PORTLAND – Ashley Bolston matched her career high with 29 points leading the Vikings to a 69-65 upset of first place Montana State Thursday night at the Peter W. Stott Center.
 
For the third time this season, Bolston put up a career-high 29 points to lead all scorers. She went 7-for-20 from the floor and matched her career high with a trio of three pointers. She got to the free-throw line early and often hitting 12-of-14.
 
Bolston, the Big Sky Conference's assist leader, tallied only four assists in the game but turned the ball over just twice over the course of 37 minutes and was responsible for four of the team's 10 steals. It was her ninth 20-point game this season.
 
Sidney Rielly, the Vikings' leading scorer, was held to just 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while Courtney West scored just two points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
 
The trio of Bolston, Rielly, and West have scored over 80 percent of the team's points over the previous 10 games. Thursday against Montana State, that number dropped to 62 percent as the Vikings' scoring was more well-rounded.
 
Michaela Kay came off the bench for 11 points and a pair of assists, Corey James added six points and seven rebounds, four on the offensive glass, and Cici West scored five points with six big defensive rebounds.
 
All that combined for a full 40-minute performance by the Vikings and a complete team win.
 
Portland State (11-14 overall, 5-8 Big Sky Conference) shot 41.2 percent from the floor with seven three-pointers and held Montana State (18-6, 11-3) to just 34.9 percent shooting. The Bobcats stayed in the game with 10 three-pointers but hit just 11-of-17 at the line.
 
Portland State won the battle in the paint (22-to-20), in points off turnovers (22-to-19), and in bench points (19-to-10). The Vikings pulled down 13 offensive boards which turned into 12 second chance points.
 
Montana State led 18-15 with just under three minutes left in the opening quarter. The Vikings went on a 9-0 run, seven coming from Kay, to take a four-point lead at 22-18. The Bobcats hit a pair of free throws late to make it 22-20 at the end of one.
 
Vikings start the second quarter on an 11-3 run to take a 10-point lead at 33-23 midway through the second. During the run, Portland State held Montana State scoreless for over three minutes. The Bobcats hit a bucket with under a minute left in the half to make it a 37-29 game at the break.
 
The Vikings went on an 8-0 run midway through the third quarter to go up by 13 points, their biggest lead of the game. The Bobcats countered with an 8-1 run to pull within six at 51-46. Portland State picked up its defensive intensity and ended the third on a 6-0 run to lead 57-45 heading into the fourth.
 
Montana State pulled all the way to within four points after starting the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run. Rielly ended the run with an old-fashioned three-point play to put the Vikings up seven at 60-53.
 
The Vikings went scoreless for nearly three minutes as the Bobcats made it a two-point game at 60-58. Kay came up with a much-needed three-pointer with 2:16 left to put the Vikings again up five at 63-58.
 
From there, the game headed to the free-throw line. Bolston hit 1-of-2 in consecutive trips to the line as did MSU's leading scorer Peyton Ferris.
 
Montana State hit a three-pointer on an inbounds play to pull within two at 67-65. Bolston hit a pair of clutch free throws with :11 on the clock. MSU threw up a last-second three-pointer but it missed and the Vikings pulled off the upset of league-leading Montana State.
 
The win snapped a four-game losing streak to Montana State and evened the season series at 1-1. Portland State kept pace with Sacramento State with the win after the Hornets trounced the Montana Lady Griz 99-69 in Sacramento. Both Portland State and Sacramento State are 5-8 in league play, one game behind Weber State.
 
The Vikings host the Lady Griz Saturday afternoon at the Peter W. Stott Center. Tip-off will be at 2 p.m. PT. Portland State will go for its first season sweep of Montana since 2011.  
 
NOTES:
• Sophomore G Ashley Bolston scored a career-high 29 points for the third time this season.
• Portland State snapped a six-game losing streak.
• Portland State snapped a four-game losing streak to Montana State.