Complete game notes (PDF)

TIPOFF
After the Buffalo Bills' first Super Bowl loss in 1990, head coach Marv Levy shared with his team the following poem:
 
"Fight on, my men," says Sir Andrew Barton,
"I am hurt, but I am not slain;
I'll lay me down and bleed a while,
And then I'll rise and fight again."
 
That describes what the Portland State women's basketball team will be tasked to do Saturday. The Vikings will need to pick themselves off the mat following a double-overtime loss to Idaho State, as they host Weber State for a 1 p.m. tipoff on Senior Day.
 
The double-overtime loss overshadowed the fact that the Vikings set or tied conference season highs for points (80), field goal percentage (.474) and three-pointers made (9). Four different players scored in double figures for only the second time this season between Alaya Fitzgerald (18 points), Kyleigh Brown (17), Lana Wenger (16) and Laynee Torres-Kahapea (14).
 
So, the Vikings made progress despite the painful loss.
 
The Vikings have been improving offensively over their last several games. In addition to their 47.4 percent (27-of-57) shooting Thursday, the Vikings shot 44.1 percent (26-of-59) a week earlier at Northern Arizona. That mark against NAU represented the Vikings' best shooting percentage in over a month.
 
Additionally, the Vikings' nine three-pointers Thursday continued a strong recent trend from beyond the arc, especially at home. The nine three-pointers matched the Vikings' total against Montana on Jan. 30, while the Vikings also hit eight three-pointers against Eastern Washington on Feb. 8. In their last five home games, the Vikings are averaging 6.8 three-pointers made per game, a sharp uptick from their season-long average of 4.7 makes per game.
 
Wenger hit a career-high three three-pointers Thursday. Fitzgerald, Brown and Torres-Kahapea all added two each.
 
The Vikings will still lament giving up a 44-to-28 rebounding advantage to the Bengals Thursday. That included an 18-to-8 advantage in offensive rebounds, which the Bengals used to outscore the Vikings 23-6 in second-chance points. The Bengals had an 8-0 advantage in second-chance points between both overtime periods.
 
Rebounding was a key stat the last time the Vikings played Weber State. The Wildcats out-rebounded the Vikings 45-to-25 in a 62-48 win over the Vikings on Jan. 23. It was still only a one-point game at halftime of that game, but the Wildcats broke it open with an 11-0 run to start the second half and the Vikings couldn't recover from there.
 
Antoniette Emma-Nnopu led the way with 15 rebounds for the Wildcats while also scoring 16 points. Taylor Smith led the scoring with 20 points for the Wildcats while also grabbing eight rebounds.
 
Smith leads the Wildcats with 13.4 points per game, ranking her seventh in the Big Sky Conference. Kendra Parra ranks second on the team and 11th in the Big Sky with 11.8 points per game. Emma-Nnopu averages 9.8 points per game while leading the Wildcats and ranking third in the Big Sky with 9.4 rebounds per game. She leads the conference and ranks 27th nationally with 3.7 offensive rebounds per game, while ranking third in the Big Sky with nine double-doubles.
 
The Wildcats are coming off a tough showing Thursday, as they lost 56-45 to Sacramento State. The Wildcats scored only 28 points through the first three quarters of the game while shooting a season-low 21.1 percent (12-of-57) from the field.
 
So, both teams will be looking to wash a bad taste out of their mouths when they face off against each other Saturday. Don't be surprised if you see Marv Levy do a poetry reading ahead of the national anthem.
 
SENIOR DAY / PROMOTIONS
The Vikings will honor seniors Alaya Fitzgerald, Sofía Llanos, Rhema Ogele, Courtney Turner and Lana Wenger before the start of Saturday's game. The game is also sponsored by Les Schwab Tires, while there will be an alumni reception at the game as well.
 
