Portland State University Athletics

LA JOLLA, Calif. — A strong first quarter didn't hold up for the Portland State women's basketball team as the Vikings fell to UC San Diego, 78-64, in an early game Thursday at LionTree Arena.
 
The Vikings (0-4) led the Tritons (2-1) 24-16 after the opening quarter. They were shooting 47.1 percent (8-for-17) from the field in those opening 10 minutes while dominating the glass (15-to-4) and getting to the foul line.
 
But the Tritons' small lineup – they were without leading scorer and 6-4 post Erin Condron – picked up the pace in the second quarter. They forced the Vikings into three straight turnovers to open the quarter that directly let to baskets on the other end, erasing the Vikings' eight-point lead in less than two minutes.
 
That became a theme as the Tritons outscored the Vikings 26-3 off turnovers after the opening quarter. They forced a season-high 21 turnovers from the Vikings, which was nearly twice the Vikings' average of 10.7 turnovers per game coming into the contest.
 
"Unfortunately, I thought the second quarter hurt us a lot. I thought we had great rhythm in the first, felt like we were pounding the ball inside, rebounding the ball. The second quarter, UCSD made some adjustments, went smaller, and that ended up hurting us," Portland State head coach Karlie Burris said afterwards.
 
"They played five guards and were able to pressure a little bit more. We hadn't really seen that all year. They were super physical with us and, you know, you just gotta go with the way the game is called. They were allowing them to be physical, and they were able to get some steals off that."
 
It was still a three-point game at halftime, 38-35, but the Tritons opened the third quarter on a 14-0 run and then led by at least nine points the rest of the way.
 
Third quarters continue to be a tricky period for the Vikings. They've been outscored by 51 in the third quarter through four games this season. The Vikings are +3 combined over the other three quarters this season.
 
"I thought we were going to come out strong in the third. I felt like we had the energy and intent, but they came out and made some shots. That's an area we're going to need to continue to focus on," Burris said.
 
The Vikings showed improvement from game-to-game on the glass. After San Diego out-rebounded the Vikings by 19 Thursday, the Vikings turned around and out-rebounded the Tritons by 25 (53-to-28). That included a 27-to-11 advantage on the offensive glass, which the Vikings turned into a 29-14 lead in second-chance points.
 
Senior forward Kirstine Munk and junior guard Teagan Colvin led the effort. Eight of Munk's 13 rebounds came on the offensive end, as did seven of Colvin's 15. Both finished with double-doubles as a result. Munk added a Division I career-high 15 points to her 13 rebounds to lead the Vikings in scoring. Colvin, meanwhile, finished with 13 points to go with her 15 rebounds.
 
"I thought Kia [Munk] had a great game. She was a monster on the glass, obviously got to the free-throw line trying to take advantage of the smaller lineup which again was needed out of her," Burris said of Munk.
 
The aggression on the glass meant the Vikings got to the free throw line frequently. Munk shot 9-for-13 from the line, while Colvin was 7-for-8. The Vikings finished 23-for-28 (.821) as a team, with the 23 makes representing a new season high.
 
The free throw shooting was needed as the Vikings went cold from the field after the opening quarter. They shot a combined 10-for-45 (.222) from the field over the final three quarters as they chased the game. The Vikings finished at 29.0 percent (18-for-62) for the game as they continue to look for combinations that work among their 10 newcomers and seven true freshmen.
 
The Tritons, meanwhile, shot better than 40 percent from the field in all four quarters, finishing at 47.8 percent (32-for-67) for the game.
 
The Vikings' rebounding helped offset the poor shooting numbers a bit. Junior guard Kyleigh Brown joined Munk and Colvin in double figures with 11 points. Freshman forward Nihoa Dunn and sophomore guard Sara Barhoum added nine points each. Barhoum's nine points all came on 3-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc.
 
"We're still a brand-new team," Burris said of the team's work to find an offensive flow. "We're still finding our rhythm, but I think there's a lot of promise and we're excited once it all clicks. I am excited for what we're going to be able to produce on the offensive end."
 
The Vikings get another chance Sunday, when they travel to San Jose State for a 1 p.m. tip.
 
GAME NOTES:

• Thursday's game was a rare 11 a.m. start as the Tritons hosted a Kids Day.
• This was the second-ever meeting between the Vikings and Tritons. UC San Diego won the first one, 94-64, at Viking Pavilion on Nov. 30 last season.
• Colvin's double-double was the first of her career. Munk's was the first of her Portland State/Division I career.

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