POCATELLO, Idaho — It won't count as a win, but the young Portland State women's basketball team got everything but the final result out of a matchup with the Big Sky's top team, Idaho State, Saturday at Reed Gym.
 
The Vikings led by as many six points in the fourth quarter and still led by four with just over two and a half minutes to go. But the Bengals closed on a 9-2 run to steal a 67-64 win over the Vikings on the Bengals' Senior Day.
 
"Incredibly proud of the effort and fight we showed tonight. What a difference from the last time we played them, but it doesn't mean much if we don't walk away with the W," Portland State head coach Chelsey Gregg said after the game.
 
Idaho State (19-9, 15-4 Big Sky) beat the Vikings by 43 points the last time the teams played each other, as the Bengals won 83-40 at Viking Pavilion back on Dec. 2. But the Vikings (5-20, 0-17 Big Sky) proved they were a different team than that version of the Vikings with their play Saturday. Not only did the Vikings lead late, they never trailed by more than eight points while outshooting the Bengals both from the field (.407-to-.365) and from three-point range (.296-to-.231).
 
The improved showing follows another dramatic turnaround against Weber State Wednesday. The Vikings lost 85-57 to Weber State back on Dec. 4, but tied the Wildcats late in their game Wednesday before falling 73-65. The Vikings also showed improved rebounding against Montana State last Saturday, as they out-rebounded the Bobcats, 39-37, for their first rebounding win against a Big Sky opponent this season.
 
So, the Vikings have shown improvements in their last three games despite not coming away with a win.
 
"So much growth is happening," Gregg said of her team. "The biggest spot, I'd say, is our ability to move on from mistakes, have the next-play mentality, and start to have a better understanding of where we should be and the effort it takes to be good defensively."
 
Comparing the Vikings' two games against the Bengals goes a long way to showing the Vikings' improvements defensively. The Bengals shot .472 (34-of-72) against the Vikings in their first game against each other, but the Vikings held the Bengals to .365 (23-of-63) shooting Saturday. Additionally, the Vikings forced three more turnovers than they did the last time and narrowed the rebounding gap from minus-24 last time to minus-7 Saturday.
 
Still, the Vikings will be disappointed not to get the win, especially after an 11-2 run near the start of the fourth quarter gave them a 58-52 lead with 4:03 remaining in the game. Jada Lewis gave the Vikings the lead initially with a corner three that made it 52-50 with 6:46 remaining. The Bengals tied it up the next time down the court, but the Vikings answered with six straight points between two free throws each for Mia 'Uhila and Esmeralda Morales sandwiched around a fake pick-and-roll between Morales and Syd Schultz.
 
The Bengals got back within three at 58-55 before 'Uhila drove and passed out of a double team to Rhema Ogele for a layup that put the Vikings back up by five with three minutes to go. But Idaho State's Dora Goles scored the first eight points of a 10-2 run that put the Bengals up 65-62 with 1:32 remaining. The Vikings answered with another drive and dish from 'Uhila, this time to Schultz, that made it 65-64 with 1:11 remaining.
 
The Vikings got a stop on their next defensive possession, giving them the ball back with the shot clock off and only down one. Morales missed a 15-foot jumper with 10 seconds remaining, however, and the Vikings got called for a foul on the rebound. Idaho State only made one of two free throws, but the Vikings turned the ball over on the ensuing in-bounds play. The Bengals still only made one of two from the line, giving the Vikings a chance to tie it with a three, down 67-64 with five seconds remaining. But Lewis had to rush a turn-around three-pointer with two seconds left, and the Vikings couldn't get another attempt up before the buzzer.
 
The team's freshmen epitomized the improvements the Vikings showed Saturday. Morales and 'Uhila led the Vikings with 19 and 12 points, respectively, while Ogele added nine. Morales led the Vikings in the first half, scoring 12 of her 19 points in the opening 20 minutes, while 'Uhila led the Vikings in the second half, scoring seven of the Vikings' first nine points in the third quarter to cut what had been an eight-point Idaho State lead down to one at 36-35.
 
'Uhila added a career-high seven assists to her 12 points, five of which came in the second half when she also had all four of her rebounds. Morales, meanwhile, added five assists, four rebounds and three steals to her 19 points.
 
"[Esme and Mia] gave us a huge boost and I love their competitive fire," Gregg said of Morales and 'Uhila. "I was impressed by the assists they had. Esme is a true competitor."
 
The Vikings' busy finish to their regular season continues Monday, as they travel to Idaho for a game at 6 p.m. And if the Vikings play like they did Saturday, then the team's long-awaited breakthrough might finally come in Moscow. It nearly did Saturday.
 
Game Notes: The Vikings fell to 23-42 all-time against the Bengals with Saturday's loss…The Bengals have now won 22 of their last 23 games against the Vikings… The Vikings have led or been tied in the fourth quarter of five different Big Sky Conference games.