PORTLAND, Ore. — Through a quarter, the Portland State women's basketball team held a potent South Dakota offense that was averaging over 80 points a game at bay. The Vikings led 13-12 after the first quarter, one of only three times this season the Vikings have held a lead after the opening 10 minutes
 
But a lid went on the Vikings' basket from there. They only made four combined field goals between the second and third quarters, as the Coyotes built up as much as a 31-point lead. By the time the Vikings' offense returned for the fourth quarter – when they outshot the Coyotes .429-to-.200 – the deficit was too much as South Dakota cruised to a 75-51 victory Wednesday at Viking Pavilion.
 
"It was hard to put the ball through the basket tonight. But honestly, I told the group in the locker room that if they play that hard every night, then I'm happy," Portland State head coach Karlie Burris said afterwards. "I think we got better in a lot of areas on the defensive end. We held them to five points under their average, which I think is great for being down a player or two and starting a new starting lineup."
 
"We need to clean up some stuff, but I'm proud of the effort overall."
 
The effort wasn't the only positive for the Vikings (2-6) Wednesday despite the loss. They also set a season low with eight turnovers, which they turned into a 17-5 advantage in points off turnovers. Additionally, the Vikings went 18-for-21 (.857) from the free throw line, with Kyleigh Brown going 14-for-14 individually to tie the program record for most makes without a miss in a single game.
 
Brown matched the record Angela Hewlett set against Idaho on Jan. 6, 1992. Kiana Brown also tied the record by going 14-for-14 against Idaho State on Jan. 18, 2018.
 
Meanwhile, three-point shooting, which had been a thorn in the Vikings' side earlier in the season, was also a highlight for the Vikings. They hit three first-quarter three-pointers as part of their hot start against the Coyotes (8-1), while they went on to set a season high with seven in the game. The Vikings actually shot better from beyond the arc – 7-for-20, 35.0 percent – than they did inside the arc – 6-for-39, 15.4 percent.
 
Brown, Taylor Moffat and Cici Ellington all went 2-for-4 from three-point range, while Laynee Torres-Kahapea went 1-for-3.
 
"We need people taking shots. I kind of like that 20 range, 20-25 a night, I think, is good for us in terms of attempts. And if we can knock down seven or eight of those, then that puts us in a better shape," Burris said.
 
"Again, we're going to encourage our team to take the open ones. I still think we passed up on some, but just super proud of the effort tonight."
 
The seven makes matched the Coyotes, while the Vikings' 18 made free throws were four more than the Coyotes.
 
Where South Dakota earned its advantage was in the paint and on the glass. The Coyotes out-rebounded the Vikings 54-to-29, while they outscored the Vikings 28-12 in the paint. Angelina Robles led the Coyotes with 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting, while Patience Williams (14 points), Elise Turrubiates (11) and Alex Flattery (11) joined her in double figures.
 
The Coyotes came into the game leading the Summit League in rebounding margin. But Burris noted that the Vikings helped them out by missing so many shots.
 
"We would have liked to make [the rebounding margin] a little bit closer. We told the group that if we make four or five of those point-blank layups that we missed, the game feels a little bit different. The rebounding margin evens out a little bit more. But we needed to clean that up," Burris said.
 
The Vikings tried to counter behind Brown. The sophomore guard set a new career high with 28 points, half of which came from the free throw line. It's the fourth 20-point game of the season for Brown, as well as her third in the last four games.
 
"She joked with herself after the game about getting to the free throw line so much. But most of the most prolific scorers, at least half of their points come from the free throw line. We love that. We think she could be there a little bit more," Burris said of Brown.
 
"We need to find some help for her. It can't all be on her."
 
No other Viking finished in double figures. Torres-Kahapea was next with seven points, while Ellington and Moffat had six points each.
 
The Vikings will look for more balance Saturday, as they head to Kansas City for the second of their two games within the Big Sky-Summit Challenge. The Vikings face the Roos at 12 p.m. PT / 2 p.m. CT.
 
Game Notes:

• The Vikings are 0-4 all-time against South Dakota after Wednesday's loss.
• The Vikings set a season low with their .220 (13-for-59) field goal percentage.
• Moffat started for the first time this season.

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