GAME #24: PORTLAND STATE (4-19, 1-13) vs. WEBER STATE (10-14, 7-7)
GAME DETAILS: Saturday, Feb. 22, 1 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING WEBER STATE: The Weber State Wildcats had a game to forget about Thursday night in a 56-45 loss at Sacramento State. The Wildcats scored only 28 points through the first three quarters of the game while shooting a season-low 21.1 percent (12-of-57) from the field. Before that showing, the Wildcats had won five of their previous eight games, a stretch that started with a 62-48 win over the Vikings on Jan. 23. It was a one-point game at halftime the last time the Vikings played the Wildcats. But the Wildcats scored the first 11 points out of halftime while outscoring the Vikings 26-12 in the third quarter to take control of the game. Overall this season, the Wildcats rank in the top half of the conference in a number of categories. They lead the Big Sky in free throw percentage (.787) while ranking second in free throws made per game (14.0). They also rank second in the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage (.338), as well as fourth in three-pointers made per game (6.5). Defensively, they rank fourth in the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense (.394), while they rank fourth and fifth in defensive rebounds (26.5) and total rebounds (37.1) per game, respectively. Rebounding was what led the Wildcats to their win over the Vikings on Jan. 23. The Wildcats out-rebounded the Vikings 45-to-25, including a 17-to-7 advantage on the offensive glass that led to Weber State outscoring the Vikings 18-5 in second-chance points. Antoniette Emma-Nnopu led the way with 15 rebounds for the Wildcats while also scoring 16 points. Taylor Smith led the scoring with 20 points for the Wildcats while also grabbing eight rebounds. Smith leads the Wildcats with 13.4 points per game, ranking her seventh in the Big Sky Conference. Kendra Parra ranks second on the team and 11th in the Big Sky with 11.8 points per game. Emma-Nnopu averages 9.8 points per game while leading the Wildcats and ranking third in the Big Sky with 9.4 rebounds per game. She leads the conference and ranks 27th nationally with 3.7 offensive rebounds per game, while also ranking third in the Big Sky with nine double-doubles. Parra leads the conference and ranks ninth nationally in free throw percentage (.920). Lanae Billy leads the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage (.430) and ranks third in three-pointers made per game (2.04). Smith ranks second in the Big Sky in blocks per game (1.25).
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Wildcats lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 35-31. The Wildcats have won five in a row in the series, as well as seven of their last eight games against the Vikings. Portland State's most recent win over the Wildcats came on Jan. 19, 2023, as the Vikings won 65-64 on a last-second three-pointer.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings dropped a double overtime game to Idaho State Thursday, 89-80. It was the Vikings' first double overtime game since an 87-85 win over Oregon on Nov. 15, 2012, and just the third double overtime game in the past 25 years of the program.
• Thursday's loss was the Vikings' 10th in a row and 17th out of their last 18 games.
• Despite the loss, the Vikings set or tied conference season highs for points (80), field goal percentage (.474) and three-pointers made (9). Four Vikings also went into double figures for scoring for only the second time this season between Alaya Fitzgerald (18 points), Kyleigh Brown (17), Lana Wenger (16) and Laynee Torres-Kahapea (14).
• Idaho State out-rebounded the Vikings 44-to-28, including an 18-to-8 advantage on the offensive glass. That led to a 23-6 advantage for the Bengals in second-chance points. They outscored the Vikings 8-0 in second-chance points over both overtime periods.
• Idaho State shot 49.3 percent (33-of-67) against the Vikings Thursday. That was the second-best field goal percentage by a Viking opponent this season, trailing only the 50.0 percent (29-of-58) Montana State shot against the Vikings on Feb. 1.
• The Vikings are averaging 6.8 three-pointers made per game over their last five home games. That's a sharp uptick over their season-long average of 4.7 three-pointers per game. Thursday's nine made three-pointers tied the season high the Vikings set against Seattle U on Nov. 16 and then matched against Montana on Jan. 30.
• Laynee Torres-Kahapea played all 50 minutes of Thursday's game. Kyleigh Brown and Alaya Fitzgerald played 49 and 48 minutes, respectively. Torres-Kahapea leads the Big Sky and ranks 33rd nationally with 35.6 minutes played per game this season. Fitzgerald ranks third in the conference and 96th nationally with 33.9 minutes played per game.
• The Vikings won the third quarter against Idaho State, 19-12. That bucked a tough trend for the Vikings as Big Sky opponents have outscored them 243-190 (3.79 points per game) in the third quarter this season. Big Sky opponents also hold a 508-392 (8.29 points per game) advantage in the second half.
• Alaya Fitzgerald has scored in double figures in 11 of the Vikings' 14 Big Sky games this season. She heads into Saturday averaging 14.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game within Big Sky play. Across all games, Fitzgerald ranks ninth in the Big Sky in points (12.8), fifth in free throw percentage (.833), 14th in three-pointers made (1.45) and third in minutes played (33.9) per game.
• Rhema Ogele entered the career top 10 with 12 rebounds at Northern Arizona on Feb. 13, moving past two players to ninth all-time. Within this season, she ranks ninth in the Big Sky with 7.09 rebounds per game. She also ranks fifth in the conference in offensive rebounds (2.74) and 12th in defensive rebounds (4.35) per game.
• Sixty points has been the magic number for the Vikings this season, more so defensively than offensively. Defensively, the Vikings are 3-1 when holding opponents below 60 points and 1-18 when they don't. Offensively, the Vikings are 3-5 when scoring 60 or more points this season and 1-14 when they don't.
• Defensively, the Vikings ranks third in the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage defense (.294). They had ranked in the top half of the Big Sky for scoring defense, but their last 10 opponents have all scored more than 60 points against them.
• Kyleigh Brown has scored in double figures in seven of the Vikings' 14 Big Sky games. She ranks second to Fitzgerald with 9.3 points per game within conference play. Her 17 points Thursday tied her most in a Big Sky game this season, matching her 17 points against Idaho on Feb. 6.
• Lana Wenger scored 12 of her 16 points against Idaho State Thursday in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime. It was her seventh time in double figures this season while she set a career high with three made three-pointers. Wenger has been plagued by injuries at various times this season, but she still averages 8.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Vikings.
• 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."

