PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland State women's basketball team couldn't do what no other team within the Big Sky Conference has done: beat Montana State. The unbeaten Bobcats stayed that way Saturday, beating the Vikings 85-39 at Viking Pavilion.
 
The Bobcats (20-2, 10-0 Big Sky) used their league-best defense to hold the Vikings (4-14, 1-8 Big Sky) at bay. The Vikings had scoreless streaks of nine and a half and six and a half minutes during the game. The former came between the second and third quarter, turning a five-point game into a 22-point Bobcat lead at 40-18. The latter came over the final 6:29 of the game, fueling a 24-0 MSU run to end it.
 
The Bobcats held the Vikings to season lows for points (39) and field goal percentage (.277) as a result. The 39 points were the fewest in a game for the Vikings since they scored 38 at New Mexico State on Nov. 18, 2023. Their 27.7 percent (13-of-47) shooting, meanwhile, was the team's lowest mark since they shot 26.5 percent (13-of-49) at Eastern Washington on Feb. 4, 2024.
 
"We have to make a choice every day. It's not a choice today and then on Monday we change our mind. It's got to be a choice to come in and work and continue to progress, do the right things, and continue to improve," Portland State head coach Chelsey Gregg said of her message to the team after the game.
 
"I think we saw glimpses, but Montana State's really good. Nobody's found a way to beat them yet. So that's the reality of it. But I was displeased with our execution on both ends. I thought, even though we were down after one, our energy and our intensity and execution was there. We need more of that."
 
The Vikings played well in pockets. After the Bobcats went up 15-4 at the start of the game, the Vikings outscored them 14-8 over the next eight minutes of game time. The Bobcats started 5-of-7 from the field, but the Vikings then held them to just four of their next 18 shots.
 
The Vikings also protected the ball over the early part of the game. By the 7:32 mark of the second quarter, they were winning the turnover battle, 5-4, against a Montana State team that came into the game ranked in the top 10 nationally for turnovers forced per game (23.8) and turnover margin (+9.38).
 
But that changed over the Vikings' cold spell to finish the second quarter. They committed seven turnovers over the final 7:32 of the period, and the Bobcats ran away with the turnover battle in the end, 23-9.
 
The Vikings had another pocket at the start of the fourth quarter. Rhema Ogele scored back-to-back baskets to open the quarter, while Lana Wenger kicked off a 7-2 run with a three-point play with 7:48 remaining in the game. But that would be it before the Bobcats' closing 24-0 run, half of which they scored off PSU turnovers.
 
Ogele led the Vikings with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting to go with five rebounds. Cici Ellington totaled seven points and six rebounds.
 
The Vikings remain home next weekend, as they host Idaho Thursday at 7 p.m. and Eastern Washington Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
"I appreciate the crowd we had come out today," Gregg said as the Vikings drew a season-high 602 fans to the game. "[Playing at home next week] gives us extra time to get in, get some work done, get some shots up. We don't have to worry about leaving midway through the week, so we can really lock in and get some extra work done and get that confidence back."
 
Game Notes: The Vikings fell to 32-44 all-time against the Bobcats with Saturday's loss…The 46-point margin was also the largest in a conference loss since a 93-45 loss to Northern Colorado on Feb. 7, 2022…The Vikings tied their season high with five blocks in the game.
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