PORTLAND – Just two years removed from being blown out at home by 47 points, the Portland State women's basketball team complete the season sweep of the Montana State Bobcats with its 62-53 win Saturday afternoon at the Pamplin Sports Center at Lewis and Clark College. It is the first sweep of the Bobcats since the 2010-11 season.
 
Portland State is now 13-10 overall on the year and 7-5 in Big Sky Conference play, which moves the Vikings into a three-way tie for fifth with Idaho State and Eastern Washington. If the season ended today, the Vikings would be the No. 6 seed in the Big Sky Tournament due to tiebreakers. However, they have six games left and are just 2.5 games behind conference-leading Northern Colorado and 1.0 game out of fourth and a first-round bye.
 
Portland State got off to a very slow start offensively against Montana State (13-11, 7-6). The Vikings started 1-for-11 from the floor and were just 3-for-14 at the end of the first quarter. Despite shooting 21.4 percent in the first, they trailed by just six points.
 
Portland State turned things around in the second, outscoring Montana State 21-16 but trailed 33-32 heading into the break. Sidney Rielly scored 10 of her game-high 19 points in the second quarter, going 2-for-2 from three-point range and 4-for-4 at the line in just six minutes.
 
The Vikings really took their defensive effort to another level in the second half. Portland State limited Montana State to just seven field goals as they shot 23.3 (7-for-30) percent over the final 20 minutes. The Vikings forced seven turnovers, coming up with four steals in the half.
 
Offensively in the second half, the Vikings dominated the paint, outscoring the Bobcats 20-6. Ashley Bolston came up big for the Vikings down the stretch with 10 points in the half. Bolston finished with 15 points four rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes of action.
 
Portland State outscored Montana State 13-10 in the third quarter to take a two-point lead into the fourth. Tatiana Streun put the Vikings up four with a jumper in the paint. The Vikings took a three-point lead after a Kiana Brown layup before Montana State hit a three-pointer to tie it at 51-51.
 
Back-to-back layups by Bolston, the last finishing with and and-one, put the Vikings up five. The Bobcats cut it to three with a jumper with 2:46 left but that would be the last time they scored as the Vikings closed out the game on a 6-0 run. Portland State hit four of its final five shots, while Montana State went just one for its final 10.
 
Streun dominated the glass over the final 10 minutes. She pulled down six of her eight rebounds in the fourth, three of which came on the defensive glass over the final 1:37. Her effort on the boards helped the Vikings maintain its lead and create separation at the end.
 
Courtney West scored 16 points with six rebounds and a block. It is just the fourth time this season that the Vikings have had three players score 15 points or more and the first time it has been the combination of Bolston, Rielly, and West.
 
The Vikings take their two-game win streak on the road next week. Portland State opens the week at Weber State before heading to Pocatello, Idaho to take on Idaho State.