Utah Valley University kept pace early but Portland State pulled away to win, 73-55, on Saturday afternoon in Viking Pavilion.

Eleyana Tafisi finished with a career high 10 rebounds to go along with six points while Jaeden Brown and Shay Fano led the Wolverines (1-4) with 11 points apiece. Ally Criddle matched her career high with nine after going 3-for-4 from three. Esmeralda Morales finished with a game-high 24 points for the Vikings (3-2). She was 9-for-12 from the floor and made all five of her attempts from three.

Criddle hit a pair of 3-pointers within the game’s first five minutes and Fano had two jumpers to help the Wolverines take a 10-6 lead midway through the opening quarter. Portland State hit its first five attempts from beyond the arc and answered with a 15-5 run to take a 21-15 lead. Tafisi and Fano both scored in the final 90 seconds to get UVU back within two, 21-19, after one. Fano had nine points in the first while Morales had 11 for the Vikings while hitting all three of her attempts from distance.

Mae Afoa tied the game on the opening possession of the second quarter, and the Wolverines later took the lead when Kylee Mabry intercepted a pass on the defensive end and took it all the way for two. That bucket gave UVU a 27-25 lead before a 14-0 PSU run helped the Vikings take a 42-30 lead into halftime.

Portland State shot 53.1% in the half while also hitting 6-of-10 from three. The Wolverines made 46.4% in the first 20 minutes and were led by Fano’s nine at the break.

After Brown knocked down a pair from the line midway through the third, the Vikings stretched the lead to 17 after converting a pair of steals into makes. Jada Lewis gave Portland State a 56-37 advantage after a jumper with 1:55 left to cap a 9-2 spurt. Criddle buried her third 3-pointer of the game, but Lewis answered that with a triple in the waning seconds of the quarter to give Portland State a 59-40 lead after three, and the Vikings coasted over the final 10 minutes.

Portland State was opportunistic and turned 16 Utah Valley turnovers into 22 points and held a 37-29 edge on the glass. The Wolverines finished the game 23-for-52 (44.2%) from the field while the Vikings were 30-for-66 (45.5%).

The Wolverines will now return home to host St. Thomas next Thursday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. in the UCCU Center. It’s the first time Utah Valley will play at home since the season opener on Nov. 7.

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