KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Portland State women's basketball team's first summit attempt got snowed out Wednesday, as the Vikings fell 75-56 to Kansas City in their first game of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge at the Swinney Center.
 
The Roos (8-8) built a 30-point lead over the Vikings (5-8) by the end of the third quarter. They were shooting 70 percent from the field by that point, after making 14 of their first 16 shots from the floor. The Roos finished at 62.7 percent shooting, the second-best mark by a Viking opponent in the past 18 seasons.
 
The Vikings only shot 39.7 percent (23-of-58) themselves, including 6-of-21 (.286) from three-point range. Additionally, they turned the ball over 20 times, which the Roos turned into 27 points on the other end.
 
The hot shooting and forced turnovers meant the Roos jumped on the Vikings early. They went 9-of-11 (.818) from the field in the opening quarter, while 12 of their first 18 points came off of turnovers.
 
A 12-2 run over the latter half of the first quarter saw the Roos take their double-digit lead at 20-9.
 
The Vikings tried to mount a comeback in the middle of the second quarter after the Roos had stretched it to a 20-point lead at 33-13. Rhema Ogele made back-to-back buckets to start the run, while Esmeralda Morales followed with the second of her four three-pointers in the game to make it 37-24 heading into halftime.
 
Mia 'Uhila then scored on the first possession of the second half with a great backdoor cut to get the Vikings back within 11.
 
But it was all Kansas City for the rest of the third quarter. The Roos followed 'Uhila's bucket with nine straight points, then closed the quarter on a 14-2 run to take a 65-35 lead into the fourth.
 
Alaya Fitzgerald went on a scoring run in the fourth quarter, pouring in 10 straight points at one point to get the Vikings back within 17. But that was as close as the Vikings got the rest of the way.
 
Fitzgerald and Morales finished with 14 points each to lead the Vikings. Seven different Kansas City players finished with at least seven points in the game, led by Emani Bennett with 11.
 
The Vikings return home for their second of two games within the Big Sky-Summit Challenge Saturday. They'll host St. Thomas, which beat Kansas City in a Summit League game this past Sunday. The Tommies beat Sacramento State, 70-52, in other action Wednesday night within the Big Sky-Summit Challenge.
 
Game Notes: The Vikings fell to 0-3 all time against the Roos…The Vikings have now lost five straight games…Kansas City's 62.7 percent shooting trailed only the 68.0 percent Eastern Washington shot against the Vikings on Jan. 15, 2015, in terms of opponent field goal percentage over the past 18 seasons.
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