GREELEY, Colo. – The Vikings trailed by as much as 16 points late in the third quarter and clawed their way all the way back to make it a one possession game but fell, 63-60, to the Northern Colorado Bears Wednesday night in Greeley, Colo.
 
Northern Colorado (22-6 overall, 14-4 Big Sky Conference) clinched the Big Sky Regular Season Championship with the win. The loss drops Portland State (16-12, 10-7) into a three-way tie for fifth with Idaho State and Montana State. The Vikings need a win Friday at North Dakota, along with some help from around the league, to secure a top four seed and a first round bye in next week's Big Sky Tournament.
 
Portland State went into hostile territory and needed a big game offensively but came out shooting cold at Bank of Colorado Arena. Despite shooting 35.3 percent from the floor in the first quarter, the Vikings trailed by just three at 17-14 heading to the second.
 
The shooting woes continued into the second quarter as the Bears opened a 13-point lead at the break after outscoring the Vikings 19-9 in the period. The Vikings went 3-for-13 from the floor and turned the ball over seven times, which led to six points for UNC.
 
Turnovers were a big problem for both teams in the game but the Bears were able to turn them into points, while the Vikings were not. Each team turned the ball over 20 times in the game but Northern Colorado held a 20-14 advantage in points off turnovers.
 
Portland State started to hit some shots in the third quarter, going 5-for-10 with a pair of three-pointers, but the Vikings were unable to cut into the lead as both teams scored 14 points in the third.
 
After the Bears went up by 16 points late in the third, Kylie Jimenez hit a three-pointer to make it 50-37 heading to the fourth. Northern Colorado hit a layup to make it a 15-point game early in the final frame. Jimenez finished with six points, four assists, and a career-high eight rebounds in the game.
 
The Vikings went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead down to six points at 52-46 with 3:19 left in the game. After the Bears hit a pair of threes to go up 58-47, Jimenez hit another big three to cut the lead to single digits. Three-straight free throws by Ashley Bolston cut the lead to seven points with 56 seconds left.
 
The Vikings cut the lead to five points with nine seconds left and were forced to foul to extend the game. The Bears hit 1-of-2 at the line to go up six. Kiana Brown hit a three-pointer at the buzzer but it was too little and too late as the Vikings fell 63-60.  
 
Bolston led the Vikings with 13 points, going 3-for-13 from the floor and 7-for-9 at the line. She had four rebounds, four assists, and seven steals but turned the ball over seven times. Courtney West added 10 points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes of action. Kiana Brown came off the bench for 11 points with three triples in the game.
 
Savannah Scott scored a game-high 20 points for the Bears after missing the last three games due to injury. She went 8-for-11 from the floor with a trio of threes.
 
Portland State will now head to Grand Forks, N.D. to take on the North Dakota Fighting Hawk on Friday, March 2 to close out the regular season. Tip is slated for 1 p.m. PT.