PORTLAND, Ore. — Montana State put the defensive clamps on Portland State on the way to an 85-39 blowout victory at Portland State in Big Sky Conference women's basketball on Saturday.
The Bobcats forced 23 turnovers from the Vikings and scored 27 points off those en route to winning their 13th consecutive game. MSU improved to 20-2 overall and to 10-0 in the Big Sky.
Freshman Taylee Chirrick had another big game for the Cats on both ends of the floor. Chirrick finished with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, and had a game-high seven steals to spearhead the defensive effort.
Chirrick came into Saturday with 64 total steals, which ranked No. 8 in Division I. Her 3.05 steals per game ranked 15th.
Esmeralda Morales led the Bobcats with a game-high 20 points, making 4 of 8 3-point shots and all eight of her free throw attempts. Katelyn Martin had 12 points while Addison Harris chipped in 11.
Montana State built its lead on the strength of a 24-0 run. Portland State shot just 27.7% for the game (13 for 47).
The Bobcats return to action Thursday at home when they host Northern Arizona. They'll welcome Northern Colorado to Worthington Arena on Saturday.
