PORTLAND – Ashley Bolston came up big for the Vikings once again, hitting the game-tying and the game-winning free throws with 0.8 seconds left to give Portland State the 74-73 win Saturday afternoon to open Big Sky Conference play.
 
Portland State (7-5 overall, 1-0 BSC) trailed by four with 18 seconds left in the game. After calling a timeout to advance the ball, FR G Kylie Jimenez came hit a huge three-pointer from the right wing to pull the Vikings within one with 7.2 seconds remaining.
 
Sacramento State (2-10, 0-1) was able to run some time off the clock as the Vikings had fouls to give. The Hornets, inbounding from in front of their bench, threw the ball into the backcourt to inbound the ball. Bolston was able to track down the ball and foul to stop the clock with 2.0 left.
 
The Hornets, now inbounding from under the Vikings' basket, attempted to go for the Hail Mary pass and threw it deep but there was nobody there to receive the pass and it went out of bounds without being touched to give possession back to the Vikings, down by one, and inbounding under their own basket.
 
Portland State knew exactly what play to draw up. The Vikings inbounded it to Bolston on the block who went up strong and drew the foul . She stepped to the line and knocked down two free throws to give the Viking the one-point win.
 
Bolston, fresh off being named the Big Sky Player of the Week after scoring a career-high 32 points in the Vikings' win over Ole Miss to close out non-conference play, posted a team-high 25 points Saturday against the Hornets, going 9-for-15 from the floor (.600). She went 2-for-4 from distance and knocked down 5-of-6 at the line. She added three steals and a season-high seven assists in 35 minutes of action.
 
JR G Sidney Rielly added 17 points, going 7-for-18 from the floor and 3-for-8 from distance in the win. It was Rielly's sixth game of the season with three-or-more triples. As a team, Portland State hit a season-high 11 three-pointers, while shooting a season-high .478 from downtown.
 
Jimenez added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a career-high four three-pointers. She had six assists to just two turnovers in 36 minutes.
 
Sacramento State jumped out to an early 5-0 lead to open the game. Bolston got the Vikings on the board with a jumper in the paint. After trading baskets, Rielly hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 11-11. After a Sacramento State three, Rielly hit another triple to tie it again at 14-14. Sacramento State's Maranne Johnson hit back-to- back threes to put the Hornets up six. JR G Kiana Brown hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to make it a 20-17 game at the end of the first.
 
After trading baskets to open the second quarter, Bolston hit a wide-open three-pointer from the wing to tie the game at 22-22. Sacramento State and Portland State continued to trade baskets with the Hornets going up by as much as five points at 33-28. Bolston hit a three-pointer before Jimenez hit a runner in the lane to tie it at 33-33 heading to the break.
 
After scoring just two points in first quarter, Bolston scored 12-consecutive points for the Vikings in the second.
 
Rielly gave the Vikings their first lead of the game with a quick layup to open the second half. After the Hornets evened it on the other end, Jimenez hit a three-pointer to put the Vikings up three. After trading points once again, another three from Jimenez followed by a jumper from JR F Courtney West put the Vikings up seven at 48-41. West finished the game with eight points and a team-high eight rebounds.
 
The Vikings went up by eight points on a pair of free throws from JR G Corey James before back-to-back threes from the Hornets cut the lead to two. RIelly hit Bolston on a nice cut in the lane for a layup to make it 55-51 heading to the fourth.
 
Portland State picked up right where it left of to open the fourth. Brown hit a three-pointer to give the Vikings a seven-point lead. After a 5-0 Sacramento State run, the Vikings countered with a 5-0 run of its own to make it 63-56.
 
Sacramento State went on a run, hitting 5-of-7 from the floor to cut the lead to one point at 67-66 with 2:59 remaining. West hit a jumper, her second straight, to put the Vikings up three but the Hornets came right back with a jumper of their own to once again make it a one-point game with 1:51 left.
 
Sacramento State hit a three-pointer with 56.5 seconds left in the game to take its first lead of the second half. A costly turnover put the Vikings back on defense. The Vikings' 2-3 zone picked up the slack and forced the Hornets to put up a shot late in the clock and Bolston was able to come down with the rebound.
 
A timeout with 24.5 seconds left advanced the ball for the Vikings. Another turnover for the Vikings on the inbounds play led to a Portland State foul on the other end. After a pair of free throws put Sacramento State up by four at 73-69.
 
Jimenez hit a big three-pointer to make it a one-point game with 7.2 left. Sacramento State inbounded the ball deep under the Portland State basket where Bolston was able to track down the ball and foul with 2.0 left. After Sacramento State turned the ball over on the inbounds, Bolston got the back under the PSU basket and drew the foul. She hit both free throws to give the Vikings the 74-73 win to open conference play.
 
Sacramento State's Johnson added 25 points of her own, going 9-for-17 from the floor and 7-for-13 from distance.
 
Portland State continues its home stand next week with conference games against Eastern Washington and Idaho.
 
NOTES:

• Portland State is now 4-0 at home on the year.
• JR G Ashley Bolston scored a team-high 25 points for her second-straight 20-point game.