Big Sky Conference play has not started in familiar fashion for Portland State women’s basketball.
The Vikings (7-7, 0-1 Big Sky) were handed their first conference-opening loss under head coach Sherri Murrell Saturday. A late-game rally sparked by guard Kelly Marchant was not enough to fight off Eastern Washington as Portland State fell, 62-70, in Cheney, Wash.
The game was close throughout the first half, and at halftime the score was tied at 28-all. The game remained tight until Eastern Washington went on a 17-6 tear midway through the second half to take a 53-40 lead. The Viks did not give in though, and strong offensive performances from guards Marchant and Eryn Jones kept a victory within reach.
With just under four minutes left in the game, Portland State pulled to within one, 57-56, but the Vikings were unable to capitalize and take over the lead. The shooting went cold and the Viks were left without a field goal during the closing minutes.
Eastern Washington (5-8, 1-0 Big Sky) had key plays and sto ps from guard Brianne Ryan, who finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and from Tatjana Sparavalo, who finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
The three-point shooting was on target for the Viks as they shot 42 percent from behind the arc, but this turned out to not be enough to stop the Eagles. The free throw shooting was another strong point for the Viks, as they were 21-26 on the night. While they were on track from downtown and at the charity stripe, the Vikings found problems inside the arc.
Injuries inside took away the play in the paint, where most of the easy baskets come for the Viks. Coach Murrell was fully aware of the challenges of breaking in a new center into the lineup.
“We really had a hard time getting into the flow of the game, dealing with losing our starting center and being inconsistent in the paint,” she said. “We were successful from the perimeter, but could not get points inside and nothing could stay constant. You have to always play 40 minutes, and tonight we didn’t.”
Three players scored in double figures for the Vikings. Marchant led all scorers with 17 points, knocking down 4–5 shots from behind the arc. Junior guard Eryn Jones finished with 16 points and six rebounds, and forward Allie Brock was able to pull down 10 rebounds to accompany her six points.
This was obviously a tough loss for the team, and frustration has been an issue for both the coaching staff and players. The Viks have four of their first five conference match-ups on the road and have been given a schedule that is not easy on players trying to keep up in classes.
“It’s tough starting out being on the road and having players miss classes,” Murrell said. “Players’ educations are what is most important, so this is definitely the toughest schedule we have seen to date, trying to deal with missing class and playing on the road.”
The Viks have a few days off to work on improving their defense inside the paint before they go back on the road to play Northern Colorado. The team has been focusing on creating a distribution of shots and not relying too much on a single player to make all of the shots. Last year, Claire Faucher was a playmaker and Murrell knows that starters will need to step up to make sure they can close out big games on the road.
“We had a chance to win it even after shooting 28 percent from the field,” a frustrated Murrell said. “We just need to work on playing all 40 minutes and keeping up our defensive pressure throughout.”
Murrell made it evident that the biggest thing is just trying to get road wins with every opportunity they have. It is never easy to win on the road, but it is critical to get as many as possible and to make sure to take full advantage of all games played at home. Adjusting to new players in the lineup takes time, and the Viks will have to adapt, as injuries are a big part of the game.
After having a few days to rest and get back home, the Viks travel to Northern Colorado for a Thursday match-up against a team that is seeing moderate success this season after a disappointing one last year.
Northern Colorado (6-9, 1-1 Big Sky) gave Portland State two losses last season, with the Vikings losing close games by a combined six points between the losses. Northern Colorado has lost key players from last year’s team and seem to be in the process of rebuilding, as Portland State will look to capitalize on the below-average performance the Bears have been showing as of late.
The key to coming home with a win this week will start with creating a more cohesive starting roster with the new changes and finding a way to get points in the paint. Expect the team to come out strong and stay consistent after falling flat in the closing minutes of last Saturday’s game.
First tip-off is set for 6 p.m. Thursday in Greeley, Colo. The game can be followed via live stats on goviks.com. ?