Following two straight road wins, Portland State came back to the Stott Center to face a pair of formidable conference opponents last week, going up against the Montana State University Bobcats on Thursday and the University of Montana Lady Griz on Saturday. The Vikings, who were without standout guard Kate Lanz after she suffered a season-ending ACL injury the previous week, were unable to hold off the visiting teams despite solid efforts by senior guard Courtney VanBrocklin and the rest of the Viking squad.
Women’s basketball team swept at Stott Center
Above and beyond: Sophmore guard Allison Greene breaks through two Montana State Defenders. Photo by Karl Kuchs.
Following two straight road wins, Portland State came back to the Stott Center to face a pair of formidable conference opponents last week, going up against the Montana State University Bobcats on Thursday and the University of Montana Lady Griz on Saturday. The Vikings, who were without standout guard Kate Lanz after she suffered a season-ending ACL injury the previous week, were unable to hold off the visiting teams despite solid efforts by senior guard Courtney VanBrocklin and the rest of the Viking squad.
With the losses, PSU dropped to 7-6 overall and just 1-3 in conference play. The team appears to be feeling the impact of losing Lanz, who had established herself as a crucial presence on the defensive end and on the boards for the Vikings. PSU was out-rebounded in both of games against the Montana visitors, and both opponents had more steals than the home team.
“[The] biggest challenge we faced was the opposing teams’ post players’ size and their physicality,” VanBrocklin said after the game. “And because of that, we had a hard time guarding them.”
While the team struggled defensively, VanBrocklin took control of the offense. Down by just five at halftime on Thursday, she scored 19 of her 21 points in the second half to keep the game close and helped the Vikings to get within one point with less than a minute to go. The Bobcats then settled in at the line and hit a series of clutch free throws to come away with an 81-74 victory.
The senior went on to tie her career high with 26 points against Montana two days later. PSU was able to keep the score within nine in the first half, but the Lady Griz stretched their lead to as many 19 points in the second, eventually winning 70-55.
Despite the setback, the Vikings remain optimistic that VanBrocklin’s leadership and the continuing strong play of junior forward Angela Misa will allow the Vikings to compete with the rest of the Big Sky this season.
“It’s important for me to continue to perform right now,” VanBrocklin said. “Our team is struggling to find enough confidence to put up shots. Right now, it’s important for me to push and facilitate the offense, and if it comes down to it—if no one can get a shot—then I can take that opportunity and shoot.”
The Vikings will travel to take on California State University, Sacramento this Thursday at 7 p.m., followed by a matchup with Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff scheduled for Saturday at 5:35 p.m. Live stats will be available on goviks.com.
