Vikings On Belay, Play Buffaloes Sunday for First of Two in Colorado

TIPOFF
The Portland State women's basketball team heads into the mountains for two games in Colorado early next week, starting with a Sunday afternoon meeting with the University of Colorado at 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT.

The mountainous setting will be appropriate given the climbing levels of competition the Vikings will face in the Centennial State. After an 89-52 win over NCAA Division III Willamette Tuesday, Sunday's game against Colorado represents a massive jump in quality of opponent, while a meeting with Air Force the following Tuesday will challenge the Vikings, as well.

The Buffaloes are coming off a close, road loss at No. 22 Louisville Wednesday. The Buffs held a three-point lead entering the fourth quarter but were outscored 19-10 in the final period to lose 74-68 to the Cardinals. That dropped the Buffs to 1-1 after they opened their season with an 84-59 win over New Mexico on Nov. 6.

The Vikings also sit 1-1 after their win over the Bearcats. The victory gave head coach Karlie Burris her first win as head coach, while it marked the program's first win since Jan. 16, 2025.

The Vikings did several things well in the win. First and foremost, they scored 89 points, giving the Vikings their most points in a game since March 6, 2020, when they beat Sacramento State 91-68. The Vikings also outscored the Bearcats 64-12 in the paint. The 64 points were 26 more than the Vikings had in the paint in any game last season. The easy buckets also meant the Vikings shot 55.9 percent (38-of-68) from the floor, their best mark from the field since Feb. 4, 2023, when they shot 60.4 percent from the field against Eastern Washington.

Kyleigh Brown led the Vikings with a career-high 24 points, while Ajae Yoakum added 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field.

Brown and Yoakum were also two of four Vikings who recorded at least six rebounds in the game, with Hannah Chicken (8) and Laynee Torres-Kahapea (7) representing the other two. The Vikings out-rebounded the Bearcats 42-26 as a team, with the +16 rebounding margin representing the biggest margin since they out-rebounded Simpson (Calif.) by 17 on Dec. 19, 2021.

Through two games, the Vikings rank tied for fifth in the Big Sky Conference in rebounding margin (+8.0), while they're sixth in rebounds per game (40.0). That's no small feat for a program that hasn't finished a season with a positive rebounding margin since 2018-19.

Colorado will challenge the Vikings on the glass Sunday, as the Buffs figure to challenge the Vikings in a number of areas. The Buffs enter the game ranked third in the Big 12 Conference and 35th nationally with 47.0 rebounds per game. Anaëlle Dutat leads the Buffs with 12.0 rebounds per game, giving her the Big 12 lead and ranking her 17th in the NCAA individually.

Dutat, a transfer from Rhode Island where she was an Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team member last season, has opened the year with back-to-back double-doubles. She had 16 points, 13 rebounds, four steals and two blocks in the Buffs' season-opening win over New Mexico. She then followed up with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go with 11 rebounds and two steals against Louisville.

Besides Dutat, Zyanna Walker ranks second on the team with 11.0 points per game. Walker scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go with seven rebounds and four assists against Louisville. Desiree Wooten is third on the team with 10.5 points per game. She scored 13 points on 6-of-13 shooting against New Mexico, but was held to eight points on 2-of-15 shooting against Louisville.

The Vikings will counter behind Brown, who leads the Vikings and ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 18.0 points per game. Sophie Buzzard ranks second on the team and 10th in the conference with 14.5 points per game. Torres-Kahapea is averaging 13.0 per game, while Yoakum stands fourth on the team at 11.5.

Torres-Kahapea, despite being 5-6, represents the Vikings' top rebounder at 6.5 per game, ranking her tied for seventh in the Big Sky. She tied her career high with six rebounds in the Vikings' season opener at Hawai'i, then topped that with seven rebounds against Willamette.

If Torres-Kahapea can keep the streak going against Colorado, then that'll be a good sign for the Vikings. She and the Vikings have a mountain to climb before they get there, though.

