PORTLAND – The game was tied at the half but an off third quarter ended the Vikings' upset bid over Northern Colorado as they fell 57-50 in front of a season-high crowd of 978 on the second annual Kid's Field Trip Day.
 
Tied at 30-30 to begin the second half, the Vikings went stone cold from the floor as Northern Colorado built a 17-point lead at 49-32. The Bears' 19-2 run to start the half extended through the entire third quarter and into the fourth.
 
Portland State (13-16 overall, 7-10 Big Sky Conference) ended the run with a layup by sophomore F Courtney West. Her layup started a 12-2 run by the Vikings as they cut the lead to seven points at 53-46 with 1:49 left. The Vikings got the lead down to six but a late free throw by the Bears gave them the 57-50 win.
 
The third quarter proved to be the difference in the game. The Vikings were held to just two points, their lowest point total in any quarter this season. Portland State went 1-for-11 from the floor in the period.
 
Portland State kept up the defensive pressure throughout the third, and forced eight Northern Colorado (21-7, 13-4) turnovers. However, the Vikings could not turn those into points, which was a problem all game long. The Vikings forced 21 turnovers in the game but turned them into only five points.
 
West led the Vikings with 16 points, going 6-for-12 from the floor. She pulled down a team-high nine rebounds and tallied five blocks in the game. She leads the Big Sky Conference with 77 blocks on the year, which is one shy of 10th on the conference's all-time list.
 
Ashley Bolston added 11 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals in the game, while Sidney Rielly was limited to just six points. Bolston and Rielly were held to a combined 5-for-18 shooting from the floor.
 
Portland State shot 34.0 percent from the floor, well below its season average of 45.1 percent coming into the game. Northern Colorado entered the game shooting 43.0 percent but the Vikings held the bears to 37.7 percent. The Bears went 8-for-23 from three-point range, while the Vikings went 0-for-6.
 
Northern Colorado scored the first four points of the game before Portland State went on a 6-0 run to take a 6-4 lead early in the first quarter. The Bears went up by as much as eight points in the opening period before the Vikings made it a five-point game heading into the second.
 
The Vikings held the Bears scoreless for nearly seven minutes at the end of the second quarter as they tied the game and then took a two-point lead at 30-28. UNC tied the game on a jumper with :14 seconds left to send the game into the half tied at 30-30.
 
Northern Colorado opened the second half on a 19-2 run to take a 17-point lead at 49-32 early in the fourth quarter. The Vikings pulled within six late in the game but ended up falling 57-50.
 
Northern Colorado's Courtney Smith had a game-high 21 points, going 10-for-17 from the floor with 11 rebounds and three assists. She played all 40 minutes for the Bears.
 
Portland State closes out the regular season Friday, March 3 against North Dakota in the final game of the Peter W. Stott Center Main Gym. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. PT.
 
NOTES:
• Sophomore F Courtney West posted her 15th double-digit scoring game with 16 points.
• West recorded her 13th game with at least three blocks with five against UNC.
• Sophomore G Ashley Bolston recorded her 22nd double-digit scoring game with 11 points. 
• Attendance was a season-high 978.