AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (Interstat) — Milahnie Perry scored 20 points and Air Force used a dominant first half to secure a 65-55 victory over Portland State in a non-conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at Clune Arena.

The Falcons built a commanding 41-26 halftime lead, outscoring the Vikings 20-12 in the first quarter and 21-14 in the second. Perry, a guard from Tampa, Florida, was instrumental in the early surge, adding four assists and a block in 28 minutes of action.

Portland State mounted a challenge after the break, holding Air Force to just nine points in the third quarter while scoring 14 of their own to cut the deficit to 50-40. The Vikings continued to chip away in the fourth, but the Falcons responded with 15 points to close out the game and improve their season record to 3-2. Portland State fell to 1-3.

The Falcons’ offense was more efficient, scoring 65 points on 64 possessions for an offensive rating of 101.8, while the Vikings managed 55 points on 66 possessions for a rating of 84.0. Air Force also capitalized on Portland State’s ball-handling issues, scoring off 19 Vikings turnovers while committing only 11 of their own.

Air Force’s scoring was balanced behind Perry. Bhret Clay of Hobbs, New Mexico, and Jordyn DeVaughn of Little Elm, Texas, added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Jayda McNabb from Rapid City, South Dakota, contributed nine points, three blocks and a game-high 32 minutes.

For Portland State, Kirstine Munk, a sophomore from Copenhagen, Denmark, led the way with 11 points. Hannah Chicken of Taree, Australia, and Kyleigh Brown of Silverton, Oregon, also scored 11 and 10 points, respectively. The Vikings struggled from beyond the arc, making just one of seven three-point attempts, while the Falcons connected on eight of 20.

Air Force also controlled the glass, grabbing 14 offensive rebounds to Portland State’s seven.

The game was attended by 1,041 fans. Air Force, which was projected as a heavy favorite by Interstat’s ELO system, next travels to face UC San Diego on Saturday. Portland State will look to rebound on the road at Utah Tech, also on Saturday.