TIPOFF
Google Maps estimates the distance between Portland, Missoula, Bozeman and Pocatello – the road trip the Portland State women's basketball team went on last week – at over 1,600 total miles. The Vikings covered that distance over five days, playing three games in that span at Montana last Thursday, Montana State Saturday and Idaho State Monday.
 
So, you'll understand if the Vikings will relish their three-game home stand over the next two weeks, a stretch that starts Saturday with a 1 p.m. tipoff against Sacramento State.
 
The Vikings ended their road trip with a 69-57 loss to Idaho State Monday. The Vikings led the Bengals 45-44 with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter. They were shooting 55.2 percent (16-for-29) from the field at that point against an Idaho State defense that came into the game leading the Big Sky in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.
 
But a cold finish to the game that saw the Vikings make just one of their last 15 shots prevented them from ending the road trip with a win. The Vikings also had a cold finish last Thursday against Montana. They led by as many as six points in the fourth quarter against the Lady Griz but went 2-for-15 (.133) from the field over the final 10 minutes as the Lady Griz came back to win 69-63.
 
Head coach Karlie Buris said after the finish against Montana that her team is still learning how to win. That'll be their focus, then, heading into Saturday's meeting with the Hornets.
 
The Vikings also had a narrow miss in their first game against the Hornets on Jan. 10. The Vikings erased a nine-point halftime deficit to tie the game at 54-54 with under five minutes remaining. It was still a one-point game with 2:20 to go when a number of offensive rebounds and PSU turnovers gave the Hornets extra possessions down the stretch that they used to close out a 68-64 victory.
 
The Hornets had 16 more field goal attempts than the Vikings in the game, thanks to 19 PSU turnovers and 21 offensive rebounds. That helped the Hornets overcome a significant deficit from the field, as the Vikings outshot them .439-to-.370.
 
Those will be stats to watch Saturday. The Hornets won't make it easy for the Vikings, as they represent one of the best defensive teams within the Big Sky Conference. The Hornets rank second in the conference in scoring defense – allowing just 60.0 points per game – as well as second in field goal percentage defense (.379). They lead the conference while holding opponents to just 27.4 percent shooting from three-point range.
 
The Hornets also rank fourth in the Big Sky in steals (9.6), blocks (3.4) and turnovers forced (18.6) per game.
 
Offensively, three different players average in double figures for the Hornets. Rubi Gray leads the team with 14.7 points per game, ranking her sixth in the Big Sky Conference. Natalie Picton and Benthe Versteeg rank second and third on the team with 12.9 and 11.0 points per game, respectively.
 
Picton led the Hornets with 21 points in the first game against the Vikings, while Gray followed with 18. Both players struggled from the field, however, as they were a combined 15-for-43 (.349) in the game.
 
Kyleigh Brown led the Vikings with 18 points against the Hornets, 17 of which came in the second half when she was 6-for-7 from the field.
 
Brown extended her double-digit scoring streak to 28 games by the skin of her teeth Monday against Idaho State. She hit two free throws with 54.6 seconds remaining to give her 11 points in the game.
 
Laynee Torres-Kahapea led the Vikings with 14 points against the Bengals, her most points in a game since scoring a career-high 22 points in the Vikings' season opener at Hawai'i. Torres-Kahapea has now scored in double figures in three of the last four games thanks in part to getting to the free throw line efficiently. Torres-Kahapea has made at least five free throws in her three recent double-digit scoring games, while she's 18-for-20 (.900) from the line over the team's last four games.
 
Taylor Moffat also tied a PSU career high with 12 points Monday, the second time she's scored 12 points in her last four appearances. Moffat went 3-for-6 from three-point range against the Bengals, tying a season high for three-pointers.
 
Cici Ellington joined Torres-Kahapea, Moffat and Brown with 10 points, giving the Vikings four players in double figures for the first time since their win over Seattle U on Dec. 17 earlier this season.
 
The Vikings will need that depth of scoring against the Hornets Saturday. Perhaps sleeping in their own beds for the first time in a week will help.
 
