TIPOFF
In college, if a professor lets you retake a test, then you count your blessings and cram as hard as you can for that second chance. The Portland State women's basketball team gets the basketball equivalent of a retake Tuesday, when they play at Air Force at 5:30 p.m. PT / 6:30 p.m. MT.
 
The Vikings' game against the Falcons represents the Vikings' second chance to show they can handle a pressure defense like they faced against Colorado Sunday. Against the Buffaloes, the Vikings gave up 27 turnovers, more than they had in their first two games combined (26). The turnovers limited the Viking offense to 45 points, while the Vikings also shot a season-low 44 field goals against the Buffaloes.
 
The Falcons represent a similar team. They lead the Mountain West Conference while also ranking 45th nationally in turnover margin (+8.25). They also rank second in the Mountain West and 85th nationally in turnovers forced per game (21.0), as well as third in the conference and 43rd nationally with only 12.8 turnovers per game.
 
Four different players average at least 2.0 steals per game for the Falcons, who rank third in the Mountain West with 10.8 steals per game as a team. Bhret Clay leads them with 2.50 steals per game, ranking her sixth in the conference. Jayda McNabb, Keelie O'Hollaren and Milahnie Perry all rank tied for 10th in the conference with 2.0 steals per game behind Clay.
 
If the Vikings can neutralize the Falcons' pressure defense, then they'll give themselves a chance to win Tuesday.
 
The Vikings showed good flashes Sunday against Colorado, despite the turnovers. Kyleigh Brown tied her career high with four three-pointers while leading the Vikings with 16 points in the game. Brown scored her 16 points despite being the focus of the Buffaloes' defense throughout the game. She's now scored in double figures in nine straight games between the first three games of this season and the last six of her freshman year.
 
Hannah Chicken also went into double figures against the Buffaloes, scoring 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field.
 
Chicken was part of the Vikings' effort on the glass, which started out strong against the Buffaloes. The Vikings out-rebounded Colorado 16-to-10 in the first half, which kept them in the game initially. Chicken finished with four rebounds, putting her third on the team behind Laynee Torres-Kahapea (6 rebounds) and Ajae Yoakum (5).
 
Rebounding has been a point of emphasis for new head coach Karlie Burris all season. While Colorado came back in the second half to out-rebound the Vikings 39-to-24 Sunday, the Vikings won or drew the rebounding battle in their first two games of the season. They finished level, 38-to-38, on the glass against Hawai'i on Nov. 4, then won the rebounding battle against Willamette, 42-to-26, last Tuesday. The +16 margin against Willamette was the Vikings' best showing since they out-rebounded Simpson (Calif.) by 17 on Dec. 19, 2021.
 
Torres-Kahapea – despite standing just five-feet, six-inches tall – leads the Vikings with 6.33 rebounds per game, ranking her tied for seventh in the conference. Yoakum and Chicken rank tied for second on the team and 15th in the Big Sky with 5.33 rebounds per game each.
 
Those three will battle against Air Force's McNabb, who ranks fourth in the Mountain West Conference with 7.5 rebounds per game. McNabb also tops the conference while ranking 16th nationally with 5.0 offensive rebounds per game.
 
Offensively, Perry – a preseason All-Mountain West pick after being an honorable mention last season – leads the Falcons with 13.3 points and 3.3 assists per game. Jordyn Devaughn ranks second on the team with 10.5 points per game.
 
Perry led the Falcons with 18 points in Air Force's 69-40 win over the Vikings in Portland last season. O'Hollaren also had 18 points against the Vikings while going 4-of-9 from three-point range and recording three steals.
 
Rhema Ogele led the Vikings with 14 points, while Torres-Kahapea added 12. Turnovers hurt the Vikings, however, as they committed 28 against the Falcons last season.
 
That's what the Vikings will be looking to clean up Tuesday. Their game against the Falcons represents their second chance to do so.
 
