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OGDEN, Utah — A 14-0 run to start the second half doubled the Portland State women's basketball team's lead in less than five minutes, and the Vikings didn't look back from there as they beat Weber State 77-59 at the Dee Events Center Saturday.
 
The Vikings (11-2, 3-1 Big Sky) never trailed against the Wildcats (3-13, 0-6 Big Sky), as the team started hot for the second straight game before burying Weber State with their run at the beginning of the third quarter.
 
The hot starts have been a welcomed change from the Vikings' first two games in Big Sky play, including the Vikings' last conference road game, when they fell behind by 14 points at the end of the first quarter in a loss to Northern Colorado on Dec. 31.
 
"We talked about how we needed to start better on the road, and we responded in a big way this afternoon," Portland State head coach Lynn Kennedy said after the game.
 
Senior guard Sidney Rielly helped launch the Vikings early, as she did in the Vikings' last game – a 78-60 win over Montana at home a week earlier. Rielly had 16 points in the first half against the Grizzlies, but one-upped herself against the Wildcats Saturday, finishing with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc before halftime.
 
"Sidney's in a zone," Kennedy said of Rielly afterwards. "She's shot-ready and her teammates are making the extra pass to find her. If teams take away something from us, we have players that can step up, and for the last two games that player has been Sid."
 
Rielly hit back-to-back three-pointers to open the game for the Vikings, and scored 11 of the Vikings' 18 points in the first quarter as the Vikings built an 18-11 lead after the opening period.
 
Other players got involved from there, as freshman Ana Tainta hit a three-pointer for the Vikings' first points in the second quarter, while senior forward Pia Jurhar followed with back-to-back jumpers. Junior forward Jordan Stotler hit a layup off an assist from senior guard Ashley Bolston to give the Vikings a 14-point lead at 27-13, and the Vikings never led by less than eight points the rest of the way.
 
Rielly came back to hit two three-pointers late in the second quarter, the second of which provided a comical note in the midst of her dominance. With less than 30 seconds left in the first half, Rielly got a steal late in Weber State's shot clock and confused the fans counting down the final seconds of the shot clock as them counting down the final seconds before halftime. As a result, Rielly heaved a ball from the Wildcat logo just past half court, even though there were still more than 20 seconds on the clock. Nevertheless, Rielly made it, as her shot banked in to put the Vikings up 16 at 42-26.  

Um...@sidneyrielly2, you had more time on the clock. Oh well, the senior hits her fifth 3-pointer of the first half from Steph Curry range as she thought time was running out before halftime. It would be #SCnottop10 material, but since she made it, #SCtop10? #GoViks #ProudViks pic.twitter.com/2gkZnOCf89

— Portland State Women's Basketball (@psuviksWBB) January 12, 2019

Rielly opened the third quarter with back-to-back buckets, the second of which came on a pretty play where Rielly stole the ball and passed out to sophomore point guard Kylie Jimenez, who then fed a streaking Rielly for a fast-break layup.
 
The Viking defense forced the Wildcats into four straight turnovers to open the second half, and the Vikings took advantage as they scored the first 14 points after the break to lead 56-28 with 5:11 remaining in the third quarter.
 
The Vikings were in cruise control from there, as the closest the Wildcats got the rest of the way was the final score, 77-59.
 
Tainta scored the Vikings' least two buckets of the game, both coming on assists from fellow freshman Desirae Hansen. Hansen fed Tainta on a long pass following a steal that made it 74-52 Vikings, and then passed out wide to Hansen for a three-pointer that made it 77-54 with just over a minute remaining.
 
Tainta finished with 12 points – one off her career high of 13 – and made two three-pointers in the game. Tainta has now hit multiple shots from distance in two straight games after only having two three-pointers total through the Vikings' first 11 games of the season.
 
Rielly trumped all players with six three-pointers in the game, tying the career high she set with six threes against the University of Portland on Dec. 1 earlier this season. Rielly finished with a game-high 26 points against the Wildcats Saturday, and also tied a career high with eight rebounds to go along with three steals.
 
Senior forward Courtney West joined Rielly and Tainta in double figures with 10 points to go with seven rebounds and five blocked shots.
 
As a team, the Vikings out-rebounded the Wildcats 39-33, the second straight game the Vikings have out-rebounded their opponent after failing to do so in four straight games. Additionally, the Vikings finished with a 16-12 advantage on the offensive glass, the first time the Vikings have held an advantage in offensive rebounds since their win over UTEP on Dec. 9 earlier this season.
 
The Vikings return home for their next two games, as they host Southern Utah and Northern Arizona next weekend. The Vikings will open the weekend against Southern Utah, as they tip off against the Thunderbirds at 7 p.m. (PT) Thursday in the Viking Pavilion.
 
Game Notes: The Vikings improve to 27-28 all time against the Wildcats with Saturday's win, and increased their advantage in the Big Sky series to 24-19…The Vikings made a season-high 10 three-pointers as a team against the Wildcats…The 18-point road win over the Wildcats marked the Vikings' largest-ever road win against the Wildcats, as well as the largest Big Sky road victory since the Vikings beat Montana 64-44 on Jan. 19, 2017…The largest Big Sky road victory in program history is 26 points, set in two different games against Sacramento State (97-73 on Jan. 29, 2011; 77-51 on Jan. 16, 2003).