PORTLAND, Ore. — Sixteen first-half turnovers put the Portland State women's basketball team in a hole it couldn't climb out of as the Vikings fell to cross-town rival University of Portland, 71-56, Saturday at the Chiles Center.
 
Sixteen of the Pilots' first 27 points came off turnovers. Nine turnovers came in the second quarter when the Pilots (6-5) turned what had been a tied game after the opening 10 minutes into a 12-point lead by halftime.
 
The Vikings tried to respond with a push at the start of the fourth quarter. Down 55-40 entering the final period, the Vikings scored seven straight to cut it to an eight-point deficit with 7:02 remaining. They then had three shots to cut it to six or closer, but missed all three and the Pilots stretched their lead back out to 15 by the final buzzer.
 
"That's what they like to do," Portland State head coach Chelsey Gregg said of the Pilots forcing the Vikings into turnovers. "The second half, we only had five turnovers and we saw the difference in the game. It was really a tale of two halves. I think if we make some shots down the stretch, then it's a different ball game, so we can work on that. But we can't turn the ball over 16 times in the first half. We could barely get into an offensive set before it was going the other way.
 
"I was proud of our team for not folding. They came back and gave them a fight in the second half, but we can't turn the ball over like that."
 
The turnovers prevented the Vikings from getting into a rhythm from three-point range. The Vikings didn't hit their first shot from deep until Jada Lewis connected with 2:24 remaining in the second quarter. Lewis finished 4-of-11 from three-point range in the game, including one from NBA range that punctuated the Vikings' 7-0 run to start the fourth. However, the rest of the Vikings were just 1-of-7 from deep.
 
Without their outside shooting to counter, the Pilots used their size advantage to control the paint. The Pilots outscored the Vikings 42-22 in the paint, while 22 of their 24 field goals came from inside the arc. The inside game meant the Pilots outshot the Vikings .480-to-.357, while also getting to the line more frequently, hitting 21 free throws compared to 11 for the Vikings
 
Lewis and Cinco McCartney were bright spots for the Vikings, as they both went into double figures. Lewis' 12 points led the Vikings, while her four makes from deep marked the fourth straight game in which she's hit at least four three-pointers. McCartney set a career high with 11 points, while she, Lewis, and Syd Schultz all tied for the team lead with five rebounds each.
 
The Vikings were strong overall on the glass Saturday. The Pilots out-rebounded them by only one, 32-to-31, which was a win for the Vikings considering the Pilots' size advantage. Additionally, the Vikings out-rebounded the Pilots 12-to-9 on the offensive glass, which led to a 10-8 advantage on second-chance points.
 
Besides McCartney, Lewis and Schultz, Rhema Ogele, Esmeralda Morales and Mia 'Uhila all finished with four rebounds each. Ogele added eight points to her four rebounds on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor.
 
The Viking defense also applied its own pressure on the Pilots. Despite the early struggles, the Vikings actually finished even with the Pilots in turnovers, 21-to-21. They committed only five turnovers after halftime, while they held the Pilots to only four points off turnovers in the second half.
 
Morales led the Vikings with four steals, while Ogele, Lewis, 'Uhila and Paige Winter-Blanchard all had two each.
 
Another bright spot for the Vikings were their assists. They finished with 15 assists on 20 field goals for their third-highest assist total in a game this season. 'Uhila recorded a game-high five assists in the game, while Morales and Lewis each had three.
 
Of course, the Vikings would rather have wins than bright spots. They'll get another chance to get back in the win column next Saturday, Dec. 17, when they host New Mexico State at Viking Pavilion. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
 
Game Notes: The Vikings fell to 26-30 all time against the Pilots with Saturday's loss…The Pilots have now won two in a row against the Vikings, after the Vikings had won three in a row from 2017-19…Morales was held to single digits (seven points) for the second straight game after she had opened the year with six straight double-digit scoring games.