Vikings sneak past Bobcats into title game
3/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Kelli Valentine scored a game-high 23 points to lead No. 2 Portland State past No. 3 Montana State 71-64 Friday night in the first of two semifinal games of the 2009 Big Sky Conference Women???s Basketball Championship at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Mont. The Vikings, who won for the eighth time in nine games to improve to 22-8, advance to Saturday???s championship game.
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PSU will face the winner of the second semifinal game between No. 1 Montana and No. 4 Idaho State.
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Portland State never trailed in the game, but the Vikings were never able to create decisive separation.
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PSU jumped out to a quick 12-4 lead in the opening four minutes and held first-half leads as large as nine points, but Montana State (15-15) got back within four points by the half, 42-38, when Mara Hoefer scored in the paint as the first-half clock was running down.
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Both teams shot over 45 percent in the opening 20 minutes.
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Valentine had 15 points at the break. MSU???s Erica Perry had 12.
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Portland State appeared to be pulling away midway through the second half when the Vikings took a 63-50 lead on a 3-pointer by Eryn Jones, but Montana State scored eight straight points to pull within five, 63-58, with just under five minutes remaining.
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PSU???s Claire Faucher hit a jumper in the paint to push the lead back to seven, 65-58.
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The lead was still seven, 67-60, when Perry and Nubia Garcia scored four straight points for the Bobcats to make it a three-point game, 67-64, with 1:39 remaining.
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After a series of PSU misses, Montana State had possession of the ball, down three, with under a minute to play, but a missed jumper and two Portland State free throws at the 20-second mark were the difference.
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Perry led Montana State with 20 points.
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PSU will face the winner of the second semifinal game between No. 1 Montana and No. 4 Idaho State.
??
Portland State never trailed in the game, but the Vikings were never able to create decisive separation.
??
PSU jumped out to a quick 12-4 lead in the opening four minutes and held first-half leads as large as nine points, but Montana State (15-15) got back within four points by the half, 42-38, when Mara Hoefer scored in the paint as the first-half clock was running down.
??
Both teams shot over 45 percent in the opening 20 minutes.
??
Valentine had 15 points at the break. MSU???s Erica Perry had 12.
??
Portland State appeared to be pulling away midway through the second half when the Vikings took a 63-50 lead on a 3-pointer by Eryn Jones, but Montana State scored eight straight points to pull within five, 63-58, with just under five minutes remaining.
??
PSU???s Claire Faucher hit a jumper in the paint to push the lead back to seven, 65-58.
??
The lead was still seven, 67-60, when Perry and Nubia Garcia scored four straight points for the Bobcats to make it a three-point game, 67-64, with 1:39 remaining.
??
After a series of PSU misses, Montana State had possession of the ball, down three, with under a minute to play, but a missed jumper and two Portland State free throws at the 20-second mark were the difference.
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Perry led Montana State with 20 points.
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