 
IMPROVING OFFENSE
The Vikings were deserving of a win Thursday in their double-overtime loss to Idaho State. They didn't get but even still, the Vikings set or tied conference season highs for points (80), field goal percentage (.474) and three-pointers made (9). It was the latest in a run of improved offensive performances for the Vikings recently. Against Northern Arizona on Feb. 13, the Vikings shot 44.1 percent (26-of-59) from the field for their best shooting percentage in over a month. The Vikings' 67 points against NAU also tied their most in regulation this season – the Vikings had 65 points at the end of regulation Thursday – matching their total in their win over Seattle U on Nov. 16. The Vikings' nine three-pointers Thursday tied the season high they set against Seattle U and later matched against Montana on Jan. 30. The Vikings are averaging 6.8 three-pointers made per game over their last five home games, a sharp uptick from their season-long average of 4.7 makes per game. Besides their nine three-pointers against Montana and Idaho State, the Vikings also hit eight three-pointers against Eastern Washington on Feb. 8. Additionally, the Vikings have taken care of the ball better of late. They set a season low with only eight turnovers against Montana on Jan. 30, then matched that against Idaho on Feb. 6.
 
DEFENSIVE STRENGTH
The Vikings held Northern Colorado to 52 points in their lone conference win of the season 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' last 10 opponents have all topped 60 points, including three 80-point games between their games against Montana State (85 points on Feb. 1), Northern Arizona (83 points on Feb. 13) and Idaho State (89 points on Feb. 20). But defense has still been a strength for the Vikings this season. They showed that early with the Cal State Fullerton game. The Vikings held the Titans to 28.6 percent (18-of-63) from the floor, the lowest mark by a Viking opponent since Idaho shot an identical percentage against the Vikings on Jan. 7, 2023. Coincidentally, the Vikings would also hold Idaho below 30 percent shooting in their first meeting of 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 usually been key for the Vikings in victories. They are 3-1 when holding opponents below 60 points this season and 1-18 when they don't. Statistically, the Vikings rank third in the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage defense (.294).
 
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. That kicked off what's been a strong conference season for the Viking senior. She nearly matched her conference opener against Northern Arizona on Feb. 13. Playing in her home state for the final time in her PSU career, Fitzgerald scored a game-high 25 points while dishing out a season-high six assists to go with five rebounds. Fitzgerald heads into Saturday having scored in double figures in 11 of the team's 14 conference games. That includes the two 20-point games against Sacramento State and Northern Arizona. Fitzgerald reached the 1,000-point career milestone in the first half against Eastern Washington on Feb. 8 while tying for the game high with 17 points. She reached another milestone at NAU with her 100th-career start, becoming just the 10th player to start 100 games in program history. Within Big Sky play this season, Fitzgerald is averaging 14.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Across all games, Fitzgerald ranks ninth in the Big Sky in points (12.8), fifth in free throw percentage (.833), 14th in three-pointers made (1.45) and third in minutes played (33.9) per game.
 
