TIPOFF
The Portland State women's basketball team got its first taste of defeat last Sunday, falling 71-68 on the road against Hawai'i at the Bank of Hawai'i Classic. But anyone who watched that game and knew the Vikings erased a 17-2 deficit at the start of the game, as well as a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter while playing mostly freshmen, knows that the defeat hardly cut into the promise fans should feel about this young Viking team.Freshmen Esmeralda Morales, Alaya Fitzgerald and Mia 'Uhila combined for 24 of the team's 30 points in the fourth quarter, when the Vikings went 9-of-10 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. Those three freshmen scored all 20 points of a 20-5 run that turned a 51-41 deficit with 8:35 remaining into a 61-56 lead with 3:19 to go.
If the Vikings had started the game better, then the freshmen would have easily led the Vikings to their fourth straight win to open the season. Regardless, they and the rest of the Vikings can right the ship Saturday, when they face Utah Valley on the road at 11 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. MT.
The offense has come faster than the defense for the Viking freshmen. Last Sunday's loss to Hawai'i was the first this season in which the Vikings have failed to score at least 75 points in a game. Otherwise, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 58th in the nation with 77.5 points per game. Outside shooting has fueled the offense for the Vikings, as they lead the conference and rank 21st in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.402) while simultaneously ranking second in the Big Sky and 13th in the nation with 9.8 makes per game.
Morales and Jada Lewis both average over 3.0 three-pointers a game, as they've traded off holding the hot hand for the Vikings. Morales tied a single-game record with eight three-pointers (on only 11 attempts) in the Vikings' season opener against Warner Pacific on Nov. 9. Lewis followed with a 6-of-9 performance from deep against Dixie State on Nov. 12, then went 7-of-12 from the outside against Prairie View A&M on Nov. 20.
Lewis ranks tied for the Big Sky lead with 3.5 three-pointers made per game, an average that also ranks her 12th in the nation. Morales, meanwhile, ranks third in the Big Sky and 25th in the nation with 3.25 makes per game. Fitzgerald joins them in the top 15 of the Big Sky, as she ranks tied for 12th with 1.75 makes per game after going 3-of-4 from deep against Hawai'i.
Those three all also rank in the top 15 of the Big Sky for scoring. Morales has scored at least 19 points in all but one game so far this season, which has her ranked second in the conference and 24th in the nation with 20.5 points per game. Lewis and Fitzgerald rank tied for seventh and ninth, respectively, with 14.0 and 13.8 points per game.
And while the offense has come faster than the defense for the Viking freshmen, the defense has had its strengths, too. The Vikings are strongest on the perimeter, as they've taken care of the ball while simultaneously forcing opponents into 18.5 turnovers per game. The Vikings lead the conference in assists per game (17.3), steals per game (11.3), turnover margin (+5.25) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3). Morales and 'Uhila lead the Vikings in assists and steals, while both rank in the top five of the Big Sky for assist-to-turnover ratio. Morales ranks second in the Big Sky in assists per game (5.0) and tied for second in steals per game (2.75), while 'Uhila ranks seventh in assists (3.5) and tied for fifth in steals (2.25). 'Uhila leads the pair in assist-to-turnover ratio, however, as she leads the Big Sky at 2.8, while Morales ranks tied for fifth at 1.67.
Three other Vikings join Morales and 'Uhila in the top 15 of the Big Sky for steals per game. Lewis ranks eighth in the conference with 1.75 steals per game, while Fitzgerald and Savannah Dhaliwal rank tied for 10th in the Big Sky with 1.5 steals per game.
Utah Valley has hurt people on the inside and outside so far this season, as they have a solid 1-2 punch in Maria Carvalho and Josie Williams. Carvalho, a 5-8 guard, gives the Wolverines punch on the outside, as she's averaged 19.4 points per game through the team's first five games this season while going 14-of-29 (.483) from three-point range. Williams, a 6-5 center, gives the Wolverines punch on the inside as she's averaged 15.6 points and 13.0 rebounds per game this season. Williams leads the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in both total rebounds per game (13.0) and offensive rebounds per game (6.0), and ranks third in the NCAA in both categories.
Outside of those two, Madison Grange and Megan Jensen average 11.0 and 8.4 points per game for the Wolverines, while Jensen also averages 8.2 rebounds per game.
