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MISSOULA – Eryn Jones scored 20 points and Lexi Bishop sank a career-best four 3-pointers as Portland State stayed alive in the Big Sky Conference title race with a 70-65 victory at Montana on Thursday evening.

Behind four players scoring in double-figures, including Bishop's 15, the Vikings picked up a crucial victory at a place they haven't had much success. Portland State won at Dahlberg Arena for the second straight year and just the third time in 24 outings. The victory, and Montana's loss, puts both teams at 9-4 in the Big Sky and in third place with three games to play.

At times on Thursday night the Vikings looked like they would run away from the Lady Griz, but Dahlberg Arena is perhaps the toughest place to play in the conference and Montana rallied behind its fan base.

Jones and Courtney VanBrocklin combined for 21 first-half points and the Vikings would lead by as many as 17. A basket by Courtney Cremer with 2:45 until intermission put the Vikings up 38-21, but Montana scored the final nine points of the period to trail 38-30 at the break.

After Montana closed to within 38-34 on a Jessica Linford jumper less than a minute into the second period, the Vikings responded with a 10-0 run. VanBrocklin started it with a basket, Bishop followed with a 3-pointer and Kelli Valentine scored in the paint. Stephanie Egwuatu then made it 48-34 with 14:56 remaining on an old-fashioned three-point play.

The Vikings (16-10) would push their advantage to 56-36 after Allie Brock scored in the paint at the 11:10 mark. From there, though, the Lady Griz chipped away at Portland State's lead.

Linford make is a seven-point game, 61-54, with 4:53 to go on a jumper, before Valentine scored and Jones made two free throws to push the Vikings lead back up  to 11.

Montana then used a 9-2 run to get within 67-63 with 29 seconds left. But that was as close as they would get as the Vikings made three of four at the free-throw line in the closing moments.

Bishop and Jones both shot 4 of 7 from behind the arc, and the Vikings finished the game 10 of 19. VanBrocklin tallied 13 points and nine rebounds, while Valentine had 11 points and a game-high five steals.

Katie Baker scored 13 points and pulled down nine rebounds for Montana, which fell to 14-12 overall.

Portland State heads to Montana State on Saturday in another critical conference matchup. The Bobcats defeated Eastern Washington tonight to move into a tie for first place with Northern Colorado at 10-3. Saturday's game tips off at 6:05 p.m. PT.

NOTES: PSU snapped Montana's conference-best six-game winning streak ... the Vikings have won three in a row and nine of their past 11 ... the Vikings have won four in a row over Montana for the first time ever ... prior to winning in Missoula last year, the Vikings had not won at Dahlberg since Jan. 21, 1999 ... Jones made four 3s in a game for the sixth time this season. She has also made a three-pointer in 11-straight games and in 24 of 26 contests this year ... Jones moved up to fourth on the PSU single-season chart for three-pointers made with 63. The record is 89 by Michele Hughes during the 1989-90 season ... Jones recorded her team-best seventh 20-point performance ... PSU outshot Montana, 42.6% to 38.9% ... the Vikings and Montana are one game back of UNC and MSU. After this weekend, the Montana schools travel to play at PSU and Eastern Washington to close out the regular season. Northern Colorado is at NAU on Saturday, then plays Idaho State twice.