The Vikings easily handled the University of Texas at El Paso Miners in their first road win of the season on Dec. 11, logging a decisive 89-61 win to continue their streak and improve their record to 6-0. The match in El Paso was the first of two road games for the Vikings, who started their first season in the new Viking Pavilion with an undefeated home streak.
The Vikings have been a force to be reckoned with this season, undefeated in a slew of non-conference matches winning every game by a margin of 10 points or greater. Initially predicted to finish second in the Big Sky Conference in a pre-season poll taken by league coaches, Portland State currently holds a commanding lead in the conference with their nearest competitor residing two games behind.
In El Paso, the Vikings took the lead early and never let go, bombarding the Miners with an aggressive offense lead by senior guard Ashley Bolston, who scored 21 points to go along with four steals and four assists. Sophomore guard Kylie Jimenez also had a strong performance, scoring 18 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block. Both guards are having strong seasons, averaging double-digit scoring with 5+ assists.
Portland will extend their roadtrip in Phoenix, Ariz., on Dec. 11 to take on Grand Canyon University, a Division I team in the Western Athletic Conference. The Vikings will then return home to Portland for their final two non-conference games of the season against University of Nevada Las Vegas and University of California Irvine.