GAME #23: PORTLAND STATE (5-17, 1-9) vs. SACRAMENTO STATE (11-12, 5-5)
GAME DETAILS: Saturday, Feb. 7, 1 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore., (Hornet Pavilion)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING SACRAMENTO STATE: The Sacramento State Hornets have dropped four of their last six, including a 72-64 loss to Weber State Monday that gave the Wildcats their first win in Big Sky play. The Hornets' two wins during their recent stretch came over Eastern Washington (61-54 on Jan. 24) and Montana (64-57 on Jan. 31). The Hornets also beat the Vikings 68-64 in Sacramento on Jan. 10, part of A 3-1 start to Big Sky play. The Vikings came back from a nine-point halftime deficit to draw level with the Hornets, 54-54, with under five minutes remaining in that game. It was still a one-point game with just over two minutes to go, but the Hornets gained extra possessions from offensive rebounds and PSU turnovers down the stretch that proved the difference. Statistically, the Hornets represent one of the best defenses in the Big Sky Conference. They rank second in the league in scoring defense – allowing 60.0 points per game – as well as second in field goal percentage defense (.379). They lead the conference in three-point percentage defense (.274). The Hornets also rank fourth in the Big Sky in steals (9.6), blocks (3.4) and turnovers forced (18.6) per game. Offensively, three different players average in double figures for the Hornets. Rubi Gray leads the team with 14.7 points per game, ranking her sixth in the Big Sky Conference. Natalie Picton and Benthe Versteeg rank second and third on the team with 12.9 and 11.0 points per game, respectively. Gray and Picton also lead the Hornets while ranking second and sixth in the Big Sky with 2.17 and 2.00 three-pointers per game, respectively. Versteeg, meanwhile, leads the Big Sky and ranks 54th nationally with 4.7 assists per game. Picton led the Hornets with 21 points in the Hornets' earlier win over the Vikings, while Gray followed with 18.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Hornets, 34-28. The Hornets have won three in a row in the series and nine of the last 10. That includes a 68-64 win over the Vikings in Sacramento on Jan. 10 earlier this season. The Vikings' last victory over the Hornets came at home, 57-51, on March 2, 2024.
 
QUICK HITTERS
Recent Results

• The Vikings lost 69-57 at Idaho State Monday. They led by one, 45-44, with just over five minutes to go in the third quarter but then went scoreless over the next seven minutes.
• The Vikings committed 22 turnovers against the Bengals Monday, which Idaho State turned into a 22-11 advantage in points off turnovers. It was the second straight game and the seventh time this season that the Vikings have given up 20+ turnovers.
• The Bengals became the sixth straight team to out-rebound the Vikings, doing so by seven (34-to-27) Monday. The Vikings had only been out-rebounded four times in their first 16 games of the season but have been out-rebounded by an average margin of 12.3 rebounds per game since then.
• The Vikings went 20-for-26 (.769) from the line against the Bengals, the 12th time this season that the Vikings have shot at least 20 free throws in a game.
• The Vikings held Idaho State without a three-pointer Monday, as the Bengals were 0-for-10 from three-point range. The Vikings were just 3-for-16 (.188) themselves, however, and 0-for-10 if you discount Taylor Moffat going 3-for-6 individually.
• Tasia Jordan became the third straight opposing player to score at least 30 points against the Vikings. Taylee Chirrick scored 31 against the Vikings for Montana State on Saturday, while Montana's Avery Waddington scored 31 the previous Thursday. No player had scored 30 points against the Vikings before Waddington.
• The Vikings had four players score in double figures for the first time since their win over Seattle U on Dec. 17 earlier this season.
• After a tough first quarter against Montana State last Saturday – the Bobcats led the Vikings 31-1 after the opening period – the Vikings led Idaho State 22-18 at the end of the first stanza Monday. It was just the sixth time this season that the Vikings had led after the opening quarter. They are still 4-2 this season when leading after the first quarter despite losing Monday.
• The Vikings shot 57.1 percent (8-for-14) in the opening quarter against Idaho State. They were still shooting 52.2 percent (12-for-23) by halftime, then opened the second half by making four of their first six. But they made just one of their last 15 from there to drop to 38.6 percent (17-for-44) for the game.
• Laynee Torres-Kahapea led the Vikings with 14 points, her highest total of the season outside of her career-high 22 points in the Vikings' season opener at Hawai'i.