GAME #4: PORTLAND STATE (1-2) vs. AIR FORCE (2-2)
GAME DETAILS: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 5:30 p.m. PT / 6:30 p.m. MT, USAF Academy, Colo. (Clune Arena)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING AIR FORCE: The Air Force Falcons won their home opener, 67-54, over Manhattan Saturday, bringing their record back to .500 at 2-2. The Falcons opened their season with a 59-50 road win at Denver on Nov. 3, but then dropped back-to-back games at South Dakota, 75-50, and Oregon State, 60-49, on Nov. 7 and 10, respectively. The Falcons entered the season picked to finish eighth in the 12-team Mountain West Conference, according to the league's preseason poll. Milahnie Perry made the Preseason All-Mountain West team before the season, after earning All-Mountain West honorable mention a year ago when she averaged 15.8 points per game in conference play. Perry leads the Falcons with 13.3 points per game so far this season. She missed the Falcons' season opener against Denver, but has scored in double figures all three games since then, including 17 points in Air Force's win over Manhattan. Perry also leads the Falcons with 3.33 assists per game, while she's one of four players for the Falcons who rank among the top 10 in the Mountain West for steals per game. Bhret Clay leads the Falcons with 2.50 steals per game, ranking her sixth in the conference. Perry then joins Jayda McNabb and Keelie O'Hollaren as they all rank 10th in the conference with 2.0 steals per game. Ball control represents the Falcons' biggest strength as a team. They lead the Mountain West Conference while ranking 45th nationally in turnover margin (+8.25). They also rank second in the Mountain West and 85th nationally in turnovers forced per game (21.0), while they rank third in the conference and 43rd nationally with only 12.8 turnovers per game. The Falcons also rank third in the Mountain West with 10.8 steals per game as a team. Outside of Perry, Jordyn Devaughn ranks second on the team with 10.5 points per game. McNabb leads the Falcons with 7.5 rebounds per game, ranking her fourth in the Mountain West this season. She tops the conference while also ranking 16th nationally with 5.0 offensive rebounds per game.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Falcons have won both of their previous meetings with the Vikings. They won 94-65 in their home gym on Dec. 28, 2020, then beat the Vikings 69-40 in Portland on Dec. 20 last season.
 
QUICK HITTERS
Recent Results

• The Vikings dropped a game at Colorado Sunday, losing 77-45 to the Buffaloes.
• The Vikings committed 27 turnovers against the Buffaloes, more than they had in their first two games combined (26).
• The Vikings out-rebounded the Buffaloes 16-to-10 in the first half Sunday, but Colorado responded in the second half, out-rebounding the Vikings 29-to-8 after the break. The Buffs' rebounding advantage in the second half helped them hold the Vikings to just 28.6 percent (6-of-21) from the field after halftime.
• The loss to the Buffaloes Sunday means the Vikings are 0-2 against NCAA Division I competition this season. Their one win came against NCAA Division III Willamette, 89-52, last Tuesday.

 
Players
#12 Kyleigh Brown

• Sophomore guard Kyleigh Brown has scored in double figures in nine straight games between the first three games of this season and the last six games of last season.
• Brown led the Vikings with 16 points against Colorado Sunday while tying her career high with four three-pointers. She's hit four three-pointers in back-to-back games, after she also had four triples against Willamette last Tuesday. Brown's four three-pointers against Willamette came as part of career highs for points (24), field goals (9, tied), three-pointers (4) and assists (4, tied) in the game.
• Brown leads the Vikings with 17.3 points per game, an average that ranks fourth fifth in the Big Sky Conference and 94th nationally.
• Brown also ranks in the top five of the Big Sky Conference in both three-pointers made and percentage. She ranks tied for third in the Big Sky and 32nd nationally with 3.00 three-pointers per game. She stands fourth in the conference and 53rd nationally with a .529 field goal percentage from three-point range.
• Brown is 5-for-5 from the free-throw line this season.
• Brown accounts for most of the Vikings' three-point shooting this season. While she's 9-of-17 (.529) from three-point range, the rest of the team is a combined 5-of-30 (.167) across the Vikings' first three games.
• Brown was the OSAA 5A State Player of the Year as a senior at Silverton High School when she led her team to the 5A state title in 2024.

