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PORTLAND – The Portland State women's basketball team finished out the season on a high note defeating Southern Utah, 80-65, on Senior Day. Senior F Mikaela Rivard recorded her sixth career 20-point performance scoring 21 points.
 
Rivard went 9-for-16 from the floor and 3-for-3 from three-point range. She also added two assists and a career-high four steals over 39 minutes.
 
However, it was sophomore G Lauren Holt who stole the show on Senior Day scoring a career-high 25 points to lead the Vikings. Holt went 9-for-12 from the floor and 4-for-5 from three-point range while pulling down five rebounds. She also tallied three assists and three steals.
 
Holt surpassed her previous career best of 17 points in the first half with 18 points at the break. It was the first time since Dec. 29, 2013 at Eastern Washington that Portland State had two players with 20 points each.
 
Junior G Emily Easom added 14 going 3-for-10 from the floor with a pair of three-pointers. She also went a perfect 6-for-6 at the line with a career-high eight assists. Senior G Lariel Powell added nine points and eight assists in her final game on the Park Blocks.
 
Portland State shot a season-high 54.0 percent from the floor and tallied a season-high 23 assists on 27 field goals. The Vikings also drained a season-best 10 three-pointers in the contest. Southern Utah was held to just 34.3 percent from the floor.
 
Southern Utah hit a three-pointer for the first basket of the game but that would be the last time the Thunderbirds would score for a while. The Vikings rattled off 15 straight points to go up 15-3. Holt got a fast break layup to put the Vikings up 19-4.
 
Southern Utah started the game 1-for-18 from the floor as Rivard hit a three-pointer to put Portland State up 22-5. Rivard then hit a reverse layup for her 12th point of the first half to go up 24-5, capping a 24-2 run.
 
Powell hit another three-pointer for the Vikings to put them up 30-7. Portland State started the game 5-for-7 from three-point range. The Vikings finished the game 10-for-18 from three-point range. The Thunderbirds started to mount a small comeback before five-straight points by Holt gave the Vikings the 39-18 advantage.
 
The Vikings pushed their advantage to a 47-22 lead at the break. The 47 points was the most in any half for the Vikings this season.
 
Southern Utah started the second half on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 49-30 with 15 minutes left in the contest. Riverd scored five straight to put the Vikings up 54-30. After the teams traded baskets, Easom hit a wide-open three-pointer to put the Vikings up 61-34.
 
The Thunderbirds went on another 6-0 run to cut the lead to 61-40 before a pair of free throws from Powell ended the run. Southern Utah kept pushing Portland State but the Vikings continued to answer the challenge and maintained a 20-point advantage going up 73-52 with four minutes remaining.
 
The Vikings maintained their advantage as the Thunderbirds continued to press the rest of the game. The T-Birds cut the lead to 13 points at 78-65 before senior C Cara Olden knocked down a pull-up jumper from the top of the key for her first career basket.
 
Portland State improved to 4-25 overall and 2-16 in Big Sky Conference play. Southern Utah fell to 13-15 and 6-12.
 
NOTES: Lauren Holt scored a career-high 25 points … Holt surpassed her previous high of 17 with 18 points in the first half … Portland State had 17 assists on 18 first half field goals … Portland state finished the game with a season-high 23 assists … Portland State had two scorers with 20 points for the first time since Dec. 29, 2013 at Eastern Washington.