 
Team Tendencies/Miscellany

• Opponents are averaging 7.05 more field goal attempts per game than the Vikings. Idaho State had 16 more attempts than the Vikings Monday, while Montana State had 26 more than the Vikings last Saturday. The Vikings are 4-1 when they record more field goal attempts than their opponent this season versus 1-16 when they finish with the same or fewer attempts.
• The Vikings have a pair of fourth-quarter comebacks this season as they erased six-point and eight-point deficits in wins over Kansas City (Dec. 6) and Weber State (Jan. 1), respectively. The fourth quarter is the lone quarter in which the Vikings are outscoring opponents on average this season as they're doing so by 1.0 points per game.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky Conference in both free throws made (14.9) and attempted (20.8) per game this season. Their 20.8 attempts are 4.5 more per game than their opponents.
• The Vikings have been outscored by an average of 5.9 points per game in the opening quarter this season. Montana State's 31-1 first quarter against the Vikings last Saturday was the seventh time this season an opponent has outscored the Vikings by 10 or more in the opening period. The Vikings are 4-2 when leading after the first quarter this season versus 1-15 when they're trailing.
• Opponents are outscoring the Vikings by an average of 8.59 points per game in the first half this season.
• Three-point shooting has been a sore spot for the Vikings. They rank last in the Big Sky in three-point makes per game (4.23) and percentage (.257), while they rank ninth in three-point percentage defense (.325). Opponents are averaging 2.14 more three-pointers per game than the Vikings this season.
• The Vikings have attempted at least 20 free throws 12 times 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 eight times this season, while they finished tied with their opponent four other times. That's a significant improvement over last season, when the Vikings were out-rebounded in all but six games. But the Vikings have been out-rebounded in their last six games.
• The Vikings are 4-0 when they score 70 points or more this season versus 1-17 when they fail to score 70 points.
• The Vikings are 4-3 when winning the turnover battle versus 1-14 when they lose it. The Vikings rank seventh in the Big Sky in turnovers per game (17.4), ninth in turnovers forced per game (13.2) and 10th in turnover margin (-4.18).
• The Vikings are 5-2 when holding their opponent below 40 percent shooting versus 0-15 when their opponent shoots over 40 percent.
• Three different players rank in the top 15 of the Big Sky for rebounds. Ajae Yoakum leads that group with 6.40 rebounds per game, ranking her 12th in the conference. Hannah Chicken and Cici Ellington rank 13th and 15th in the conference behind her with 5.95 and 5.76 rebounds per game, respectively.
• The Vikings' five wins this season have all come on different days of the week. The Vikings are 0-1 on Mondays, 1-2 on Tuesdays, 1-1 on Wednesdays, 1-3 on Thursdays, 1-0 on Fridays, 1-7 on Saturdays and 0-3 on Sundays.

 
Players
#12 Kyleigh Brown

• Sophomore guard Kyleigh Brown has scored in double figures in 28 straight games, the longest such streak by any player over the last 20 seasons at Portland State. She scored 20+ in three straight games before being held to 11 points in the last two games.
• Monday's game was the closest Brown has come to having her double-digit scoring streak snapped. She didn't record her 10th point until hitting a free throw with 54.6 seconds remaining.
• Brown leads the Vikings with 18.0 points per game this season, ranking her third in the Big Sky and 53rd nationally.
• Brown has shot 50 percent or better from the field in four of the Vikings' last eight games. Brown ranks fifth in the Big Sky with a .433 field goal percentage this season.
• Brown has been especially effective in the second half of games recently. Since Jan. 10 against Sacramento State, Brown is averaging 11.9 points per game on 52.5 percent shooting in the second half alone.
• Brown is 4-for-26 (.154) from three-point range over the Vikings' last eight games. She had been 22-for-50 (.440) from three-point range through the Vikings' first 14 games of the season.
• Brown had a streak of 19 straight free throws snapped Monday at Idaho State. She had streaks of 21 and 26 straight free throws earlier in the season. The school record is 35 straight free throws made by Kiana Brown between Nov. 28, 2017, and Jan. 20, 2018.
• Brown leads the Big Sky and ranks 21st nationally with an .890 free throw percentage. That would rank seventh on the single-season list at Portland State if the season ended today.
• Brown is averaging a career-best 3.8 rebounds per game, 0.4 more per game than she averaged as a freshman.
• Brown leads the Vikings while ranking eighth in the Big Sky with 32.0 minutes played per game.
• 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.

 
#9 Hannah Chicken

• Freshman Hannah Chicken scored in double figures in nine straight games between Dec. 6 and Jan. 17. However, she's been held under 10 points in four of the last five games since then.
• Despite not scoring in double figures, Chicken had one of her best all-around games against Montana last Thursday with eight points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and one steal. Her 12 rebounds and three blocks against the Lady Griz were both career highs.
• Chicken is 7-for-27 (.259) from the field over the last three games. That's been an uncharacteristic stretch for Chicken, who despite that still leads the Vikings with a .481 field goal percentage this season.
• Chicken ranks second on the team with 10.7 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 is 13-for-30 (.433) from three-point range this season. She was 10-for-13 (.769) over a six-game from Jan. 3-24 but is 0-for-6 over the Vikings' last three games.
• Chicken ranks second on the team in free throw percentage while shooting 81.5 percent (44-for-54) from the line. She doesn't meet the minimum requirements of 2.5 makes per game in order to be ranked statistically, however.
• Chicken ranks 13th in the Big Sky with 5.95 rebounds per game. She's 12th in the conference with 2.00 offensive rebounds per game.
• Chicken recorded the first double-double of her career with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 13. She's been close to a second a couple of different times, including last Thursday against Montana.
• 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.