 
#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 last Tuesday. Colorado held Yoakum at bay Sunday, however, as she finished with four points on 1-of-4 shooting to go with five rebounds and three assists.
• Yoakum ranks among the Big Sky leaders in four different categories. She ranks tied for 15th with 5.33 rebounds per game, while she also ranks tied for fifth in blocks (1.00), 13th in defensive rebounds (4.00) and eighth in minutes played (31.3) per game.
• 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 14 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 6.33 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 last Tuesday.
• Torres-Kahapea ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 5.33 defensive rebounds per game.
• 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 last Tuesday against Willamette, then had seven points Sunday at Colorado.
• Torres-Kahapea ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 32.1 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 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 last Tuesday. She was held without a field goal at Colorado Sunday, going 0-for-4 from the field, though she still scored five points while going 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
• Buzzard ranks second on the team with 11.3 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 last Tuesday.
• While Ellington has yet to go off scoring wise – recording just six points against Willamette last Tuesday and two points at Colorado Sunday – she's filled the stat sheet in both games. She's averaging 4.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game this season.
• Ellington played for the Vikings last year, marking her return from a two-year injury absence that plagued her at 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.

 
#9 Hannah Chicken

• Freshman Hannah Chicken scored in double figures for the first time in her career Sunday at Colorado. Chicken finished with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, including the first three-pointer of her career.
• Chicken is averaging 7.0 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting from the field, while also contributing 5.33 rebounds and 1.67 assists per game.
• Chicken ranks tied for 15th in the Big Sky with her 5.33 rebounds per game. She also ranks tied for eighth in the conference with 2.00 offensive rebounds per 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 last Tuesday, finishing with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting to go with two rebounds and three assists. Moffat was scoreless again over 16 minutes at Colorado Sunday.
• 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, while Munk started the Vikings' game at Colorado Sunday, as well.
• Katelyn Best scored a career-high 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field against Willamette last Tuesday. Best was scoreless against Hawai'i and Colorado, however.

 
Team Tendencies/Stats

• The Vikings rank third in the Big Sky and 103rd nationally with a .443 field goal percentage. That's largely thanks to their 55.9 percent shooting against Willamette last Tuesday – the team's best shooting percentage since Feb. 4, 2023, when they shot 60.4 percent against Eastern Washington. In their two games against NCAA Division I opponents, they shot 36.4 percent in each, going 20-of-55 from the field at Hawai'i on Nov. 4, and 16-of-44 against Colorado on Sunday.
• Colorado held the Vikings to just 16 points in the paint Sunday, well below the Vikings' previous totals against Hawai'i (34) and Willamette (64). The Vikings are still averaging 38.0 points in the paint per game this season, which is equal to the Vikings' best scoring output in the paint 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, last Tuesday. Sunday's game, in which Colorado out-rebounded the Vikings 39-to-24 dropped them in the statistical ranks, but the Vikings' positive rebounding margin (+0.33) is still a big improvement over the previous season when the Vikings ranked last in the Big Sky (-6.33). 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. Against Colorado, three different players had at least four rebounds while no one had more than six.
• The Vikings rank 10th in the Big Sky in three-pointers made per game (4.67), while they rank seventh in the conference in percentage (.298).
• The Vikings rank fifth in the Big Sky while making 71.4 percent of their shots from the foul line. The Vikings went 20-of-28 (.714) from the free-throw line against Hawai'i, with the 28 attempts equal to the Vikings' second-most in a game last season. The Vikings rank sixth in the Big Sky with 16.3 free throw attempts per game, three more than they averaged last season (13.2).

 
Coaching Staff

• Karlie Burris earned the first win of her head coaching career in last 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 last week 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.