POCATELLO, Idaho — The Portland State women's basketball team couldn't stop the floodgates from opening up on them against Idaho State Thursday as the Bengals used a dominant third quarter to run away from the Vikings, winning 59-43 at Reed Gym.
The Vikings (12-12, 7-7 Big Sky) led 26-22 early in the third quarter after leading for 14 of the 20 minutes in the first half. But that's when things changed. The Bengals stacked runs on top of runs while outscoring the Vikings 23-10 in the third quarter. An 11-1 run put the Bengals up 33-28, then they closed the third quarter on a 10-0 spurt to take a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The Bengals (11-14, 6-8 Big Sky) then answered two three-pointers from the Vikings'
Alaya Fitzgerald early in the fourth quarter with another 10-0 run to go up 54-37.
All told, the three different runs meant the Bengals outscored the Vikings 32-11 from the 8:28 mark of the third quarter to the 4:53 mark of the fourth.
"It felt like we played a football game tonight," Portland State head coach
Chelsey Gregg said afterwards. "We held them to 20 in the first half and I really liked or defense. We just didn't have enough in the second. We just couldn't find ways to score."
The Vikings' 43 points represent their lowest total of the season, while their 34.0 percent shooting (16-of-47) stands as their second-lowest mark of the season.
It didn't start that way, of course. The Vikings led 20-11 with 5:44 remaining in the first half but scored only 23 points while shooting 8-of-28 (.286) from the field since that point of the game.
The Bengals saw their fortunes flip the other way. They started just 4-of-19 (.211) from the field as the Vikings built their 20-11 lead, but then made 20 of their last 35 shots (57.1 percent) in the game.
In the second half alone, the Bengals shot 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from the field, while the Vikings shot 33.3 percent (8-of-24).
Rebounding – an element the Vikings knew would be key coming in – went completely in favor of the Bengals. Idaho State entered Thursday second in the Big Sky in total rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game and rebounding margi, and all of that bore out against the Vikings. The Bengals outrebounded Portland State, 41-to-22, including a 21-to-7 advantage in the second half alone.
The Bengals' dominance down low saw them own big advantages scoring in the paint (34-10) and on second-chance points (14-3).
The Vikings countered with eight three-pointers on 44.4 percent shooting from the outside, but that couldn't make up the Bengals' advantage inside the arc.
Fitzgerald,
Jada Lewis and
Mia 'Uhila all connected twice from the outside for the Vikings. Lewis and 'Uhila did so while leading the Vikings with eight points each. No Viking went into double figures for the first time since the team's game at Northern Colorado last season (Feb. 7, 2022).
Saturday now represents an opportunity for the Vikings to bounce back as they take on Weber State in Ogden, Utah. The Wildcats lost 66-52 at home to Sacramento State Thursday.
"Short memory. Learn from today and be better on Saturday" Gregg said of how the team will turn the page.
Tipoff between the Vikings and Wildcats is set for 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT.
Game Notes: The Vikings fell to 24-43 all time against the Bengals with Thursday's loss…The Vikings have won just two of their last 25 games against the Bengals, including just one of their last 14 in Pocatello…Lewis tied Karrin Wilson (1996-2000) for fifth all time in career three-pointers with her two makes Thursday.
