LAS VEGAS, Nev.  – The Vikings led late but fell in overtime, 88-80, to the UNLV Rebels Friday night at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nev. to open the 2017-18 season.
 
Portland State (0-1 overall) led 72-51 midway through the fourth quarter but went ice cold from the floor. UNLV (1-0) went on a 19-0 run over the next five minutes to pull within two at 72-70. After a PSU free throw, the Rebels hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 73-73 with 18 seconds left to force overtime.
 
The Vikings shooting woes continued in overtime as the Rebels outscored them, 15-7, to take the 88-80 opening night win.
 
Portland State, down a couple players due to injury, was shorthanded down the stretch after both Sidney Rielly and Corey James fouled out during the fourth quarter. Rielly led the Vikings with 19 points, going 4-for-9 from the floor and 11-for-16 at the free-throw line.
 
At the time of her fifth foul, James had six points on a pair of three-pointers. She also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.
 
The Vikings had four players score in double-digits on opening night. To go along with Rielly's 19 points, a pair of newcomers had big games. Redshirt junior Kiana Brown scored 18 points in her debut, playing 40 minutes. She went 5-for-17 from the floor and hit a team-high four three-pointers.
 
Freshman Kylie Jimenez played a team-high 41 minutes in her Portland State debut, scoring 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting. She hit a trio of three-pointers. Junior Courtney West added 12 points along with seven rebounds and a game-high three blocks before she fouled out late in the overtime period.
 
UNLV scored the first seven points of the game before a 10-0 run by the Vikings put them up by three mid-way through the first quarter. The lead bounced back-and-forth throughout the rest of the period before a pair of late free throws gave UNLV an 18-16 lead.
 
A three-pointer by Jimenez, her first collegiate field goal, put the Vikings up four at 28-24, and forced UNLV to call a timeout midway through the second quarter.
 
A jumper from Brown followed by a jumper and a three-pointer from Jimenez gave the Vikings a seven-point lead, 37-30, and forced another UNLV timeout with 1:50 remaining in the first half. The Vikings and Rebels traded free throws over the final minutes of the first half and the Vikings lead 38-31 at the break.
 
Portland State shot .483 from the floor in the first half with five three pointers. Brown led the team with 10 points and two assists.
 
Brown extended the Vikings' lead to 10 points with a three-pointer to open the second half. The Vikings extended their lead by outscoring the Rebels 21-16 in the quarter, to lead 59-47 heading to the fourth.   
 
Portland State took a 72-51 with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter before going cold from the floor. UNLV came back and pulled within two at 72-70 after a 19-0 run before a free throw from Brown ended the Rebels run. UNLV tied the game at 73-73 on a three-pointer with 18 seconds left in the fourth.
 
UNLV outscored Portland state 15-7 in overtime to take the game, 88-80.
 
UNLV had five players score in double-figures, led by Katie Powell's 19 points. She also pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
Portland State hits the court again Sunday, Nov. 12 against the Nevada Wolf Pack in Reno, Nev. Nevada dropped its season opener, 87-61, to Utah.