The Wolverines beat one of the Vikings' fellow Big Sky Conference teams earlier this season, as they topped Southern Utah, 60-54, on the road on Nov. 16. The team's other wins have come over Park University (90-47) out of the NAIA, and Colorado Mesa (62-50) out of NCAA Division II. The Wolverines lost their only two other games against Division I opponents, as they fell 71-62 to Fresno State on Feb. 11, and 70-64 at Nevada on Nov. 20.
The Vikings would love nothing more than to hand the Wolverines their third loss of the season Saturday, which would put them back in the win column heading into their conference opener against defending champion Idaho State on Dec. 2. And if the young Vikings play like they did in the fourth quarter last Sunday, then no one should bet against them.
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (3-1) vs. UTAH VALLEY (3-2)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEOGAME DETAILS: Saturday, Nov. 27, 11 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. MT, Orem, Utah (UCCU Center)
SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY: The Utah Valley Wolverines have alternated wins and losses so far this season, beating Park University (90-47), Southern Utah (60-54) and Colorado Mesa (62-50) while losing to Fresno State (71-62) and Nevada (70-64). The Wolverines' win over Southern Utah represents their lone Division I win this season. The Wolverines won that game on the road while holding the Thunderbirds to only 29.7 percent from the field. Maria Carvalho and Josie Williams have provided a strong 1-2 punch on the inside and outside for the Wolverines so far this season. Carvalho, a 5-8 guard, gives the Wolverines punch on the outside, as she's averaged 19.4 points per game through the team's first five games this season while going 14-of-29 (.483) from three-point range. Carvalho ranks third in scoring within the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) through the first two weeks of the season, while she ranks sixth in the conference with 2.8 three-pointers made per game. Carvalho also adds 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game to her 19.4 points per game. Williams, meanwhile, gives the Wolverines punch on the inside as the 6-5 junior center averages 15.6 points and 13.0 rebounds per game this season. Williams has recorded a double-double in four of the team's five games so far, and had 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting to go with nine rebounds in the other game. Williams leads the WAC in both total rebounds per game (13.0) and offensive rebounds per game (6.0), and ranks third in the nation in both categories this season. Outside of Carvalho and Williams, Madison Grange and Megan Jensen average 11.0 and 8.4 points per game for the Wolverines, while Jensen also averages 8.2 rebounds per game.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings and Wolverines are 3-3 against each other before Saturday's game. The teams haven't played each other since Dec. 18, 2009, however, when the Vikings won on the road, 85-58. The Wolverines' last win in the series came the year before, when they beat the Vikings 102-92 in overtime on Dec. 29, 2008, in Portland.
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS
- The Vikings were held to 68 points in their game against Hawai'i Sunday, but they still lead the Big Sky while ranking 58th in the NCAA with 77.5 points per game this season. The team also leads the conference with a scoring margin of +15.5 points per game.
- The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 21st in the nation with a .402 three-point field goal percentage as a team. They also rank second in the conference and 13th in the nation with 9.8 three-pointers made per game. Three different players rank in the top 15 of the Big Sky for makes per game. Jada Lewis ranks tied for the conference lead while standing 12th in the nation with 3.5 triples a game. Esmeralda Morales ranks third in the Big Sky and 25th in the nation with 3.25 three-pointers per game, while Alaya Fitzgerald ranks tied for 12th in the conference with 1.75 makes per game.
- Esmeralda Morales was named to the Bank of Hawai'i Classic All-Tournament team after averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.0 three-pointers made per game at the tournament.
- The Vikings lead the Big Sky with 17.3 assists per game, and also lead the conference with a 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. Esmeralda Morales ranks second in the Big Sky with 5.0 assists per game, while fellow freshman Mia 'Uhila ranks seventh with 3.5 assists per game. 'Uhila leads the pair and the conference with a 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio, while Morales ranks tied for fifth with a ratio of 1.67.
- The Vikings lead the Big Sky with 11.3 steals per game, and also stand atop the conference with a turnover margin of +5.25. Five different Vikings rank in the top 15 of the Big Sky for steals per game. Esmeralda Morales leads the team while ranking tied for second with 2.75 steals per game. Mia 'Uhila ranks tied for fifth with 2.25 steals per game, while Jada Lewis stands eighth with 1.75 thefts a game. Savannah Dhaliwal and Alaya Fitzgerald also rank tied for 10th with 1.50 steals per game each.
