The Portland State women’s basketball team hosted a weekend of gritty games. On Thursday, the Vikings came out with a win against Northern Arizona University. Sophomore guard Allison Greene had another strong night against the Lumberjacks, scoring 23 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals. The drive to make the Big Sky tournament was clear, and PSU claimed a well-earned 66-61 victory over their conference rivals.
The Lumberjacks, 6-16 overall and 5-8 in the Big Sky, quickly made their presence known in the first half, going up 14-8 in the early going. But improved shooting by the Vikings pushed the team to within one point midway through the half. PSU shot just over 33 percent in the first half, then improved to 52 percent in the second.
Greene led the way for the Vikings and scored four points in the final minute of the first half to cut the Lumberjacks lead to three going into the locker room. After halftime she picked up right where she left off, helping the Vikings to gradually chip away at the lead. With just over 10 minutes to go, Greene sank a jumper that gave PSU its first lead since early in the first half. Courtney VanBrocklin was also crucial to the effort, getting 13 of her 19 points in the second half.
After Northern Arizona reclaimed the lead, Greene hit another jumper with five minutes on the clock to give the home team an advantage they would not give up. Head coach Sherri Murrell was impressed with her team’s effort.
“I told them poise and confidence was the reason why we won against Montana State [last week],” Murrell said. “We have to have that poise and confidence again and again and again. And tonight, we never let ourselves get down too much.”
Greene’s 23-point performance was a career-high. Junior forward Angela Misa had another solid night, scoring eight points and pulling down 13 rebounds.
Saturday’s game saw freshman guard Emily Easom continue her breakout play this season. Easom, who did not play against Northern Arizona due to a concussion, had a career-high scoring night of her own, finishing with 25 points in a tough 88-82 loss to California State University, Sacramento.
“I thought we did a good job in the first half breaking the press and taking the open shot,” Murrell said. “When we ran plays, we got the points, so it’s just really unfortunate. They know what happened—they understand it. It’s just an unfortunate loss.”
The Vikings came out hot and pulled ahead 21-14 midway through the first half, but Sacramento State’s leading scorer Fantasia Hilliard took over, scoring 15 points in the first half alone. The Hornets also employed their signature full-court press, which the Vikings were unable to consistently break through.
PSU managed to claw their way back into the game, getting within three points with 7:32 left. The momentum appeared to be shifting in the Vikings’ favor when Misa fell hard at the baseline and had to be helped off the court. Shortly after, VanBrocklin fouled out of the game, and the Vikings were forced to send their opponents to the line to try and get the ball back. The Hornets made seven of their final eight free throws to maintain the lead and get the victory.
The Vikings will need to find their rhythm once again as they go on the road for a four-game stint. PSU will face Southern Utah University on Thursday at 6 p.m.