2024-03-12 05:41:04
Boise, ID – As they have all season, the Portland State Vikings left it all on the floor. Unfortunately that effort, in a Big Sky Conference Tournament Quarterfinal game, came up just short as the sixth-seeded Vikings lost to the third seed, Montana, 87-81, at Idaho Central Arena.
The Vikings battled it out with a full-court press and excellent rebounding, but weren’t consistent enough on offense to catch Montana. The Griz shot .509 from the field for the game, including 16-24 in the second (.667).
“It’s never easy to lose. Hats off to Montana and Coach DeCuire,” said Vikings Coach Jase Coburn. “They made great shots tonight and all credit goes to them.”
PSU also warmed up after halftime shooting .529 (18-34), but couldn’t overcome a .281 first-half shooting performance (9-32).
The Vikings’ season comes to an end with the loss. They finish at 17-15 overall – their best record in four seasons. Montana (22-10) moves on to face Idaho State in a Big Sky Tournament semifinal on Tuesday night.
Viking seniors KJ Allen and Jorell Saterfield turned in big performances. Allen finished with career-highs of 28 points and 15 rebounds in his final collegiate game. He made 12-20 shots from the field. Saterfield totaled 19 points on 7-12 shooting.
Portland State never led in the game, but also never trailed by much. Montana’s largest lead was 11, and only briefly. The Vikings made two runs at the Griz, but each time the Missoulians responded.
PSU didn’t have the start it was looking for, missing the first eight shots of the game and falling behind 7-0. But the Vikings rallied back with six of their next eight shots to tie the game at 14-14 midway through the first half.
Montana then held the Vikings without a field goal for four minutes to take the lead back. PSU trailed only 35-29 at intermission despite the 28% shooting. Meanwhile, Montana got 20 points from its backcourt of Aanen Moody and Brandon Whitney.
Early in the second half, the Griz were up by eight. But PSU was able to get inside often, draw fouls and take advantage at the free throw line. The Vikings made eight straight free throws, got a three-pointer from Saterfield, and eventually tied the game again at 44-44 on a drive by Allen. With 14:44 remaining it was a new ball game.
That’s when Montana got Moody. Aanen Moody. The Griz guard scored eight points, including a twisting three-pointer, in an 11-2 run. That gave Montana its largest lead at 57-46 midway through the second half.
PSU continued its full-court pressure, but more often than not Montana was able to pass ahead out of it, or draw a foul and take advantage at the line. Though it was a single-digit deficit the rest of the way, the Vikings never put together another run.
“We just needed one more stop, one more bucket,” said Coburn of the play down the stretch.
Montana made eight of 10 free throws in the final minute to ice the game.
“The first time we played Montana, we pressed them,” said Coburn. “We played really well that night. We had success with it.”
But as Saterfield pointed out following the game: “(Montana) did a good job making an adjustment and they got the ball out quick (against the Viking press).”
Indeed, Montana only turned the ball over 11 times against the 40-minute press.
For the night, Portland State was 27-66 from the field (.409) and 21-29 at the line (.724). The Vikings out-rebounded the Griz, 43-30.
In addition to Allen and Saterfield, Kendall Munson (11 points) and Isaiah Johnson (10 points) also scored in double figures.
Moody led Montana with 27 points. Whitney added 18, and Josh Vasquez scored 15 points.
GAME NOTES
- Portland State is now 14-18 all-time in Big Sky Tournament games, 6-9 in quarterfinals.
- KJ Allen had his eighth double-double of the season. That ranks as fifth-most in a season in PSU’s Big Sky Conference era (28 seasons).
- Portland State split with Montana during the regular season, winning 72-46 in Portland on Jan. 25, then losing to the Griz in Missoula, 82-73 on Feb. 24.
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