GAME #3: PORTLAND STATE (1-1) vs. COLORADO (1-1)
GAME DETAILS: Sunday, Nov. 16, 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT, Boulder, Colo. (CU Events Center)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING COLORADO: The Colorado Buffaloes have split their first two games of the season. They beat New Mexico, 84-59, at home on Nov. 6, then challenged No. 22 Louisville before losing 74-68 on the road Wednesday. The Buffs had a three-point lead entering the fourth quarter against Louisville but were outscored 19-10 over the final 10 minutes. Big 12 Conference coaches and media members picked Colorado to finish ninth in the 16-team league in their respective preseason polls. Jade Masogayo was named to the 10-player preseason All-Big 12 team. She's averaging 6.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game through the first two games of the season. Anaëlle Dutat leads the Buffaloes in both scoring (14.5 points per game) and rebounds (12.0 per game). Dutat, a transfer from Rhode Island where she was an Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team member last season, has opened the year with back-to-back double-doubles. She had 16 points, 13 rebounds, four steals and two blocks in the Buffs' season-opening win over New Mexico. She followed up with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go with 11 rebounds and two steals against Louisville. Besides Dutat, Zyanna Walker ranks second on the team with 11.0 points per game. Walker scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go with seven rebounds and four assists against Louisville. Desiree Wooten is third on the team with 10.5 points per game. She scored 13 points on 6-of-13 shooting against New Mexico, but was held to eight points on 2-of-15 shooting against Louisville. As a team, the Buffaloes represent a strong rebounding team, as they rank third in the Big 12 and 35th nationally with 47.0 rebounds per game. Dutat's 12.0 rebounds per game leads the Big 12 while also ranking her 17th nationally.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings won the only previous meeting between the Vikings and Buffaloes way back during the 1982-83 season. The Vikings won that game, 57-55, at home.

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The Vikings won their first game of the season – and first under new head coach Karlie Burris – Tuesday, beating Willamette, 89-52.
The 89 points the Vikings scored against Willamette were their most since March 6, 2020, when they beat Sacramento State 91-68.
The Vikings shot 55.9 percent (38-of-68) from the field against Willamette, their highest mark in a game since Feb. 4, 2023, when they shot 60.4 percent against Eastern Washington.
The Vikings outscored the Bearcats 64-12 in the paint Tuesday. The 64 points were 26 more than the Vikings scored in the paint in any game last season.
The Vikings got 39 points out of their bench Tuesday, 11 more than they had from their bench in any game last season.
Tuesday's game against Willamette was the Vikings' first counting game against an NCAA Division III opponent since Nov. 9, 2012. The Vikings are 0-1 against NCAA Division I competition, having lost their season opener 74-63 at Hawai'i on Nov. 4.

Players
#12 Kyleigh Brown

Sophomore guard Kyleigh Brown set career highs for points (24), field goals (9, tied), three-pointers (4) and assists (4, tied) in the Vikings' 89-52 win over Willamette Tuesday.
Brown also scored in double figures with 12 points in the Vikings' season opener at Hawai'i on Nov. 4. She's scored in double figures in eight straight games going back to last year.
Brown leads the Vikings with 18.0 points per game, an average that ranks her fifth in the Big Sky Conference. Brown also ranks tied with Taylor Moffat and Cici Ellington for the team lead in assists with 3.00 per game. She ranks second on the team with 6.00 rebounds per game.
Brown is 5-for-5 from the free-throw line this season.
Brown leads the Vikings with five made three-pointers. She's 5-for-10 (.500) from three-point range this season while everyone else is a combined 3-of-21 (.143).

