MOSCOW, Idaho — Thursday's game against Idaho served as a reminder for the Portland State women's basketball team of the benefits of this year's unique Big Sky schedule where teams play each other twice in a weekend. No matter how badly the first game goes, you get to put it behind you and play the same team again less than 48 hours later.
 
That's what the Vikings will focus on after losing 86-63 to the Vandals at Memorial Gym.
 
"We didn't play very well tonight," Portland State head coach Lynn Kennedy said matter-of-factly afterwards. "It's a new game on Saturday and we have to make adjustments to be ready. We know playing on the road in the Big Sky is tough and to be in games you have to have a 40-minute effort. We didn't get that tonight.
 
"We've bounced back before and we'll do it again."
 
The Vikings never led Thursday, and weren't within single digits at any point in the final three quarters. But, none of that will matter Saturday as the Vikings get a rematch on their home floor at Viking Pavilion.
 
The Vikings (8-8, 6-7 Big Sky) will be more familiar with that gym, where they're likely to shoot better than they did through the first three quarters Thursday. The Vikings didn't top 30 percent in any quarter until going 10-of-18 (.556) with the game out of reach in the fourth.
 
The Vandals (13-6, 12-3 Big Sky), meanwhile, couldn't miss early as they went 10-of-21 (.476) while hitting mid-range jumper after mid-range jumper in establishing a 24-12 lead after the first quarter. The Vandals then extended their lead with an 11-0 run out of halftime that made it 51-20 with less than three minutes gone in the third.
 
Freshman Nakia Boston provided a bright spot for the Vikings in the latter stages of the game. Boston scored 13 of her team-high 14 points in the second half, including eight straight points in the middle of the fourth quarter.
 
Boston hit a three-pointer with 4:45 left in the game to kickstart her individual 8-0 run. Boston then guard followed with her second three-point play of the game, while another aggressive drive resulted in two free throws for Boston on the Vikings' next possession. The freshman guard helped created the next play for the Vikings, as well, as she dished to fellow freshman Reilly Kelty for a bucket the next time down the court.
 
Boston's 14 points marked a new career high for the freshman, as well as her first double-digit scoring game since tying her previous career high with 11 points against Idaho State on Jan. 21.
 
Another freshman, Morgan Baird, shouldered the load earlier in the game for the Vikings. Baird had eight points at halftime, when she was 4-of-6 from the field while the rest of the team was just 5-of-26. Baird finished with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting to go with seven rebounds, four of which came on the offensive glass.
 
Twelve of the 13 players who dressed for Thursday's game scored for the Vikings. Besides Boston and Baird, Kelty and Syd Schultz finished with six each, while Kylie Jimenez, Desirae Hansen and Labrea Denson all had five.
 
Saturday's game against the Vandals tips off at 12 p.m. at Viking Pavilion.
 
Game Notes: The Vikings fell to 14-29 all-time against Idaho after Thursday…Jimenez hit one three-pointer to give her 190 in her career, leaving her 10 away from becoming the only Viking player to record 1,000 points, 500 assists, 250 steals and 200 three-pointers in her career.