Vikings Look for 2-0 Start to Big Sky Play, Host Idaho State Saturday

TIPOFF
It was a fitting New Year's Day for the Portland State women's basketball team Thursday.

A holiday that celebrates new starts and developing new aspects of ourselves saw the Vikings find new ways to win. The Vikings' 68-58 victory over Weber State marked the team's first when scoring fewer than 70 points in a game, first when trailing at halftime, and first when shooting lower than 40 percent from the field this season.

Most importantly, it marked the Vikings' first win in their Big Sky opener since the 2017-18 season.

The Vikings will now look to test their 1-0 record in 2026 as they host Idaho State Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Vikings' ability to push through adverse conditions Thursday should bode well. They didn't lead at any point in the second half until Kyleigh Brown hit a go-ahead jumper with 54.7 seconds remaining. That came as part of a 17-0 run to finish the game that saw the Vikings turn a 58-51 deficit with 6:22 remaining into a 68-58 win.

Kyleigh Brown and Hannah Chicken scored 15 of the Vikings' final 17 points in the game. They combined for 18 of the Vikings' 22 points in the fourth quarter, while leading the Vikings with 18 and 17 points, respectively.

They weren't alone, however. Ajae Yoakum and Cici Ellington both filled the stat sheet. Yoakum tied her career high with four assists to go with 12 points and eight rebounds. Ellington, meanwhile, recorded seven points, 16 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Her 16 rebounds were the most by a Viking in a game since Pia Jurhar had 16 against Multnomah on Nov. 25, 2017.

Defensively, the Vikings held the Wildcats to 34.5 percent (19-for-55) shooting from the floor, tying a season low for a Viking opponent. The Wildcats missed their last nine shots from the field, including four misses in the final minute, while being held scoreless over the final 6:22 of the game.

The Vikings also finished on the plus side of several statistical battles including rebounds (+9), assists (+4) and turnovers (+3).

Ellington led the Vikings to their rebounding win. The Vikings have now won the rebounding battle in four of their last five games. They rank fifth in the Big Sky for rebounds per game (38.1), as well as sixth in rebounding margin (+0.85).

That could be a key stat against the Bengals Saturday, as they lead the Big Sky Conference and rank 27th nationally in rebounding margin (+10.2). The Bengals also rank third in the Big Sky with 40.25 rebounds per game.

The Bengals came into the year expected to be a strong team within the Big Sky Conference. They returned four starters and their top four scorers from last year's team. That group includes All-Big Sky second-team selection Tasia Jordan, who leads the Bengals and ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 15.8 points per game.

Kacey Spink, an All-Big Sky Defensive Team selection a year ago, has done a little bit of everything for the Bengals. She ranks third in the conference in assists per game (4.2), sixth in rebounds per game (7.3) and fourth in steals per game (2.67).

Piper Carlson, meanwhile, leads the Bengals' efforts on the glass with 8.1 rebounds per game, ranking her fourth in the Big Sky. Carlson also ranks second to Jordan on the team with 10.8 points per game.

The Bengals will be coming off a dominant win in their own Big Sky opener. They beat Sacramento State, 61-46, on the road Thursday. They led 20-9 after the first quarter and extended that to a 37-20 lead by halftime as they won comfortably. Jordan and Spink posted identical stat lines of 11 points and eight rebounds. Aspen Caldwell, meanwhile, led the Bengals with 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting against the Hornets.

The Vikings will have to work to slow down the Bengals' array of weapons. It's the type of challenge that's fitting for a new year.