#5 Ajae Yoakum

Ajae Yoakum scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field while adding six rebounds and a career-high-tying three blocks in the Vikings' win over Willamette Tuesday.
Yoakum ranks seventh in the Big Sky with a .526 field goal percentage this season. She also ranks second in the conference with 1.50 blocks per game and tied for ninth with 2.00 offensive rebounds per game.
Yoakum was held to three points on 1-of-7 shooting in the Vikings' season opener at Hawai'i on Nov. 4.
Yoakum is finishing her career in her native Portland after previous stops at Eastern Arizona (2020-22), FIU (2022-24) and Arizona (2024-25). She won an Oregon 6A State title in 2019 with her Portland State teammate Cici Ellington when both were at Benson Polytechnic High School.
Yoakum needs 18 more points to reach 1,000 across her entire collegiate career.

#11 Laynee Torres-Kahapea

The Vikings' leading rebounder this season stands five-feet, six-inches tall. Despite often being the shortest player on the floor, Laynee Torres-Kahapea leads the Vikings and ranks tied for seventh in the Big Sky with 6.50 rebounds per game. She tied her career high with six rebounds in the Vikings' season opener at Hawai'i, then surpassed that with seven rebounds against Willamette on Tuesday.
In her first game back in her native Hawai'i, Torres-Kahapea – the 2023 Hawai'i State Gatorade Player of the Year – scored a career-high 22 points while also setting career highs for field goals (6), field goal percentage (.750), free throws (8) and rebounds (6, since broken). She was held to just four points on 2-of-6 shooting from the field Tuesday against Willamette, however.
Torres-Kahapea ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 32.4 minutes played per game. That's actually down from last season when she led the conference with 35.8 minutes per game.

#4 Sophie Buzzard

Freshman Sophie Buzzard is 10-of-16 (.625) from the field through the first two games of her collegiate career. She ranks third in the Big Sky and 50th nationally for field goal percentage.
Buzzard scored 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting in her collegiate debut against Hawai'i on Nov. 4. Her 20 points were the most by a Viking freshman in their first collegiate game since Esmeralda Morales opened with 32 points against Warner Pacific on Nov. 9, 2022. She followed with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting against Willamette Tuesday.
Buzzard ranks 10th in the Big Sky Conference with 14.5 points per game.

#8 Cici Ellington

After initially being denied an extra year of eligibility, Cici Ellington won her appeal and made her season debut against Willamette Tuesday. Ellington filled the stat sheet with six points, two rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in her return.
Ellington played for the Vikings last year, marking her return from a two-year injury absence while playing for Grambling State (2021-24). Ellington also played two years at Loyola Marymount (2019-21).
Ellington was a West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team selection at Loyola Marymount following the 2019-20 season.
Ellington was named the OSAA 6A State Co-Player of the Year in 2019, sharing the award with future NCAA national champion and Los Angeles Sparks player Cameron Brink. Ellington and her Benson Polytechnic High School team – that included fellow Viking Ajae Yoakum – beat Brink and two-time defending champion Southridge in the 2019 state championship game.

#23 Taylor Moffat

Taylor Moffat returned from an 11-month injury absence to play 14 minutes in the Vikings' season opener at Hawai'i on Nov. 4. She returned to the scoring column against Willamette Tuesday, finishing with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting to go with two rebounds and three assists. Moffat ranks tied for the team lead with 3.0 assists per game this season.
Moffat had been out since tearing her ACL in the Vikings' game against Denver on Dec. 7, 2024.

Additional Players

Alani Encinas and Kirstine Munk both made the first starts of their PSU careers in the Vikings' season opener at Hawai'i on Nov. 4. They both started Tuesday's game against Willamette, as well.
Katelyn Best scored a career-high 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field against Willamette Tuesday.