- Freshman Esmeralda Morales has scored at least 19 points in three of her first four games as a Vikings. She set a freshman record with 32 points in her debut game, and still ranks second in the Big Sky and 24th in the nation with 20.5 points per game.
- Freshman Alaya Fitzgerald has scored in double figures in each of her first four games as a Viking, and now ranks ninth in the Big Sky with 13.8 points per game. Fitzgerald scored a career-high 17 points in the team's game against Hawai'i, with 12 of the 17 points coming during the Vikings' furious second-half rally.
- Savannah Dhaliwal has scored in double figures in all four games for the Vikings, marking a triumphant return from back-to-back ACL tears that have kept her out of the past two seasons. Dhaliwal played in her first counting game in 985 days when she started the team's season opener against Warner Pacific on Nov. 9. Since then, Dhaliwal recorded her first-career double-double in the Vikings' win over Prairie View A&M last Saturday, when she totaled 13 points and 11 rebounds. Dhaliwal averages 12.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 three-pointers per game while shooting .500 from the field and .625 (5-of-8) from three-point range.
- Rhema Ogele had a double-double in each of her first two games of the season, and now ranks tied for third in the Big Sky with 9.0 rebounds per game. Ogele has only played 15.3 minutes per game, however, as she's gotten into foul trouble in some games.
- Jada Lewis went a combined 13-of-21 (.619) from three-point range in the Vikings' games against Dixie State on Nov. 12 and Prairie View A&M on Nov. 20. Lewis went 6-of-9 from deep against Dixie State, followed by a 7-of-12 performance against Prairie View A&M. She now ranks tied for first in the Big Sky and 12th in the nation with 3.5 three-pointers made per game. She's also fourth in the conference and 80th in the nation with a three-point field goal percentage of .467.
- The Vikings have started three freshmen in Esmeralda Morales, Alaya Fitzgerald and Rhema Ogele in each game so far this season. Together with Mia 'Uhila, the team's four freshmen all rank in the team's top six in terms of minutes played this season.
- Head coach Chelsey Gregg is in her first year at the helm of the Vikings after spending the previous six seasons as first an assistant than an associate head coach for the Vikings. The Viking players dumped ice water over Gregg's head following the team's first win of the season on Nov. 9. A photo of the moment was shared by the @NCAAWBB accounts as their photo of the week that week.
- The Vikings have nine underclassmen out of the 14 players on their roster this season, while Savannah Dhaliwal represents the team's lone senior.
OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
Head coach Chelsey Gregg said she wanted the team to run and open up its offense more in her first season at the helm. If anything, she may have undersold that a bit as the Vikings lead the Big Sky with 77.5 points per game. The team scored at least 80 points in their first two games of the season, and hit 75 points in a 75-61 neutral-site win over Prairie View A&M in Hawai'i last Saturday. The Vikings have shown that they can light it up from the outside this season, as they lead the Big Sky with a .402 three-point field goal percentage while ranking second in the conference and 13th in the nation with 9.8 makes per game. Three different Vikings rank in the top 15 of the conference individually for makes, led by Jada Lewis and Esmeralda Morales, who both average over three triples a game. Lewis ranks tied for the Big Sky lead and 12th in the nation with 3.5 three-pointers made per game, while Morales ranks third in the Big Sky and 25th in the nation with 3.25 makes a game. Both players have had games where it seems they can't miss from the outside. Morales started it off on opening night, when she tied a single-game record that was originally set in 1991 with eight three-pointers on only 11 attempts. Lewis followed with a 6-of-9 performance from deep against Dixie State in the team's next game, then topped that while going 7-of-12 from the outside against Prairie View A&M at the Bank of Hawai'i Classic. Besides them, freshman Alaya Fitzgerald ranks tied for 13th with 1.75 three-pointers made per game, after she went 3-of-4 from deep in the Vikings' game against Hawai'i last Sunday. Additionally, Morales, Fitzgerald and Savannah Dhaliwal have all scored in double figures in every game so far this season. Lewis also has two 20-point games this season, while Rhema Ogele has also added two double-digit scoring nights for the Vikings.SHARING IS CARING
