Manoa, HI - A 12-point deficit in the first quarter by the Panthers proved the difference in a 61-75 loss to Portland State Saturday morning in the Hawaii Bank Classic.

In the opening minutes of play a couple of made jumpers by forward Gerlyn Smith and guard Kirdis Clark gave the Panthers the early 4-0 advantage. That would be the only time PV would have a lead in the game as the Vikings went on to outscore the Panthers 19-3 in the quarter.

After a chippy second quarter that saw neither team give an inch, Prairie View A&M opened up with five-points to get them within five of Portland State, 31-36 with plenty of time left in the ball game. PSU replied with some treys and made field goals of their own to extend their lead back to double-digits.

Down by 20, the Panthers would not go down without a fight, cutting the Vikings lead in half, down by 10, thanks in part to Smith who scored eight of her 25 points in this span to get the Panthers back into the game. It wouldn't matter as Portland State pulled away with an end result, 75-61.

Post-Game Notes:
-Smith paced the team with a career/season-high 25 points on a very effective 10-of-14 from the field. Smith also led the team in rebounds (12) in addition to a block and a steal in the contest.

-Diana Rosenthal (14) and Kennedy Paul (10) were the only other Panthers in double-digits for the team. Paul paced the team in assists (9) as Rosenthal highlighted a picky Panthers D with three steals

Next up, the Panthers finish off the Hawaii Bank Classic with a bout against Portland set for 6:30 p.m. CT.

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