By AUSTIN SMITH
Led by three players in double-digit scoring, the Lady Griz fought tooth and nail for a 72-61 win over the Portland State Vikings Thursday evening.
Player of the Game Kellie Cole was instrumental in the rough-and-tumble victory, coming up with a handful of late-game steals that led to at least four of her 14 total points.
Senior guard Katie Baker scored a team-high 15 points and paired it with nine rebounds and four steals, followed closely by fellow senior Kenzie De Boer’s 12 points and four rebounds.
The game remained contested until about 7:00 minutes were left in the second half, at which time the Lady Griz began to pull away after capitalizing on poor Viking ball control. Montana ultimately tallied 10 steals, with 14 of their 72 points coming off Portland State turnovers.
Trying to keep her team alive, Viking guard Karley Lampman brought the squads level at 57 points with a nothing-but-net trey as the clock wound to 6:00 minutes.
Portland couldn’t maintain momentum however, losing the battle of the boards (43-35 was the Griz-favored rebound count) and ultimately the game in the face of Cole’s fast break and center Carly Selvig’s stifling low-post defense.
Montana will look to carry on its four-win streak this Saturday, February 2nd, when they host the Eastern Washington Eagles.
The ladies will then hit the road to face both Northern Colorado (February 7th) and North Dakota (February 9th) for the second time this season; Montana was victorious when they hosted each team in early January.