GAME #14: PORTLAND STATE (5-8, 1-0) vs. IDAHO STATE (8-4, 1-0)
GAME DETAILS: Saturday, Jan. 3, 2 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore., (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE: The Idaho State Bengals won their own Big Sky opener, 61-46, at Sacramento State Thursday. They led 20-9 after the first quarter and 37-20 at halftime. The first conference win came after a strong non-conference performance from the Bengals, who went 7-4 in the preseason. The seven wins included a 58-57 victory over the University of Portland on Nov. 21, giving the Bengals a victory over an opponent that beat the Vikings. The Bengals also narrowly lost to South Dakota, 64-63, on Nov. 16, a few weeks before the Vikings also lost to the Yotes in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge on Dec. 3. The Bengals came into the year expected to do well within the Big Sky Conference, having returned four starters and their top four scorers from a year ago. That group included All-Big Sky second-team selection Tasia Jordan and All-Big Sky Defensive Team selection Kacey Spink. Those two have been strong contributors again this year. Jordan leads the Bengals while ranking fifth in the Big Sky with 15.8 points per game. Spink, meanwhile, has been an all-around contributor, ranking third in the conference in assists per game (4.2), sixth in rebounds per game (7.3) and fourth in steals per game (2.67). As a team, the Bengals represent the top defensive team in the Big Sky Conference, as they lead the league while ranking 42nd nationally while giving up only 56.1 points per game. They also lead the conference and rank 34th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.357). The Bengals also rank second in the conference and 27th nationally in rebounding margin (+10.2), as well as third in the conference with 40.25 rebounds per game. Piper Carlson, another one of the Bengals' returning starters, ranks fourth in the conference with 8.1 rebounds per game. Jordan also ranks 14th in the conference with 5.83 rebounds per game.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Bengals lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 46-26. The Bengals swept the season series last year, including an 89-80 victory in double overtime at Viking Pavilion on Feb. 20, 2025. The Vikings' last victory over the Bengals came at home on Feb. 10, 2024, when they won 59-53.

QUICK HITTERS
Recent Results

The Vikings won their Big Sky opener, 68-58, over Weber State Thursday. They erased a seven-point deficit with 6:22 remaining, ending the game on a 17-0 run.
The Vikings trailed by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter Thursday, making it the biggest comeback for the Vikings this season.
The Vikings won their Big Sky opener for the first time since the 2017-18 season, snapping a streak of seven straight conference-opening losses for the program.
The Vikings held Weber State to 34.5 percent (19-for-55) shooting from the field, tying a season low for a Viking opponent. Weber State missed its last nine shots from the field while being held scoreless over the final 6:22 of the game.
The Vikings were held without a free throw attempt in the first half, the first time the Vikings have not had a free throw attempt in any half this season. They finished 18-for-21 (.857) from the line thanks to shooting 14 free throws over the final six minutes of the game.
Kyleigh Brown scored nine of her game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead jumper with 54.7 seconds remaining that gave the Vikings their first lead of the second half.
Cici Ellington grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds Thursday to go with seven points, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Ellington's 16 rebounds were the most by a Viking since Pia Jurhar had 16 against Multnomah on Nov. 25, 2017.

Players
#12 Kyleigh Brown

Sophomore guard Kyleigh Brown has scored in double figures in 19 straight games going back to last season. She's scored 20+ in five of the team's 13 games this season.
Brown has made 21 straight free throws going into Saturday's game. She had a streak of 26 straight free throws earlier in the season, which included a 14-for-14 performance against South Dakota on Dec. 3. That tied a program record for most makes without a miss in a single game.
Brown leads the Big Sky and ranks sixth nationally with a .935 (58-for-62) free throw percentage. That would set a new single-season program record if the season ended today, surpassing the record Esmeralda Morales set at .913 during the 2021-22 season.
Brown leads the Vikings with 18.3 points per game this season, ranking her second in the Big Sky and 43rd nationally. She has the potential to become the first Viking to average more than 20 points per game since Stacey Liebl during the 1986-87 season.
Brown ranks 12th in the conference with 1.54 three-pointers made per game.
Brown ranks eighth in the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.423).
Brown is averaging a career-best 4.4 rebounds per game, 1.0 more per game than she averaged as a freshman.
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.

