CEDAR CITY, Utah – On a day where the Vikings could not find any rhythm on offense, falling 82-65 at Southern Utah, Courtney West put her mark on the Portland State record book, breaking the school record for blocks in a season.
 
West, a 6-foot-4 redshirt sophomore from Sydney, Australia, entered the game second all-time with 66 blocks this season. After recording one block in the first half, she tallied three in the second, surpassing the previous record of 68 set by Katy Wade during the 2009-10 season. West's four blocks against the Thunderbirds brings her season total to 70, which is tied for 12th on the Big Sky Conference's all-time list.
 
West scored eight points on 4-of-8 shooting and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds to go along with her four blocks. She added two assists and two steals in a team-high 34 minutes.
 
Sophomore G Sidney Rielly led the Vikings with 15 points, going 5-for-11 from the floor with a three-pointer. She went a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. Sophomore G Michaela Kay found her stroke from three-point range, hitting 4-of-7, adding 12 points.
 
Southern Utah focused on sophomore G Ashley Bolston, double-teaming her all-night long. The Thunderbirds limited her to just three points on 1-of-7 shooting. She pulled down four rebounds, tallied a team-high five assists, and recorded three steals.
 
It was an even first quarter as both teams led for just about half the period. Portland State (12-15 overall, 6-9 Big Sky) hit the first basket of the game and led 4-3 in the early stages. The score bounced back and forth before a 5-0 run by the Vikings put them up four at 16-12. Southern Utah (6-20, 1-14) scored the final seven points of the quarter to take a 19-16 lead at the end of the first.
 
The Thunderbirds continued their run from the first quarter to take a 25-16 lead midway through the second quarter. The Vikings went cold from the floor over the T-Birds' run missing seven-straight shots, including five layups. Cici West ended the Vikings' scoring drought hitting 1-of-2 at the line to make it a 25-17 game with 6:24 left in the half.
 
Southern Utah extended its lead to 31-17 before the Vikings picked up their first field goal of the second quarter, a three-pointer from Rielly. Ashley Torres Negron made it a 33-22 game after getting a nice put back on the offensive glass. Kay made it an eight-point game after hitting an open three-pointer from the left wing.
 
Torres Negron stole the ball which led to a fast-break layup my Kian McNair to cut the lead to six at 33-27. SUU ended the Vikings' 7-0 run with a jumper. Another Vikings turnover, their 16th of the first half, led to a free throw at the other end to make it 36-27. Torres Negron hit two free throws on the next Vikings' possession to bring the Vikings again within seven at 36-29.
 
Tatiana Streun laid it in with 36 seconds left on a nice feed from McNair to make it a 39-31 game at the half. After a Southern Utah 17-1 run put the Thunderbirds up 14 early in the second quarter, the Vikings came on strong at the end of the first half to make it an eight-point game.
 
Portland State cut the lead to four points, 46-42, midway through the third quarter. Southern Utah went on an 11-0 run to increase its lead to 15 points. After four-straight PSU free throws, another 8-0 run by the Thunderbirds made it a 19-point game. Rielly hit a pair of late free throws by the Vikings trailed 65-48 heading to the fourth.
 
Southern Utah went up by as much as 21 points in the fourth quarter before winning 82-64.
 
Jessica Richardson led all scorers with 25 points for the Thunderbirds on 10-of-17 shooting. She pulled down seven rebounds in 36 minutes.
 
The Vikings shot just 36.8 percent from the floor, while the Thunderbirds shot 47.8 percent. Southern Utah forced 28 turnovers, recording 23 steals. The T-Birds turned those turnovers into 34 points.
 
The Vikings will have to put this game behind them quickly as they head to Flagstaff, Ariz. for a Saturday matchup with the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. NAU has won two straight after defeating Sacramento State, 91-88, Thursday night.  
 
NOTES:
• Sophomore F Courtney West's four blocks increased her season total to 70, which is a new PSU single-season record.
• Freshman F Tatiana Streun scored a career-high 9 points, going 3-for-5.