Raising Hell – From the desk of Nathan Hellman

So the Vikings tallied another victory Saturday. It was Portland State’s 15th of the season to be exact. In the win, the women’s basketball squad banded together, rallying to defeat conference foe Eastern Washington by a 21-point margin after holding a three-point halftime lead.

Have you heard that story before? You know, the truthful tale about the Vikings notching another victory?

It’s certainly not a fresh, novel storyline, nor is it a far-fetched fable. This year’s Vikings team has catapulted their way into the record books already as the best the program has seen since joining the Big Sky in 1996.

But as I watched Portland State dig deep and claw back against the Eagles Saturday, an innovative thought crossed my mind. Instead of holding this team side by side with those legendary squads that grace the pages of history, like the 1994-95 team that vied for the Division II National Championship, we should fast-forward and envision what this team may be a year from now.

As junior forward Kelsey Kahle wowed the crowd with athletic drives to the hoop and spinning hook shots that looked like they had no business falling through the hoop on her way to a game-high 29 points, proof of this team’s traction was certainly apparent.

And as sophomore point guard Claire Faucher raised some eyebrows with her impeccable passing ability and smooth stroke from behind the arc, the thought of this team becoming a favorite to win the Big Sky, not only this season but also next, suddenly transformed from a nice underdog story to near inevitability.

In addition to stellar performances from stars like Kahle and Faucher, the Vikings received significant contributions from youngsters in their come-from-behind win Saturday, which is biggest reason for this program’s long-term hope.

Freshmen players like guard Kelly Marchant, who added seven points, forward Kelli Valentine, finishing with six points and a pair of rebounds, and center Courtney Cremer, who corralled five rebounds, aided the Vikings in a second-half trouncing of the Eagles.

With Kahle and Faucher, the Vikings have had a player win the Big Sky Outstanding Freshman of the Year award the past two seasons. And it’s not much of a stretch to predict one of these fine freshmen will proudly hoist the trophy again this season.

Aside from how amazing that development would be if it comes to fruition, the mere fact that having a probable chance of a player winning the freshman of the year award three consecutive seasons tells a great bit about the Portland State program.

The message is this program’s future is far greater than either its past or present state.

Regardless of whether the Vikings ascend to glory by earning their first NCAA Tournament berth ever, think about next season for a moment.

Kahle will be a senior and the bona fide leader of the team. Faucher, who currently leads the nation with 8.7 assists per game, will have another year under her belt and should slide nicely into a leadership role. And the host of freshmen mentioned earlier will be more experienced, possessing honed skills after competing for one year at the collegiate level.

Unless unforeseen changes occur, senior forward Delaney Conway, an integral piece to the Vikings’ success this season, should prove to be the only casualty from this year’s squad, as she is slated to graduate.

Many have pinpointed this version of the Vikings as the team to redefine the program.

But, no pressure ladies, because NCAA Tournament or not, next season is the year when the table will be set for supremacy. And, besides, a 20-win season in 2007-08 is a far cry from the 3-23 campaign in 2004-05.

It’s staggering how much a program can grow in just three seasons.