#8 Cici Ellington

Cici Ellington had tied her career high for rebounds by halftime Thursday while finishing with 16 in the Vikings' win over Weber State. It was the most rebounds by a Viking since Pia Jurhar had 16 against Multnomah on Nov. 25, 2017.
Ellington led the Vikings in both points (18) and rebounds (14) against Seattle U on Dec. 17. It was her first double-double since Jan. 8, 2022, when she was playing at Grambling State.
Ellington's average of 8.9 points per game this season is her best since she averaged 9.3 points per game in her second year at Loyola Marymount during the 2020-21 season. Ellington played 19 games during the 2021-22 season at Grambling State but then missed all but one game over the next two years due to injury. She returned from the injury absence while playing for the Vikings last season, when she averaged 6.7 points per game.
Ellington is 39 points away from reaching 1,000 points over her entire collegiate career. She is also 41 rebounds away from reaching 500 in her career.
Ellington ranks tied for fourth in the Big Sky with 1.00 blocks per game.
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 fifth straight game and ninth out of the last 11 with 17 points in the Vikings' win over Weber State Thursday. Chicken scored nine of her 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Chicken nearly had a double-double Thursday, adding nine rebounds to her 17 points. Chicken recorded the first double-double of her career with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 13.
Chicken ranks second on the team with 11.2 points per game. That would be the best average by a PSU freshman since Esmeralda Morales averaged 12.5 points per game during the 2021-22 season.
Chicken ranks 12th in the Big Sky with 6.23 rebounds per game. Chicken also ranks 10th in the Big Sky in offensive rebounds per game (2.31).
Chicken ranks third in the Big Sky and 84th nationally in free throw percentage while shooting 83.7 percent (36-for-43) from the line.
Chicken leads the Vikings with a .505 field goal percentage this season. She's shot 60.0 percent or better from the field in seven of the team's 13 games.
Chicken leads the Vikings with 1.69 steals per game, ranking her 15th in the Big Sky Conference.
Head coach Karlie Burris said of Chicken after a game during the first month of the season: "She's at the beginning of how good she's going to be."
Chicken and fellow freshman Sophie Buzzard are roommates, making for a very bird-friendly dorm room at Portland State University.
Chicken is one of three Australians on the Vikings' roster, joining Kailee Field from Brisbane and Taylor Moffat from Mount Barker, Australia. Chicken is from Taree, Australia.

#5 Ajae Yoakum

Ajae Yoakum filled the stat sheet with 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the Vikings' win over Weber State Thursday. The four assists tied a career high for Yoakum.
Yoakum has two double-doubles this season. The first came with 11 points and 14 rebounds (tying a career high) against Kansas City on Dec. 6. The second came with 10 points and 12 rebounds against Seattle U on Dec. 17.
Yoakum leads the Vikings while ranking 11th in the Big Sky Conference with 6.55 rebounds per game. She also ranks seventh in the conference with 2.45 offensive rebounds per game.
Yoakum reached 1,000-career points over her entire collegiate career with a field goal late in the third quarter against San Jose State on Nov. 28.
Yoakum scored a season-high 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting from the field to go with a career high-tying three blocks in the Vikings' win over Willamette on Nov. 11.
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.

#11 Laynee Torres-Kahapea

Laynee Torres-Kahapea scored in double figures in three of the Vikings' last six non-conference games.
Torres-Kahapea tied her career high with three three-pointers against Seattle U while finishing with 13 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Torres-Kahapea – despite being just five-feet, six-inches tall – is averaging a career-best 4.7 rebounds per game. That's nearly two more per game than her average as a sophomore (2.8).
Torres-Kahapea ranks 10th in the Big Sky in free throw percentage (.767). She had a streak of 15 straight made free throws earlier in the season.
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).
Torres-Kahapea ranks second on the team with 13 made three-pointers this season while shooting 13-for-42 (.310) from beyond the arc.
Torres-Kahapea leads the Vikings with 2.4 assists per game. She had a career-high seven assists against San Jose State on Nov. 28.
Torres-Kahapea ranks 10th in the Big Sky with 31.0 minutes played per game. That's actually down from last season when she led the conference with 35.8 minutes per game.

#23 Taylor Moffat

Taylor Moffat has started the last six games for the Vikings, during which time she's averaging 4.8 points per game while shooting 8-for-20 (.400) from three-point range. Moffat was 1-for-9 (.111) from three-point range before her run of starts.
Moffat set or tied season highs for points (9), three-pointers (3), rebounds (3), assists and steals (2) against Seattle U on Dec. 17.
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 on Nov. 11, finishing with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting to go with two rebounds and three assists.
Moffat had been out since tearing her ACL in the Vikings' game against Denver on Dec. 7, 2024.

#4 Sophie Buzzard

Freshman Sophie Buzzard scored in double figures in back-to-back games with 10 points against both Kansas City (Dec. 6) and Cal State Fullerton (Dec. 13).
Buzzard ranks fourth on the team in both free throws made (24) and attempted (33) this season.
Buzzard scored 20 points on 7-for-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.
Buzzard and fellow freshman Hannah Chicken are roommates, making for a very bird-friendly dorm room at Portland State University.