CALL HER SHERWIN-WILLIAMS BECAUSE SHE OWNS THE PAINT
One of two four-year starters on the roster with Alaya Fitzgerald, Rhema Ogele has owned the paint for the Vikings. She's scored in double figures 10 times this season, including four double-doubles. The latest double-double came in the team's last home game against Eastern Washington on Feb. 8 as she finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds (five offensive) to go with three assists. Ogele's previous double-double came in the team's 58-52 win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 16. She scored a game-high 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor in the win while adding 10 rebounds. 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 10 double-doubles in her Portland State career, ranking her tied for seventh all-time since game-by-game records were kept starting with the 2006-07 season. She hit another career milestone at Weber State on Jan. 23, when she started her 100th career game. She now ranks tied for fifth in career starts at Portland State and will move up to fourth all-time if she starts every remaining game. Additionally, she entered the career top 10 for rebounds with 12 against Northern Arizona on Feb. 13. She jumped two players in entering the top 10, as she now ranks ninth all-time with 632 career rebounds. Within this season, Ogele leads the Vikings with 7.09 rebounds per game, ranking her ninth in the Big Sky Conference. She also ranks fifth in the conference in offensive rebounds (2.74) and 12th in defense rebounds (4.35) per game.
 
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. Recently, Brown has found her stroke again, scoring in double figures in five of the team's last eight games. That includes 17 points behind a career-high three made three-pointers against Idaho on Feb. 6. She matched that output with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists Thursday night against Idaho State. Outside of scoring, Brown recorded nine assists in the team's first conference win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 16. The nine assists tied the single-game freshman record, while it led the Vikings to a season-high 17 as a team.
 
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 – put together a career performance against Idaho on Feb. 6. She scored a career-high 15 points while tying her career high with five assists. All while not committing a single turnover in the game despite playing nearly 35 minutes. She nearly matched that with 14 points and five assists while playing all 50 minutes of Thursday night's double overtime game against Idaho State. The 50-minute game shouldn't come as a surprise as Torres-Kahapea has been the Vikings' Iron Woman this season. She leads the Big Sky while playing 35.6 minutes per game. She also ranks 12th in the Big Sky with 2.61 assists per game.
 
CICI IS PLAYING A+ IN HER RETURN FROM TWO-YEAR INJURY ABSENCE
A former OSAA 6A State Co-Player of the Year, Cici Ellington went through a two-year injury absence before arriving at Portland State. Her first game back in two years came against Air Force on Dec. 20. Her first points in nearly three years came against Eastern Washington on Jan. 9, while her first start since the 2021-22 season came against Idaho State on Jan. 25. All the milestones have been rewards for Ellington's increasingly strong play for the Vikings. She scored a season-high 13 points against Northern Arizona on Jan. 18, then matched that in the Vikings' second game against NAU on Feb. 13. She went into double figures again last Saturday with 11 points against Northern Colorado. Against Montana on Jan. 30, Ellington scored 11 points while grabbing a season-high six rebounds.
 
SHE'S HER FROM HERSBERG
Lana Wenger – from Hersberg, Switzerland – made an immediate impact at the start of Big Sky play as she returned 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. She came back from another injury last week to score 12 points against Northern Arizona on Feb. 13. She followed up with 16 points Thursday night against Idaho State, scoring 12 of those 16 points in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime. Wenger has now scored in double figures in seven of her 18 appearances this season. Two of her double-digit scoring games came 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.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Feb. 20, 2025, Idaho State 89, Portland State 80 (2OT): The Vikings played their first double-overtime game since Nov. 15, 2012. They set or tied conference season highs for points (80), field goal percentage (.474) and three-pointers made (9).
Feb. 8, 2025, Eastern Washington 65, Portland State 58: Alaya Fitzgerald became the 22nd player to reach the 1,000-point career milestone at Portland State while finishing with 17 points. Rhema Ogele also recorded her 10th-career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
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.