Playing without Taylor Smith, who was apparently injured sometime during Thursday’s game, the Wildcats took a 9-6 lead three minutes into the contest. But WSU managed just four points over the next 10 minutes and trailed 20-13 early in the second quarter.

Trailing 32-29 at halftime, junior Lanae Billy and the Wildcats got things going in the second half.

Billy knocked down consecutive 3s to start the third quarter, launching a 27-point frame that included a 25-8 run, and Weber State went on to a 71-56 victory over last-place Portland State (4-20, 1-14).

The Wildcats (11-14, 8-7 Big Sky) sit in fourth place after the win and return home to host Eastern Washington (10-17, 6-9) and Idaho (17-9, 9-6) with a shot at rising to third place — or at least clinching a top-six spot and a bye to Day 3 of the conference tournament.

Billy, a Division II transfer in her first season at WSU, totaled DI career highs with 22 points and six 3-pointers — all in the first three quarters.

Her shooting helped WSU pull away and a Kennedy Eskelson left-wing 3 capped a 12-0 run to put WSU ahead 54-40 late in the third quarter.

Senior guard Kendra Parra flirted with a triple-double, totaling 20 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists. WSU assisted 21 of its 26 made baskets. Parra also shot 4 of 9 from behind the arc and WSU finished 12 of 26 from distance. Antoniette Emma-Nnopu pulled down 10 rebounds.

PSU got 17 points from Ala Fitzgerald. Weber won the turnover battle 15-10.