Portland State women’s basketball looks sharp in 85-69 win over Central Washington
In her first collegiate performance, freshman Allison Greene stole the spotlight, as the Portland State women’s basketball team took care of business in their exhibition opener on Friday night at the Stott Center. The reigning Big Sky champion Vikings, who are picked to win the conference again in both the preseason coaches and media polls, cruised to an 85-69 victory over the Division II Central Washington Wildcats in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.
Although the game was simply a preseason warm-up before the team’s season opener on Nov. 11, the Vikings and Greene looked to find their mid-season form after a slow first half. Greene scored 21 points, shooting 9 of ten from the field to lead all scorers.
“My teammates got me the ball often and in the right spots,” Greene said. “I was able to finish.”
“She didn’t look like a freshman,” Portland State head coach Sherri Murrell said of Green. “She attacked the basket and did a lot of great things on the defensive end as well. She’s someone who we knew would be an impact player on our team and she showed that.”
Portland State didn’t find their groove until the second half, working away the offseason rust in the opening minutes. Reigning Big Sky MVP Erin Jones, was held scoreless in the first half and the Vikings only managed a two-point lead going into the break. Central Washington stayed close with three pointers from guards Jessica VanDyke and Sophie Russell, who were a combined 7-10 from beyond the arc for the game.
However, Friday’s exhibition was a tale of two halves, as Jones returned to her MVP form and Greene scored 17 of her 21 points in the second half. Portland State opened the second half blazing hot, hitting their first nine shots from the field and pushing their lead to eleven points. The Wildcats stayed within striking distance until the Vikings pushed away in the later stages of the contest, using an 11-1 run to close out the game.
Jones finished the game with 10 points and six assists on 4-7 shooting. Junior guard Karley Lampman contributed 14 points, three rebounds and two assists for the Vikings, while freshman guard Lariel Powell also scored in double-figures with 10 points.
“I was very pleased with our adjustments at halftime,” Murrell said. “We went out and did a better job [after halftime]. Overall, there were some very good things about it and some things we need to work on too.”
Portland State shot a red-hot 75 percent from the field in the second half, and finished the game at 60 percent shooting. However, the Vikings did not hit a three-point shot in the game and they only attempted one shot from distance. Last season, the Vikings finished second in the conference in three-pointers made with 198 on 583 attempts.
Still, the exhibition served as a productive warmup for the team and offered a promising outlook for the rest of the Viking’s season. Murrell knows that meeting expectations and repeating as Big Sky champions will be a tough road.
“We need to come out strong every night,” Murrell said. “We have a target on our back especially in conference.”
Portland State kicks off the regular season with non-conference action on Nov. 11 in a home game against UC Irvine.