Team Tendencies/Stats

The Vikings rank third in the Big Sky and 60th nationally with a .472 field goal percentage. That's largely thanks to their 55.9 percent shooting against Willamette Tuesday. The Vikings shot 36.4 percent (20-of-55) from the field against Hawai'i in their season opener on Nov. 4.
The Vikings are averaging 49.0 points in the paint per game this season. That average is 11 points more than their most points in the paint (38) in any game last season.
The Vikings were level, 38-38, in rebounds against Hawai'i on Nov. 4, while they out-rebounded Willamette, 42-26, on Tuesday. The Vikings rank sixth in the Big Sky with 40.0 rebounds per game, while they rank tied for fifth in rebounding margin (+8.0). The Vikings haven't finished a season with a positive rebounding margin since 2018-19.
The Vikings have spread the rebounds around in both games so far this season. Against Hawai'i, four different players had at least five rebounds for the Vikings while no one had more than six. Against Willamette, four different Vikings had at least six rebounds while no one had more than eight.
The Vikings rank ninth in the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage (.258) and 10th in three-pointers made per game (4.0).
The Vikings rank third in the Big Sky and 73rd nationally while making 75.7 percent of their shots from the foul line. The Vikings went 20-of-28 (.714) from the free-throw line against Hawai'i, then 8-of-9 (.889) against Willamette. The 28 attempts against Hawai'i would have been their second-most in a game last season. The Vikings averaged just 13.2 free throw attempts per game a year ago.

Coaching Staff

Karlie Burris earned the first win of her head coaching career in Tuesday's 89-52 victory over Willamette.
Burris is a first-time head coach. She spent the past four years as an assistant coach at UNLV where she helped the Lady Rebels win four straight Mountain West Conference regular-season titles (2022-25), as well as three Mountain West Conference tournament titles (2022-24).
Burris outlined three areas of focus for the Vikings this season: 1) Transition offense and defense; 2) Rebounding; and 3) Execution. Execution is an umbrella term for winning the turnover battle, executing the scouting report, and holding the opposing team's best player to under 17 points.
Burris said of the lack of expectations on her team this year: "We're going to be the hunters this year at Portland State. We're super excited about that. No one has any expectations for us, other than ourselves. And we're excited to be the hunters. That's a good spot to be. You get to play really hard with reckless abandon and really not worry about the result because all the expectations are on the other team. It's a fun place to be. It's hunting season."
Assistant coach Raina Perez is a former finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which honors the nation's best point guard. She made the finalist list while at NC State where she was part of runs to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

General/Preseason Info

The Vikings returned nine letterwinners and had four incoming freshmen already committed to the roster when Karlie Burris was named head coach. Burris' one addition to the 2025-26 roster was Ajae Yoakum, who signed with the Vikings in April.
The Vikings were picked to finish tied for ninth and 10th in the Big Sky Conference in the preseason coaches and media polls, respectively. The Vikings have finished 10th in the conference three of the past four seasons.
The Vikings feature only one player listed as taller than six feet in Katelyn Best, who stands 6-3. However, the Vikings have five players listed at six feet exactly in Hannah Chicken, Cici Ellington, Kirstine Munk, Brooklyn Strandy and Ajae Yoakum.
The Vikings have three players who won Oregon state titles in high school. Ellington and Yoakum won the 2019 OSAA 6A state title with Benson Polytechnic High School. Ellington was named the OSAA 6A State Co-Player of the Year that year alongside current WNBA player Cameron Brink. Kyleigh Brown, meanwhile, won the 5A state title with Silverton High School in 2024 when she was also named the OSAA 5A State Player of the Year.
The Vikings signed a five-player recruiting class Wednesday that features the 2025 Hawai'i State Gatorade Player of the Year in Nihoa Dunn. She'll join Torres-Kahapea, who won the award in 2023, in giving the Vikings two Hawai'i State Gatorade Players of the Year on the roster next season. Dunn is also one of two state champions in the Vikings' recruiting class along with Alex Padilla, who won an Oregon 6A state title with Tualatin High School. Emma Zuniga represents a second Oregon product in the recruiting class, while Liv Collins and Aspen McClees will join the Vikings from Sumner, Wash., and Gilbert, Ariz., respectively.