 
#8 Cici Ellington

• Cici Ellington reached the 1,000-point career milestone in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' game against Eastern Washington on Jan. 22. She hit 500 career rebounds with six boards last Thursday against Montana.
• Ellington has scored in double figures in five of the Vikings' last nine games. That includes two of the last three, as she scored 12 points at Montana last Thursday, then 10 points at Idaho State Monday.
• Ellington set a career high with 16 rebounds against Weber State on Jan. 1, recording the most rebounds by a Viking since Pia Jurhar had 16 against Multnomah on Nov. 25, 2017.
• Ellington's average of 8.8 points per game this season is her best since her true sophomore season at Loyola Marymount when she averaged 9.3 points per game.
• Ellington ranks tied for sixth in the Big Sky with 1.00 blocks per game.
• Ellington played her first two years at Loyola Marymount (2019-21) before transferring to Grambling State (2021-24). She played 19 games at Grambling during the 2021-22 season 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. She was granted a rare seventh year for COVID and medical hardship.
• 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.

 
#5 Ajae Yoakum

• Ajae Yoakum returned to double figures for the first time since the Vikings' Big Sky opener against Weber State on Jan. 1 with 10 points to go with six rebounds Thursday at Montana. She was held to two points in each of the next two games, however.
• 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. Both double-doubles came in Portland State wins.
• Yoakum leads the Vikings while ranking 12th in the Big Sky Conference with 6.40 rebounds per game. She also ranks eighth with 2.75 offensive rebounds per game.
• Yoakum ranks tied for second on the team with 1.75 assists per game. That's a career-best average for Yoakum. She's led or tied for the team lead in assists in six games this season.
• Yoakum reached 1,000-career points over her entire collegiate career (including junior college points) 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 has scored in double figures in three of the Vikings' last four games. In all three games, she made at least five free throws.
• Torres-Kahapea led the Vikings with 14 points Monday against Idaho State. That was her most points since scoring a career-high 22 in the Vikings' season opener at Hawai'i. She also set a season high with three steals in the game.
• Torres-Kahapea went 6-for-6 from the line Monday at Idaho State. She's 18-for-20 (.900) from the line over the Vikings' last four games. For the season, she's shooting 80.6 percent (54-for-67) from the free throw line.
• Torres-Kahapea – despite being just five-feet, six-inches tall – is averaging a career-best 3.5 rebounds per game. That's 0.7 more per game than her previous career-best average (2.8 as a sophomore).
• 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 tied for second on the team with 16 made three-pointers this season while shooting 16-for-64 (.250) from beyond the arc.
• Torres-Kahapea leads the Vikings with 2.27 assists per game. She had a career-high seven assists against San Jose State on Nov. 28.

 
#23 Taylor Moffat

• Taylor Moffat tied her PSU career high with 12 points Monday, eight of which came in the opening quarter as the Vikings jumped out to an early 22-18 lead over the Bengals. Moffat tied her season high with three three-pointers in the game.
• Moffat originally set her PSU career high with 12 points against Northern Arizona on Jan. 17. She also set season highs for field goals (4), rebounds (4, tied), steals (3) and minutes (33) against Northern Arizona.
• Moffat had been 4-for-23 from three-point range over her last eight games before going 3-for-6 from beyond the arc Monday.
• Moffat ranks tied for second on the team with 16 three-pointers this season while she's shooting 29.6 percent (16-for-54) from beyond the ac.
• Moffat ranks second on the team with 1.75 assists per game. She set a PSU career high with seven assists in the Vikings' game against Idaho State on Jan. 3.
• 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 recorded one of her better all-around games at Sacramento State on Jan. 10, totaling nine points, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks. She had three points each against Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona.
• 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.

 
#2 Jamia Carter

• Jamia Carter has been held scoreless in the past three games. She had been averaging 6.75 points over the previous four games.
• Carter set season highs for points (9), rebounds (4) and minutes played (22) against Northern Colorado on Jan. 15. She followed up with eight points on 3-for-6 shooting at Northern Arizona on Jan. 17.
• Carter missed the first nine games of the season after suffering a knee injury last February. She's averaging 2.6 points and 11.3 minutes per game since her return.

 
Additional Players

• Kirstine Munk started the first nine games of the season for the Vikings before coming off the bench for every game since. She's averaging 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game this season.
• Katelyn Best scored a career-high 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field against Willamette on Nov. 11. She's averaging 1.3 points per game this season.
• Alani Encinas started the first two games of the season. She's averaging 0.5 points and 5.9 minutes played per game this season.

 
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.