PORTLAND, Ore. — The Viking Pavilion magic nearly struck again.
 
Down 59-51 to Idaho with 4:20 remaining, the Portland State women's basketball team closed on an 11-3 run to force overtime but ended up falling 75-64 to the Vandals in the extra period. The Vikings had a shot to win it at the end of regulation but senior Kylie Jimenez's mid-range jumper in the final seconds bounced off the rim.
 
If Jimenez's shot had fallen, it would have been the Vikings' fourth last-second game-winner in their past six games. Additionally, the Vikings' three game-winners before Saturday had all come after the Vikings trailed by at least six points in the fourth quarter, making Saturday appear to be more of the same until the Vikings went cold in overtime.
 
Despite the loss, Saturday's game marked a huge turnaround for the Vikings (8-9, 6-8 Big Sky), who lost 86-63 to the Vandals on the front end of their home-and-home series against each other at Memorial Gym in Moscow. The Vikings never led in that game, and were down by double figures for the entire last three quarters, but played a markedly different game Saturday.
 
"I loved our fight in the fourth. We got down eight to a team that we lost pretty convincingly to on Thursday and we didn't get caught up in it. We continued to fight and I love that. To have a chance to win it at the end, as a coach, that's all I can ask for. To make that turnaround in two days says a lot about where we're going," Portland State head coach Lynn Kennedy said afterwards. "We had so many good-looking shots and today they didn't fall. And I think that's part of basketball, sometimes they fall, sometimes they don't."
 
The Vandals (14-6, 13-3 Big Sky) out-rebounded the Vikings 52-40 Thursday, but the Vikings came back and matched the Vandals, 45-45, on the glass Saturday. Fifth-year senior Tatiana Streun made a big difference in that effort, as she posted team highs for points (14) and rebounds (13), securing her fourth double-double of the season in the process. That was a marked change from Thursday's game, when Streun played less than seven minutes due to early foul trouble in the first half and then the runaway score in the second half.
 
"We need that from her," Kennedy said of Streun's performance. "We need those players to step up in those times, especially the experienced players, and she had mismatches today that she took advantage of. We didn't get that Thursday and I like to see that.
 
"She played under control. She was poised today, and I thought defensively she did an amazing job."
 
Streun kickstarted the Vikings' late run with a rebound basket that made it 59-53 with 3:48 remaining. Streun's bucket came on the Vikings' third chance on the possession, as the Vikings worked their way back into the game despite tough shooting at times.
 
Desirae Hansen followed with a layup after a steal from Jimenez, then scored again to make it 59-57 with 2:03 remaining following another second-chance opportunity. A third second-chance opportunity came a minute later when freshman Morgan Baird grabbed an offensive rebound and dished out to fellow freshman Jenna Kilty. Kilty – who hit two crucial, fourth-quarter three-pointers in the Vikings' comeback against Northern Arizona last Sunday – knocked down another clutch shot, giving the Vikings a 60-59 lead with less than a minute remaining.
 
The Vandals answered with a jumper in the paint from Beyonce Bea to go back up 61-60. Jimenez fed Streun on the Vikings' next possession, and Streun made a good move to the basket for a go-ahead layup that made it 62-61 with 26 seconds remaining. Bea got fouled on the other end for the Vandals, but only made one of two baskets to leave the game tied at 62-62.
 
The Vikings worked an open jumper for Jimenez – who hit a game-winning layup at Montana on Feb. 4 – on the final possessions of regulation. The magic wasn't there this time, however, as the shot bounced off and the game went to overtime.
 
Fatigue caught up with the Vikings once in overtime as the team struggled from the floor while Idaho got to the line early and often. The Vandals ended up out-scoring the Vikings 13-2 in the extra period, making for a less dramatic finish than in regulation.
 
Hansen followed Streun with 12 points for the Vikings, and added eight rebounds to go with two assists and a steal.
 
Freshman Nakia Boston, meanwhile, posted her second straight double-digit scoring game with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting overall and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Boston was the bright spot for the Vikings Thursday, as she scored a career-high 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting to lead the Vikings in that game.
 
Kilty, Boston's freshman classmate, also went 4-of-7 from the field Saturday while finishing with nine points to go with three rebounds.
 
Jimenez finished with six points to go with six assists, five rebounds and three steals.
 
The Vikings will step out of conference play for a game against Warner Pacific Monday. Tipoff between the Vikings and Knights is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
Game Notes: The Vikings fell to 14-30 all-time against Idaho following Saturday's loss…The Vikings honored Streun, Jimenez, Ruchae Walton and Labrea Denson before the game as part of Senior Day…Streun now has 10 double-doubles in her Portland State career, the most of any active Portland State player…Jimenez needs only nine assists now to enter the career top 10 within the Big Sky Conference after upping her career total to 516 Saturday.