PORTLAND, Ore. — A 20-2 start for the visiting Portland Pilots put the Portland State women's basketball team in a hole it couldn't climb out of, as the Vikings closed their non-conference schedule with a 98-53 loss to their cross-town rivals Sunday at Viking Pavilion.
 
The Pilots (6-6) shot 86.7 percent (13-for-15) from the floor in the first quarter while building a 35-12 lead after the opening period. The 35 points were the most the Vikings (4-8) have allowed in any quarter this season.
 
It was a 58-19 game by halftime, at which point the Pilots were outshooting the Vikings .622-to-.269.
 
"If they're shooting 87 percent from the floor to start, it's a tough way to go. We've talked about this a few different times where we've spotted teams a 30-piece in the first quarter. But we were able to take a lot out of it," Portland State head coach Karlie Burris – who was coaching her first game against her alma mater – said of the Pilots' hot start.
 
"They don't have a returning starter on the squad, but you can tell Meek [Portland head coach Michael Meek] has done a really good job and has built a championship culture because they play really hard and they execute their stuff. That's where we're trying to get to."
 
Turnovers cost the Vikings early in the game. Eight first-quarter turnovers led to a 17-4 advantage in points off giveaways for the Pilots in the opening 10 minutes.
 
The Vikings handled the Pilots' pressure defense alright after the opening period, even winning the turnover battle (12-to-11) outside of the first quarter. They finished with 19 turnovers Sunday, which was under the Pilots' average coming into the game of 21.3 turnovers forced per game.
 
The Pilots' bigger advantage came on offense. They finished the game at 60.9 percent (39-for-64) from the field after their hot start. They're the first team to shoot over 60 percent against the Vikings since Weber State shot 64.3 percent on Jan. 13, 2024.
 
The Pilots took advantage of their height advantage over the Vikings, outscoring them 58-28 in the paint. The Pilots' first 10 points all came in the paint, which then opened things up from the outside where they shot 8-for-16 (.500).
 
Meanwhile, the Vikings – after hitting a season-high 12 three-pointers against Seattle U Wednesday – went 0-for-8 from deep Sunday.
 
The Vikings had a bit more success in the second half, shooting 41.9 percent (13-for-31) from the floor after halftime.
 
Hannah Chicken led the way for the Vikings with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the floor. Chicken has now scored in double figures in four straight games and eight of the last 10 games.
 
Sophomore Kyleigh Brown scored in double figures for an 18th straight time with 10 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the floor.
 
Cici Ellington added eight points on 3-for-6 shooting after leading the Vikings with 18 points and 14 rebounds against Seattle U Wednesday.
 
"I challenged them at halftime to play harder. These games are about us and we have to be the team that works the hardest and is able to execute," Burris said.
 
"[Right now] our effort feels really inconsistent. There are spurts where it feels like we're giving great effort and we're really dialed in, and then other moments where we have some lapses and people are on a different page. So, we're just trying to be a lot more consistent within those minutes throughout."
 
Sunday's game against the Pilots gave the Vikings a good taste of what Big Sky Conference play will be like when they come back from their Holiday break. The Pilots are 2-2 against the Big Sky this season with wins over the Vikings and Eastern Washington to go with losses to Montana State and Idaho State.
 
Other Big Sky teams figure to press the Vikings like the Pilots did Sunday. The Vikings will also have to battle teams like the Pilots, who have a height advantage over them.
 
All that work begins after Christmas, though. The Vikings will take a week off before resuming practices on Dec. 27 ahead of their Big Sky opener on New Year's Day against Weber State (7 p.m. tip).
 
"We have to ramp up our level of intensity and preparation. And go to a different level because now it's conference play," Burris said.
 
Do that, and the Vikings will have a better start to 2026 than they did against the Pilots Sunday.
 
Game Notes:

• The Vikings fell to 26-33 all-time against the Pilots with Sunday's loss. They've lost five straight to the Pilots.
• The Pilots' 98 points tied the most by a Viking opponent since Idaho scored 102 against the Vikings on March 9, 2018.
• The Vikings had 15 offensive rebounds Sunday despite being out-rebounded 44-to-26 overall. The Vikings have recorded at least 15 offensive rebounds in four straight games.
• The Pilots' 58 points in the first half were the most the Vikings have allowed in a half this season.

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