PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland State outscored Montana 47-33 in the second half to pull away for a 70-53 Big Sky Conference women’s basketball win on Thursday.
The Lady Griz struggled from the floor, making just 37 percent of their field goal attempts for the game. Caitlin Lonergan made six of UM’s 20 field goals in the game and finished with a game-high 19 points. The former Bozeman High standout made six of 11 attempts from the floor and seven of eight from the free throw line. She added five rebounds, two assists and a block in the loss.
McKenzie Johnston, who played all 40 minutes, flirted with a triple-double, totaling eight points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Johnston made just two of 11 field goal attempts, though, and committed five turnovers. As a team, the Lady Griz turned the ball over 20 times, compared to just 11 turnovers by PSU.
The Vikings featured a balanced scoring attack with six players scoring between eight and 14 points. Kiana Brown and Ashley Bolston each scored 14, Courtney West added 12, and Sidney Rielly, Corey James and Kylie Jimenez each chipped in eight.
Portland State improves to 12-10 overall and 6-5 in the Big Sky with the win, while Montana falls to 12-11 overall and 8-4 in the league.
The Lady Griz stay on the road, heading to Sacramento State on Saturday for a 3 p.m. (MT) tipoff.
