Coming into the final weekend of the season and riding a five-game losing streak, the Portland State women’s basketball team was looking to end the season on a high note. Their losing skid came to an end on Thursday night as the Vikings took down the Weber State University Wildcats at home. The team came back to the Stott Center on Saturday to face the Idaho State University Bengals, and despite dropping a close game, played some of their best basketball in weeks.
Women’s basketball finishes strong
Coming into the final weekend of the season and riding a five-game losing streak, the Portland State women’s basketball team was looking to end the season on a high note. Their losing skid came to an end on Thursday night as the Vikings took down the Weber State University Wildcats at home. The team came back to the Stott Center on Saturday to face the Idaho State University Bengals, and despite dropping a close game, played some of their best basketball in weeks.
The Saturday matchup was Senior Night for the Viking squad, where teammates and fans got a chance to say farewell to seniors Courtney VanBrocklin and Karley Lampman. Head coach Sherri Murrell wanted the team to focus on finishing strong in front of their home fans.
Weber State gave the Vikings a run for their money early in the game on Thursday, but a combined 39 points from VanBrocklin and freshman guard Emily Easom helped the Vikings pull out an overtime win, 79-73. Portland State had four players who scored in double digits, and the team had 25 assists overall on the night. Murrell said that team basketball mentality was one of the biggest factors in pulling out the late win.
The Wildcats came out firing against PSU, leading for the entire first half and going into the locker room with a three-point advantage. The Vikings refused to be rattled, tying the game early in the second half on a fast-break layup by Allie Brock and eventually going up by seven points with just over seven minutes to go. The Wildcats chipped away at the lead and managed to tie the game on a free throw by Regina Okoye with a minute-and-a-half to play. Both sides had chances to score in the final minute but were unable to convert, sending the game to overtime.
Weber State took an early lead in the extra period before the Vikings stormed back, taking the lead back on a three-pointer by Lampman and holding on for the victory. Easom said that the win was a tremendous confidence booster going into Saturday’s game, which the team wanted badly to win for their seniors.
Because of a family emergency, Murrell was unable to be at the game against Idaho State, so assistant coach Colby Matney was in charge for PSU. After a tough contest in which neither side held more than a seven-point lead, Idaho State came away with a 61-54 win, but Matney was proud of the squad.
“[The seniors’] teammates really wanted to send them out on a positive note, and in my mind, they did,” he said.
The Vikings held an early lead over the Bengals, but Idaho State responded and went into halftime up 32-28. PSU pushed back in the second to tie the game at 32-all, but the Bengals were active on the offensive glass and got some crucial second-chance points, building a seven-point lead with just over two minutes to go that they would not relinquish.
With the season at an end, the seniors can now look back and reflect on what they have achieved as a part of PSU basketball.
“They’ve been in the program for four years,” Matney said. “When you sacrifice with people like that for so long, it means a lot.”
VanBrocklin echoed the sentiment: “It’s been fun and crazy and definitely memorable,” she said.
