Chehales Tapscott scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Portland State to a 75-53 win over Montana State in the first round of the Big Sky Conference tournament on Saturday night.
Charles Odum added 16 points for the third-seeded Vikings (17-13), while Renado Parker scored 13 points off the bench. The Vikings move on to the semifinals and will face Weber State on Tuesday.
Mohammed Fall led the sixth-seeded Bobcats (12-17) with 14 points while Christian Moon chipped in 12.
Portland State never trailed and led 24-15 after a Gary Winston free throw with 5:23 left before halftime. A Parker put-back at the buzzer put PSU up 31-23 at the break.
The Vikings took control in the second half with a 12-0 run that put them ahead 57-37 after Tapscott hit a 3-pointer with 8:12 to play, and Montana State never threatened again.