Last Sunday's loss to Hawai'i was the first time this season that the Vikings haven't assisted on at least 50 percent of their field goals. Otherwise, the Vikings assisted on 21 of their 35 field goals against Warner Pacific on Nov. 9, and 23 of their 30 field goals against Dixie State on Nov. 12. That quality has the Vikings ranked first in the Big Sky and 45th in the nation with 17.3 assists per game. The Vikings have also taken care of the basketball while passing it around, as they lead the Big Sky and rank 29th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.3. Freshmen Esmeralda Morales and Mia 'Uhila both rank among the Big Sky leaders in both categories individually. Morales ranks second in the Big Sky with 5.0 assists per game, while 'Uhila stands seventh with 3.5 helpers a game. 'Uhila leads the pair in terms of assist-to-turnover ratio, as she leads the Big Sky with a ratio of 2.8, while Morales ranks tied for fifth at 1.67.THEFT ON THE WING
Opposing teams should know they can't get lackadaisical around the perimeter against the Vikings. If they do, then any number of Vikings could make them pay. The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 48th in the nation with 11.3 steals per game this season. That's led to a +5.25 turnover margin for the Vikings, which again leads the Big Sky while ranking 63rd in the nation. The Vikings have forced teams into 18.5 turnovers per game so far this season, while five different Vikings rank in the top 15 of the Big Sky for steals per game. Esmeralda Morales leads the team while ranking tied for second in the conference with 2.75 steals per game. Mia 'Uhila ranks tied for fifth with 2.25 steals per game, while Jada Lewis stands eighth with 1.75 thefts a game. Savannah Dhaliwal and Alaya Fitzgerald also rank tied for 10th with 1.50 steals per game each. The active defense on the perimeter means the Vikings also rank well in other defensive categories. They stand third in three-point field goal percentage defense (.253), as well as fourth in field goal percentage defense (.372). Additionally, the Vikings rank tied for fourth in the Big Sky with 41.5 rebounds per game, and also stand fifth with a rebounding margin of +3.25.MORE OF MORALES, PLEASE
It took freshman point guard Esmeralda Morales all of two weeks to earn the first honor of her Viking career. Morales was named to the Bank of Hawai'i Classic All-Tournament Team last weekend, after averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.0 three-pointers per game at the tournament. It continued a standout start to the season for Morales, which started with a record-breaking debut in the Vikings' season opener against Warner Pacific on Nov. 9. Morales tied a single-game record that has stood since 1991 with eight made three-pointers against the Knights. She also set five other freshman records in the game between the records for points (32), points in a debut (32), field goals made (11), three-point field goals made (8) and three-point field goal percentage (.727). Morales now ranks second in the Big Sky and 24th in the nation with 20.5 points per game through the first four games of the season. She also ranks second in the Big Sky in assists per game (5.0) and tied for second in steals per game (2.75). It doesn't end there, though, as Morales ranks third in three-point field goals made per game (3.25), tied for fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.67), seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.371), 11th in field goal percentage (.385) and second in minutes played per game (36.74).JADA CAN KNOCK DOWN THE J's, DUH
Every defense the Vikings face this season should know that Jada Lewis can fill it up from the outside. She showed that while posting two of her best games ever as a Viking in back-to-back contests against Dixie State on Nov. 12 and Prairie View A&M on Nov. 20. Lewis set a new career high in both games, while going a combined 13-of-21 (.619) from beyond the arc between both contests. Lewis started with 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting from deep against Dixie State, then topped that with a career-high 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the outside against Prairie View A&M. As a result, Lewis ranks tied for the Big Sky lead and 12th in the nation with 3.5 three-pointers made per game. She also ranks fourth in the Big Sky and 80th in the nation with a three-point field goal percentage of .467. Lewis has actually shot the ball better from outside the arc (14-of-30, .467) than she has from inside of it (6-of-14, .428) so far this season. All of it has added up to 14.0 points per game for Lewis so far this season, an average that ranks her tied for seventh in the Big Sky in scoring.ROOTING FOR LAY IS AS EASY AS A LAY-UP