#10 Kirstine Munk

Kirstine Munk set PSU/Division I career highs for points (11), rebounds (6), assists (2), and steals (2) in the Vikings' loss to Air Force on Nov. 18. She was 3-for-5 from the field against the Falcons, and 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Munk is 4-for-26 from the field outside of the Air Force game, however.
Munk started the first nine games of the season for the Vikings before coming off the bench for every game since. The nine starts were the first Division I starts of her career. Munk started 26 of 28 games while at Central Arizona, a junior college, during the 2023-24 season.

Additional Players

Katelyn Best scored a career-high 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field against Willamette on Nov. 11. Best has a combined two points in her nine appearances outside of that game, however.
Alani Encinas started the first two games of the season. She's only appeared in six of the 10 games since then, however, while averaging 5.6 minutes played per game this season.
Jamia Carter saw her first action of the season at Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 13. She had been out with a knee injury since the Vikings' game against Montana State on Feb. 1 last season. Carter scored four points on 2-for-5 shooting from the field against Portland on Dec. 21.

Team Tendencies/Miscellany

The Vikings lead the Big Sky Conference in both free throws made (16.5) and attempted (22.4) per game this season. Their 22.4 attempts per game are 5.6 more per game than their opponents.
The Vikings went 18-for-21 (.857) from the line Thursday against Weber State. The Vikings rank fourth in the Big Sky and 80th nationally for free throw percentage (.735).
The Vikings held an 18-8 lead after the opening quarter, the second-largest margin for the Vikings after the opening quarter this season. The Vikings are 4-1 when winning the first quarter this season versus 1-7 when they lose it.
Thursday's victory over Weber State marked the Vikings' first win when trailing at halftime, scoring fewer than 70 points and shooting lower than 40.0 percent from the field.
The Vikings have attempted at least 20 free throws in nine of 13 games this season, including a season-high 40 against Kansas City on Dec. 6. For comparison's sake, the Vikings only had four games with 20+ free throws last season.
The Vikings have won the rebounding battle in seven of 13 games this season, while they finished tied with their opponent in two of the other six. That's a significant improvement over last season, when the Vikings were out-rebounded in all but six games.
The Vikings rank fifth in the Big Sky in total rebounds per game (38.1) as well as sixth in rebounding margin (+0.85). The Vikings haven't finished a season with a positive rebounding margin since they finished the 2018-19 season at +1.0.
The Vikings rank fourth in the Big Sky with 13.8 offensive rebounds per game. They recorded 20+ offensive rebounds in back-to-back games against Kansas City and Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 6 and 13, respectively.
The Vikings are 4-0 when they score 70 points or more this season versus 1-7 when they fail to score 70 points.
The Vikings won the turnover battle Thursday, finishing +3 against Weber State. The Vikings are 4-1 when winning the turnover battle versus 1-7 when they lose it. The Vikings rank last in the Big Sky in turnover margin (-2.77).
The Vikings are 4-1 when shooting over 40 percent this season versus 1-7 when they shoot below 40 percent. Additionally, the Vikings are 5-0 when holding their opponent below 40 percent shooting versus 0-8 when their opponent shoots over 40 percent.
Five different players average at least 4.4 rebounds per game for the Vikings this season. That list includes Ajae Yoakum (6.5), Hannah Chicken (6.2), Cici Ellington (5.8), Laynee Torres-Kahapea (4.7) and Kyleigh Brown (4.4).
The Vikings beat Weber State Thursday despite the Wildcats making one more three-pointer than the Vikings. The Vikings are 3-2 when they either tie or outshoot their opponent from three-point range versus 2-6 when their opponent outshoots them.
The Vikings assisted on 18 of their 23 field goals Thursday. The Vikings have assisted on more than 50 percent of their field goals in each of the last three games.
Despite only having one player taller than 6-0, the Vikings rank sixth in the Big Sky with 2.92 blocks per game.
The Vikings' five wins this season have all come on different days of the week. The Vikings are 1-2 on Tuesday, 1-1 on Wednesday, 1-0 on Thursday, 1-0 on Friday, 1-2 on Saturday and 0-3 on Sunday.

Coaching Staff

Karlie Burris earned the first win of her head coaching career with an 89-52 victory over Willamette on Nov. 11.
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 this fall 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, from West Salem High School, 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.