BOZEMAN, Mont. — The fatigue of a week-long, three-game road trip appeared to catch up to the Portland State women's basketball team in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' game against Montana State Thursday. The Vikings had been within five points of the league-leading Bobcats in the third quarter, but ended up losing 98-67 at the Bobcats' Worthington Arena.
 
The shooting numbers for the Vikings (12-14, 6-10 Big Sky) dropped dramatically in the second half. After going 13-of-30 (.433) from the floor in the first half, the Vikings shot just 10-of-35 (.286) in the second half, and just 2-of-16 (.125) from three-point range. The Vikings' defense also suffered in the second half, as the Bobcats shot 21-of-34 (.618) overall and 6-of-7 (.857) from three-point range in the final 20 minutes.
 
Thursday's game was always going to be a tough finish to the Vikings' road trip, however, as the Bobcats (18-6, 14-1 Big Sky) came in with a three-game lead over every other team in the Big Sky standings. The Bobcats haven't lost to a conference team in over a month, and extended their win streak to 10 straight games with their win over the Vikings.
 
Despite all that, the Vikings stayed with the Bobcats for the first 25 minutes, as it was still a five-point game at 53-48 with 4:31 left in the third quarter. Junior guard Kylie Jimenez scored 12 first-half points to keep the Vikings in it, while freshman Belle Frazier scored 11 of her 13 points in the first 25 minutes.
 
The Vikings' shooting started to leave them at that point, however, as the Bobcats held the Vikings without a field goal over the last five minutes of the third quarter. It didn't help that Jimenez went down with what appeared to be a severe twisted ankle with 5:41 left in the third quarter, and didn't return until the Bobcats had stretched their lead to double digits late in the third quarter. A 14-0 Montana State run in the middle of the fourth quarter put the game further out of reach.
 
Four Vikings still finished in double figures despite the team's struggles from the floor. Frazier led the team with 13 points while Jimenez and Tatiana Streun finished with 12 each. Desirae Hansen scored eight of her 10 points from the line while adding five assists and four rebounds Thursday.
 
Streun broke out of a mini-slump to score her 12 points for the Vikings Thursday. Streun had been held to just 11 points combined in the Vikings' last three games, less than what she scored Thursday. Streun also added seven rebounds against the Bobcats for her most rebounds in a game since grabbing 11 against Weber State on Jan. 20.
 
Jimenez inched closer to the 1,000-point barrier with her 12 points Thursday. Jimenez now has 979 in her career, leaving her 21 points from becoming the 19th member of the 1,000-point club at Portland State.
 
Jimenez could reach the barrier next weekend, when the Vikings return to Viking Pavilion for their final two home games of the regular season. The Vikings open the weekend against Idaho State Thursday, then host Weber State for Senior Day on Saturday.
 
Next Thursday's game against Idaho State will tip off at 7 p.m. (PT) at Viking Pavilion.
 
Game Notes: The Vikings fell to 29-37 all time against Montana State after Thursday…The Bobcats out-rebounded the Vikings 49-33 Thursday, the 13th straight game in which the Vikings have been out-rebounded by their opponent…Opponents have shot over 40 percent in six straight games against the Vikings…Jimenez passed Delores Krumm (1978-82) for fifth on the all-time assists list at Portland State with four more Thursday.