Women’s basketball preview

On offense, Rebecca Mercer fuels the Bobcats’ charge. The senior guard is averaging nearly 20 points a game and leads the Big Sky in three-point shots made per contest. Senior forward Krislyn Wallace and sophomore guard Jenny Heringer also rank among the conference leaders in points per game, a perimeter-laden team.

What: Portland State (20-7 10-4 BSC) vs. Montana State (14-12, 9-5)Where: Peter W. Stott Center When: Thursday, March 6, 7:05 p.m.On the Air: www.goviks.com (audio), 910 AM KTRO (radio)

Probable Starters: Portland StateClaire FaucherLexi BishopDelaney ConwayKelsey KahleKelli Valentine

Montana State G- Jenny Heringer G- Rebecca Mercer G- Erica Perry F- Nubia Garcia F- Krislyn Wallace

Stars: On offense, Rebecca Mercer fuels the Bobcats’ charge. The senior guard is averaging nearly 20 points a game and leads the Big Sky in three-point shots made per contest. Senior forward Krislyn Wallace and sophomore guard Jenny Heringer also rank among the conference leaders in points per game, a perimeter-laden team.

At a glance: A matchup of a potential Big Sky Tournament game, the Vikings need a win to claim one of the top two seeds in the conference tournament next week. Both squads rank near the top of the conference in steals and turnover margin, and both rely offensively on a perimeter-oriented attack. In their earlier matchup this season, the Bobcats rallied around 40 combined points from Mercer and Heringer to hand the Vikings the loss 84-75.