Sacramento, CA – A dramatic game-ending blocked shot by Keyon Kensie Jr. saved an equally dramatic comeback for the Portland State Vikings as they defeated Sacramento State, 74-73, at Hornet Pavilion.
 
PSU trailed by 10 points in the second half, 60-50, but went on a 24-13 run down the stretch to pull out a fifth straight road win – tying a school record. PSU improved to 10-1 in Big Sky Conference play and now hold a 2 ½ game lead over second-place Montana and Montana State (8-4).
 
Portland State is 16-6 for the season and 7-4 in road games. Among their five Big Sky road wins are four games with comebacks from down 7, 17, 10 and 10 in the second half.
 
It didn't look like the Vikings would have enough in a tough road environment in front of a sellout crowd (3,016) in Sacramento. The Hornets went into the game a much different team from when they last faced the Vikings. They had lost nine in a row when the Vikings beat them in January. Since that time, Sacramento State had won five of seven games, including three straight at home. They were 9-1 at home overall until the Vikings handed them a second loss at Hornet Pavilion.

The Vikings shot only .385 from the field but their league-leading defense held the Hornets to a .352 shooting mark. In addition, a big rebounding edge really helped the Vikings cause as they had a 49-32 advantage. PSU grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and turned them into 22 points.
 
Terri Miller Jr. had an off shooting night for Portland State (8-24), but had his usual big second half, scoring 15 of his 22 after intermission. Miller had 10 of the 24 points in the closing stretch.
 
For his part, Kensie was a major factor in the win, not the least of which was his blocked shot of Sacramento State's Jahni Summers' drive to the hoop with one second left.
 
The lead changed hands on the last five scores of the game. And in fact, Kensie also had the game-winning hoop. He scored on a baby jumper on the baseline off a pass from Miller with 1:50 remaining in the game. That hoop PSU up 74-73 and neither team scored again.
 
PSU forced the Hornets into a pair of missed shots after Kensie's go-ahead bucket. On the second miss, the Vikings had the ball off a Kensie rebound with 40 seconds left. On PSU's possession the ball was knocked out of bounds by the Hornets. But an official review determined it actually went off the Vikings with 19.3 seconds left.

That set up Sacramento State for a potential go-ahead, game-winning basket. PSU's defense flustered the Hornets and they struggled to find an open shot. Finally Summers drove the lane into the Viking defense. Kensie swatted away his shot in the middle of the key, the Vikings rebounded and the game was over.
 
"Our team is really resilient," said Vikings Coach Jase Coburn. "That gives us a chance every night."
 
Kensie had a career-high 16 rebounds to go with 14 points, added two steals and the decisive blocked shot.
 
"Keyon is an unbelievable player that does whatever this team needs him to do to win," said Coburn.
 
Miller scored 22 points, and Tre-Vaughn Minott pitched in 13 points with 12 rebounds.
 
Prophet Johnson and Mikey Williams combined for 54 of the Hornets' 73 points.
 
Sacramento State is 9-14 overall this season, 5-6 in Big Sky Conference play.
 

GAME NOTES

• It was a close game the entire night with 24 lead changes and 12 ties.
• Portland State swept the season series from Sacramento State. The Vikings beat Sacramento State, 96-69, in Portland on Jan. 10… PSU leads the Big Sky series with the Hornets, 37-23.
• With 16 wins, Portland State is guaranteed a third straight winning season. They have gone 17-15, 19-13, 16-6 over the last three years.
• Portland State will be on the road again next week, playing at Northern Arizona on Thursday, then Northern Colorado on Saturday. Both games air on ESPN+.