Freshman Alaya Fitzgerald, nicknamed Lay, has scored in double figures in all four of the Vikings' games so far this season, giving her a strong start to her Viking career. Fitzgerald played the best game of her young career in the team's comeback against Hawai'i. Despite eventually losing the game, Fitzgerald helped lead the Vikings back from a 17-2 deficit at the start of the game as well as a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, as the Vikings led by five with less than two minutes remaining. Fitzgerald scored 12 of her 17 points after halftime, while she and fellow freshmen Esmeralda Morales and Mia 'Uhila combined for 24 of the Vikings' 30 points in the fourth quarter. Fitzgerald's 17 points in the game marked a new career high, while she also set career highs for rebounds (5) and three-pointers made (3). Fitzgerald now averages 13.8 points per game this season, which ranks her ninth in the Big Sky through the first two weeks of the year. She also ranks tied for 10th in the Big Sky with 1.5 steals per game, as well as tied for 13th with 1.75 three-pointers made per game.THE LONG-AWAITED RETURN OF SAVANNAH DHALIWAL
Savannah Dhaliwal hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 38 seconds left in the Vikings' game against Hawai'i that could have made for a storybook ending for the redshirt senior if Hawai'i didn't immediately respond with a three-pointer of their own on the other end. Still, the storybook element for Dhaliwal has been the simple fact that she's back out there playing for the Vikings, and playing well. The Vikings' season opener against Warner Pacific on Nov. 9 marked the first counting game for Dhaliwal in 985 days. Dhaliwal first tore the ACL in her right knee in the Vikings' home game against Idaho on Feb. 28, 2019, which kept her out of the entire 2019-20 season. She re-tore her ACL in the fall of 2020, which forced her out of the entire 2020-21 season as well. But ever since her return, Dhaliwal has showed no ill-effects of the injuries as she's scored in double figures in all four games so far this season. She recorded the first double-double of her Viking career in the team's win over Prairie View A&M, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. Dhaliwal's done a little bit of everything for the Vikings this season, as she's averaging 12.0 points, 6.75 rebounds, 2.25 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.25 three-pointers made per game while shooting .500 from the field and .625 (5-of-8) from three-point range. Dhaliwal ranks 12th in the Big Sky with her 6.75 rebounds per game, while she also ranks tied for 10th in steals per game (1.5).YOUTHFUL ROSTER
Nine of the Vikings' 14 players this season will be freshmen or sophomores, and neither class has had a normal basketball season due to the pandemic since they were either sophomore or juniors in high school. That should make for a youthful roster at times for the Vikings this season, especially considering the Vikings' only have one senior – Savannah Dhaliwal – to counterbalance that youth. Even the Vikings' juniors had their freshmen years in 2019-20 cut short in March due to the pandemic, and then weren't able to work on their games nearly as much as they would have liked as sophomores during the 2020-21 season.PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Big Sky coaches and media members picked the Vikings to finish ninth and eighth in their respective preseason polls. The top three in both polls were identical, with Idaho State the clear favorite in both. The Bengals return several key players from last year's team that ran away with the Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles. Because of that, the Bengals earned all but their own first-place vote in the coaches poll, and picked up 17 of the 22 first-place votes in the media poll. Montana State followed the Bengals at second in both polls, narrowly edging Idaho in third.SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Nov. 20, 2021, Portland State 75, Prairie View A&M 61: Savannah Dhaliwal recorded the first double-double of her career with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Jada Lewis set career highs for points (23) and three-pointers (7) to lead the Vikings offensively.Nov. 12, 2021, Portland State 80, Warner Pacific 52: The Vikings held a Dixie State team that had just set a new school record with 22 made three-pointers in its season opener to 5-of-34 (.147) shooting from deep. Jada Lewis set a career high with 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
Nov. 9, 2021, Portland State 87, Warner Pacific 64: Esmeralda Morales tied a single-game record that's stood since 1991 with eight three-pointers against the Knights, while setting five new freshman records in the game. Morales broke the freshman records for points (32), points in a debut (32), field goals made (11), three-point field goals made (8) and three-point field goal percentage (.727). Savannah Dhaliwal also made her return after missing the last two seasons due to back-to-back ACL tears. Dhaliwal had 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting while setting new career highs for assists (6) and steals (2) in her first counting game in 985 days.
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