11 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, as they stand fifth while allowing 64.8 points per game.
• 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 Thursday's game against Montana ranked ninth in the Big Sky for rebounds per game (7.00), as well as sixth in offensive rebounds (2.56) and 11th in defensive rebounds (4.44) per game.
• Alaya Fitzgerald ranks among the Big Sky leaders in points (11th, 11.9) and minutes played (3rd, 33.2) per game.
• Lana Wenger was held scoreless for the first time this season against Northern Arizona on Jan. 18. She responded with 11 points last Thursday at Weber State. She's scored in double figures five times out of her 11 appearances this season, and heads into this week averaging 9.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
• Laynee Torres-Kahapea leads the Big Sky and ranks 30th nationally while playing 35.6 minutes per game. She also ranks 13th in the Big Sky with 2.56 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 1-11 when they don't. Statistically, the Vikings rank in the top half of the conference in scoring defense (5th, 64.8), three-point field goal percentage defense (3rd, .280) and steals per game (5th, 7.81).
 
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. The Vikings dropped off a bit on the road last week, failing to top 50 points at Weber State last Thursday and then only scoring 52 at Idaho State Saturday. The Vikings have been better offensively at home than they have been on the road, however. The Vikings are averaging 57.4 points per game on 39.2 percent shooting at home this season compared to 51.9 points per game on 37.3 percent shooting on the road.
 
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 six of the team's seven conference games, including some clutch baskets in the Vikings' first conference win on Jan. 16. She scored the last eight points of the Vikings' win over Northern Colorado while finishing with 13 for the game. Through seven conference games, Fitzgerald is averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. She heads into Thursday's game against Montana ranked among the Big Sky leaders in points (11th, 11.9) and minutes played (3rd, 33.2) 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 7.00 rebounds per game, ranking her ninth in the Big Sky Conference. She also ranks sixth in the conference in offensive rebounds (2.56) and 11th in defense rebounds (4.44) 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 last Thursday, Wenger has now scored in double figures in five of her 11 appearances this season. Wenger 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 led the Vikings with 15 points last Saturday at Idaho State, which was her highest scoring output since those back-to-back 18-point games earlier in the season. Brown recorded nine points and nine assists in the team's first conference 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 five of the team's seven Big Sky games and 10 of her last 15 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.