PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — In a game defined by opportunistic defense and a decisive scoring run, the Portland State Vikings used a dominant first half and a pivotal second-half surge to pull away from the Idaho Vandals for a 77-67 victory in a Big Sky Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at the Stott Center.

A crowd of 2,180 watched as the Vikings, led by a breakout performance from Keyon Kensie, improved to 18-7 overall and solidified their position near the top of the conference standings. Idaho fell to 14-13, unable to overcome a slew of turnovers and Portland State’s transition attack.

The most critical sequence of the game came early in the second half, with Portland State protecting a 41-27 halftime lead. After Idaho’s Isaiah Brickner hit two free throws to cut the deficit to 44-41 with 18:23 remaining, the Vikings unleashed a game-defining 10-0 run over the next two minutes. The spurt was fueled entirely by their defensive pressure and fast-break execution.

It started with a Terri Miller steal, leading to a free throw from Kensie. Following an Idaho turnover, Jaylin Henderson found Tre-Vaughn Minott for a thunderous dunk. Another steal by Kensie on the ensuing possession resulted in a Henderson-assisted dunk for Kensie himself, forcing an Idaho timeout with the Vikings leading 50-41 and 16:34 on the clock. The Vandals never got the margin back to single digits again, as Portland State’s ability to convert defense into instant offense proved insurmountable.

The Vikings built their commanding halftime lead by capitalizing on Idaho’s mistakes, scoring 22 points off 13 Vandal turnovers in the first half alone. Portland State finished the game with 10 steals and 17 fast-break points, compared to just six for Idaho. The Vandals also struggled to generate consistent offense, managing only four assists against 13 turnovers for the game.

Keyon Kensie, a 6-foot-8 sophomore from Los Angeles, was the standout performer for Portland State, erupting for a game-high 24 points on efficient 9-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. This marked a significant offensive outburst for Kensie, whose previous three games saw him score 14, four and six points. He added a steal and a block in 30 minutes of action.

He was expertly supported by point guard Jaylin Henderson, who orchestrated the Viking offense with a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists. Tre-Vaughn Minott provided a strong interior presence with 14 points and several key offensive rebounds.

Idaho was led by the scoring of Isaiah Brickner, who finished with 22 points, and Jackson Rasmussen, who added 18. Kolton Mitchell contributed 14 points and five assists, but the Vandals’ offense often stalled, posting an offensive rating of just 94.1 points per 100 possessions.

Portland State shot 45.8% from the field and 45% from three-point range, while Idaho connected on 38.3% of its shots. The Vikings also won the battle at the free-throw line, making 14 of 21 attempts to Idaho’s 10 of 13.

The victory completed a regular-season sweep for Portland State, which had edged Idaho 69-66 in Moscow on Jan. 24. The Vikings will look to maintain momentum when they host Eastern Washington on Saturday. Idaho, seeking to rebound, travels to face Sacramento State on Saturday.