OGDEN, Utah -- The third game in five days looked like it for the Portland State women's basketball team as the Vikings lost 81-52 to Weber State Monday at Dee Events Center.
and converted back-to-back three-point plays for the Vikings (6-24, 2-16) to get them back within eight late in the third quarter. But the Wildcats (10-21, 4-14) responded with a 26-4 run to put the game away.
Monday's game had the odd context of being the first of two straight between the Vikings and Wildcats. The teams were already guaranteed to face each other in the first round of the Big Sky tournament Saturday.
The air of inevitability of that rematch may have colored some of what transpired Monday. But even still, the Vikings would have hoped for a better showing than they got in their regular-season finale.
"It's always tough to play three games in five days. I thought we were rested, but unfortunately the game didn't look like that. We looked tired. We looked sluggish. We were getting beat in transition. So, it was tough to watch," Portland State head coach said afterwards.
"We were trying to mix up the defenses a bit. Try something different. But we couldn't even get to some of those things because the effort and execution weren't there."
The Vikings started 5-for-6 from the field while building an early 10-8 lead. But they went just 14-for-59 (.237) the rest of the way. The Vikings finished at 29.2 percent (19-for-65) for the game - the team's lowest mark in any Big Sky game this season.
Portland State went long stretches where only Brown was able to score. From the 5:05 mark of the first quarter to the 7:44 mark of the third quarter, Brown had 11 points while the rest of the Vikings combined for seven.
Brown finished with 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting. She was 3-for-7 from three-point range, matching her most makes in a Big Sky game this season. It was an encouraging bounce back from Brown after she was held to a season-low four points against Montana Saturday.
But no other Vikings finished in double figures. That had been a recent strength of the Viking offense, which placed five players in double figures against Montana State last Thursday for the first time within Big Sky play.
"The offense did seem a little hard today, but it starts on the defensive end with stops and we didn't get very many of those and then it felt a little lackluster on the offensive end," Burris said.
"They were getting into their press and we had a little bit of trouble with that and our offensive just didn't seem all that free-flowing. Again, I would like to blame it on schematics, but the energy and effort just wasn't what we needed it to be tonight."
The Wildcats didn't share the same struggles offensively. They shot 44.6 percent (29-for-65) from the field, including 64.7 percent (11-for-17) in the fourth quarter alone when they were also 6-for-6 from three-point range.
Weber State hit 10 three-pointers against the Vikings Monday, one off a season high for a Viking opponent. Lanae Billy led the Wildcats with 19 points, while Sydney White (16 points), Antoniette Emma-Nnopu (12) and Paris Lauro (11) followed her into double figures.
Regardless of Monday's result, Saturday's rematch at the Big Sky tournament was always going to be a new game. That's what the Vikings will hope for now as they head to Idaho Central Arena in Boise.
"We'll look at both games [against Weber State]. We'll have a game plan. But again, if we play with energy and effort from the start, then I think it's a different outcome," Burris said of the rematch.