Bozeman, MT – A little extra time off did the Portland State Vikings little good as they lost to Montana State, 91-78, at Worthington Arena.
 
PSU's game on Thursday at Montana was postponed when the Vikings couldn't get out of the Portland Airport due to a massive snowstorm that hit the Rose City. So, the Vikings regrouped and flew to Bozeman on Friday. 
 
Unfortunately, the defending Big Sky Champion Bobcats were ready for the relatively rested Vikings. Montana State used quality shooting, massive PSU foul complications, and Senior Day energy to roll to the victory.
 
MSU improved to 21-9 on the season, 14-3 in the Big Sky, earning the number-two seed in next week's Big Sky Conference Tournament. The Vikings dropped their second game in a row and at 6-10 in the Big Sky (12-17 overall), PSU still doesn't know where it will land in the tournament seedings. Fifth? Sixth? Seventh? A Monday night game with Sacramento State at home - and potential Wednesday makeup game at Montana - will settle that.
 
Portland State changed its starting lineup against Montana State, running out Cameron Parker, Jorell Saterfield and Keshaun Saunders in the backcourt, with Isaiah Johnson and Hunter Woods in the front court. That group got off to a good offensive start, making six of eight shots on the way to a 13-8 lead.
 
Montana State crept back in and got its first lead at 20-18 on a Jubrile Belo basket inside with 10:25 to go in the half. It was part of a 10-point run that got the Bobcats to a 24-18 advantage. 
 
Portland State responded with three straight three-pointers - the first by Parker and the next two by Saterfield - and suddenly led again, 27-24. 
 
Montana State was up 43-42 at the break after taking advantage of Viking foul trouble. PSU was whistled for 16 fouls. The Bobcats made 15-20 free throws. Meanwhile, the Vikings were 4-4 at the line in the first half. 
 
Parker had 13 points and Saterfield had eight at halftime for the Vikings while Belo and Raequan Battle had 10 points each for the Bobcats.
 
Montana State ran off eight points in a row early in the second half to take a 51-44 lead. The closest the Vikings would get after that would be four points.
 
PSU was down only 62-57 when the Bobcats went on a 17-2 run to essentially put the game away. An extended half-court zone defense gave the Vikings trouble during that rally. The closest PSU could get after that was a 13-point deficit.

Remarkably the Vikings committed even more fouls in the second half - 17 - and in all were whistled for 33 in the game. Montana State hit 32-43 at the free throw line. That, combined with a 45-27 rebounding edge and .491 shooting from the field, added up to the Bobcat win.
 
Belo, a senior and last year's Big Sky Player of the Year, went for 21 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots. Battle added 20 points, and Darius Brown, also a senior, had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
 
Parker led the Vikings with 26 points, hitting 6-12 from the field and 13-15 at the line, and four assists. Saterfield had 12 points and a team-high six rebounds with three assists. Saunders scored 10 points for PSU.
 
Portland State was 24-57 from the field (.421), 7-19 from three-point range (.368) and 23-27 at the free throw line (.852).

GAME NOTES

• Bobby Harvey stretched his three-pointers-made streak to 25 straight games with three more triples.
• Cameron Parker led the Vikings in scoring for the 14th consecutive game.
• The Vikings have lost six games in a row to Montana State.
• PSU is 5-9 in road games this season.
• Portland State will be home on Monday hosting Sacramento State in a 7 p.m. game. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and will air on Rip City Radio 620 AM. A potential makeup game with Montana has yet to be determined, but would be played on Wednesday in Missoula.
• The Big Sky Conference Tournament takes place Mar. 4-8 at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, ID.