Bring on the Bears

The Portland State women’s basketball team is on the road and headed for Greeley, Colo., where they take on the Northern Colorado Bears tonight. It will be Portland State’s first conference matchup on the road and the fourth Big Sky game for both teams.

First tip-off is set for 6:05 p.m. at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.

A look at the Bears:
Currently 8–8 overall and 1–2 in the Big Sky, the Bears won their first conference game against Northern Arizona at home, but have lost their last two games to Weber State and Idaho State on the road.

Junior guard Courtney Stoermer and senior guard Whitley Cox led the Bears in points last season, and both are doing the same this year. Last season, Cox became the first player at Northern Colorado to eclipse the 1,000-point mark.

This year, Cox has chalked six 20-plus point games, been selected the conference Player of the Week twice and is currently on a 14-game streak of double-digit scoring. Stoermer, not slouching in her season, is riding a 15-game double-digit scoring streak of her own.

The Bears have performed better on their home court this year, racking up a 5¬–1 record in Greeley and a 3–5 record on the road.

A look at the Vikings:
Coming off an impressive two-win weekend, the Vikings are one of only two teams that remain unbeaten in Big Sky play. They are now 9–7 overall and 3–0 in conference.

Last weekend, Portland State’s game against Montana State took them from a 20-point deficit at the half to a 69–62 win. Senior guard Claire Faucher led with 28 points—25 of which came in the second half.

Portland State then took on Montana, which they won in a nail-biting 49–47 finish. Sophomore guard Eryn Jones and junior forward Kelli Valentine led with 11 points each, and a last-minute steal by Faucher ensured a win.

Past matchups:
The Vikings have walked off the court as victors in the past four meetings with Northern Colorado, including a 89¬–82 win in the 2007–08 Big Sky Tournament.

In the last four games, Portland State has won by an average of 18.5 points per game—two of which the Vikings won by more than 20 points. The Vikings’ best shooting percentages of last season came against the Bears.

Game coverage:
Live stats and audio of the game will be available on www.goviks.com.