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PORTLAND – Senior forward Mikaela Rivard scored 18 points, but the Portland State women's basketball team fell to Northern Colorado, 68-56, Thursday night at the Peter W. Stott Center.
 
Rivard went 7-for-17 from the floor in the game with a three-pointer. She went 3-for-3 at the free-throw line and pulled down five boards for her ninth double-digit scoring game this season, fourth in the last five.
 
Portland State guards Lariel Powell and Emily Easom each had 10 points in the game. Powell went 5-for-9 from the floor and added a team-high six assists. Easom went 3-for-9 from the floor with all three buckets coming from three-point range.
 
Northern Colorado got on the board first with a pair of free throws in the first minute of the game. Rivard tied the game with a jumper to get Portland State on the board. After the teams traded points, the Vikings pulled within one point at 8-6 but then went on a scoring drought as the Bears went on a 6-0 run.
 
Northern Colorado hit a three pointer to go up 20-10 at the 8:56 mark in the first half before Easom broke the drought for the Vikings with a three-pointer from the corner. She went to the floor after being found and then hit a free throw to complete the rare four-point play.
 
Rivard hit her third bucket of the game to pull the Vikings within four at 20-16. She then completed a three-point play to cut the lead to one at 20-19 completing a 9-0 run. After a Northern Colorado basket, sophomore transfer Danah Haley hit a jumper on the baseline for her first career points at Portland State.
 
Haley missed the first 13 games of the season recovering from a knee injury sustained last season while at Blue Mountain Community College. Haley came in off the bench and in her first six minutes scored two points going 1-for-1 with four rebounds and an assist, which provided a spark for the Vikings.
 
However, Northern Colorado went on another quick run at the end of the half going up by seven points at 30-23. Sophomore guard Laruen Holt hit a jumper with 13 seconds left to make the score 30-25 at the break.
 
Northern Colorado opened the second half on an 11-0 run before Ani Avanessian hit her first basket of the game to make the score 41-27. Avanessian completed a three-point play later in the half to cut the lead to 43-33 with just over 12 minutes left.
 
Rivard hit a three-pointer from the wing to cut the lead to single-digits at 45-36. It was Rivard's first three-pointer of the game and increased her scoring total to 12 at that point.
 
Powell drove the court and finished with a scoop-and-score to make the score 46-38. After Northern Colorado went up by 14 at 52-38 on a jumper, five-straight points by Portland State, a layup by Powell and a three-pointer by Easom, cut the lead to 52-43 with 5:03 left.
 
Rivard's fade-away 12-foot jumper cut the Northern Colorado lead to seven at 54-47 but a three-pointer and a layup put Northern Colorado up by 12.
 
Easom hit another three-pointer to once again cut the lead to single digits. After the teams traded baskets, Portland State started to foul to extend the game. Northern Colorado missed free throws the first time but then connected on two before Rivard hit another jumper.
 
The Vikings continued to foul but the Bears made their free throws and took the game by the final score of 68-54.
 
Northern Colorado's Stephanie Lee scored a game-high 31 points going 15-for-23 from the floor. She accounted for 46 percent of the Bears' offense. She also added eight rebounds and four blocks. D'Shara Strange added 16 points and 16 rebounds going 5-for-13 from the floor and 6-for-10 at the line.
 
Lee and Strange combined for 47 of Northern Colorado's 68 points.
 
Northern Colorado improved to 8-6 overall and 2-1 in Big Sky Conference play while Portland State fell to 2-12 overall and 0-3 in league action.
 
The Vikings return to action Saturday afternoon when they welcome North Dakota to the Stott Center. Tip is slated for 2 p.m.
 
NOTES: Portland State starters were Ani Avanessian, Lauren Holt, Lariel Powell, Emily Easom, and Mikaela Rivard … Danah Haley made her first career Portland State appearance after missing the first 13 games of the season … Portland State recorded a season-high 10 steals.