MISSOULA — The Montana Lady Griz bounced back with a 76-63 Big Sky Conference women's basketball win over Portland State on Saturday afternoon, snapping UM's three-game losing streak.
Carmen Gfeller scored 19 points for the Lady Griz (8-7, 5-5 Big Sky Conference) while Abby Anderson nearly tallied a triple-double with 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three blocks as Montana split the season series with Portland State (6-7, 4-6) after losing on Thursday to the Vikings.
The Lady Griz jumped out to a 9-3 lead to start thanks to six quick points from Gfeller, though Portland State responded to tie it 11-11 after Kylie Jimenez scored on a layup with 4:33 to go in the opening quarter.
Photos: Montana Lady Griz top Portland State
Steadily, Montana took charge, responding with a 7-0 run before ending the first quarter with a 20-16 lead.
The Lady Griz went into halftime up 38-30 as Kylie Frohlich, who scored 18 points in Thursday's game, picked up where she left off in coming off of the bench. Frohlich knocked down back-to-back baskets at the beginning of the second quarter to give UM its first double-digit lead of the game, while Hannah Thurmon buried her first of five 3-pointers to end the half for Montana.
Thurmon caught fire in the third quarter as she knocked down three of her triples in that frame as Montana took over the game. Then in the final seconds, Gfeller found a wide-open Anderson who slipped past the defense for an easy layup as the Lady Griz took a commanding 62-41 lead into the final quarter.
Thurmon finished the game with 15 points and seven rebounds while Frohlich added 12 points. The Lady Griz finished shooting 51.6% from the floor and 9 for 23 from deep while holding Portland State to a 39.1% mark from the field.
Montana turned it over 15 times compared to PSU's seven, but the Lady Griz out-rebounded the Vikings 41 to 30. The Lady Griz are on the road next weekend as they travel to Ogden, Utah, to take on Weber State (0-13, 0-10) on Thursday and Saturday.
