PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland State women's basketball team nearly played the role of The Grinch Saturday afternoon at Viking Pavilion. Down for most of the game against New Mexico State and struggling from the field, the Vikings nearly stole the game from the Aggies with a late run that got them back within one in the final minute of regulation.
 
A cold spell of over four and a half minutes at the start of the fourth quarter saw the Aggies (4-7) build a 51-40 lead with 4:29 remaining. But the Vikings (4-5) would score 13 of the next 16 points to get back within one at 54-53 with 18.5 seconds remaining. Jada Lewis converted a three-point play to make it a one-point game, and the Aggies would only hit one of two free throws on the other end to give PSU the ball back, down two.
 
The Vikings missed a layup on the other end, but then got the ball back with 5.9 seconds remaining after forcing a turnover on an in-bounds pass following a timeout. The Vikings couldn't get the shot they wanted on the final possession, however, as a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer clanged off the rim.
 
"I thought we fought back, but it was just too late," Portland State head coach Chelsey Gregg said afterwards. "Proud of the fight because again, I think we're showing that we won't go away, but we have to find a way to do that earlier. When things aren't going our way, what can we still control?"
 
Things weren't going the Vikings' way for the first 35 minutes of the game. The Vikings didn't hit a field goal for the first nine minutes of the game, instead scoring their first 13 points from the free throw line. They were still just 5-of-23 from the floor until making four straight shots to end the third quarter. Lewis followed with the team's first three-pointer of the game early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to five with 8:43 remaining.
 
But the Vikings followed with a scoring drought that lasted four and a half minutes as the Aggies pushed their lead back out to 11.
 
"Credit to their defense. We were maybe taking the first opportunity rather than working it around. They were also able to hold us to one-and-done, and we weren't able to get out and run," Gregg said of the team's errant night from the field. "The last five minutes, we really attacked like we could and got our feet set and I think you saw a difference there."
 
Mia 'Uhila snapped the cold spell in the fourth quarter with a tough inside bucket. Esmeralda Morales followed with a finish through contact, and Lewis added two free throws to push it to a 7-0 run that made it 51-47 with 2:11 remaining. A rebound basket pushed the Aggies' lead back out to six, but Cinco McCartney answered with a three-pointer – just her second of the season – from the right corner to the cut the deficit in half at 53-50.
 
The Aggies then had trouble putting the game away from the line in the final minute. They made one of two after the Vikings missed a fast-break layup, and Lewis answered with her three-point play to cut it to a one-point game. The Aggies again only made one of two on their next possession, giving the Vikings a chance to win in it in the final seconds.
 
While things didn't go the Vikings' way in the end, they gave themselves a chance thanks to a defensive effort that held the Aggies to only 55 points on 23-of-59 (.390) shooting from the field. Free throw shooting also kept the Vikings in it. The Vikings went 23-of-28 (.821) from the line as a team, with Lewis, Morales, 'Uhila and Rhema Ogele all hitting at least four shots from the line.
 
The major advantage for the Aggies came on the glass. They outrebounded the Vikings 37-to-24, including a 16-to-5 advantage on the offensive glass. That led to the Aggies shooting 21 more field goals than the Vikings (59-to-38).
 
"We will only go as far as we choose rebounding. Right now, it's a choice. We have to find a way to improve that," Gregg said.
 
Lewis led the Vikings with 13 points, eight of which came in the fourth quarter. Morales also snapped a two-game stretch in which she didn't score in double figures with 12 points against the Aggies. 'Uhila added eight points and four rebounds, while McCartney chipped in seven points, four rebounds and two assists.
 
The Vikings have another chance to get themselves right before breaking for the holidays. They'll host Evergreen to wrap up their non-conference schedule Tuesday at 6 p.m.
 
"We'll continue to move forward. I think we're doing some good things. It might not always look like it on the stat sheet, but we're making progress," Gregg said of the team. "We just have to continue to keep our heads up and compete and learn from this. We have to learn from it and get better. We can't just have games like this happen and then continue to repeat the same mistakes."
 
Game Notes: Saturday's game was the first official game between the two teams…If the Vikings had completed the comeback in the fourth quarter, it would have tied the program record for largest fourth-quarter comeback (11 points) in program history…The Vikings didn't hit a three-pointer until 8:46 remained in the fourth quarter. If they had finished the game without a make, it would have been their first game without a three-pointer since March 2, 2017, against Northern Colorado.