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CHENEY, Wash. – Eryn Jones scored 20 points, Allison Greene added a career-high 17 and Portland State shot a season-best 58.7 percent in picking up a crucial 76-69 road win at Eastern Washington on Thursday night that keeps the Vikings postseason hopes alive.

In a battle for the sixth and final spot for the Big Sky Tournament that runs in two weeks, Portland State needed the victory over the Eagles after the other team in the hunt for the number six seed, Sacramento State, knocked off first-place Idaho State tonight. At 6-7 in league play, PSU maintains its one-game lead over the Hornets (6-9), whom they host on Saturday at 1 p.m.

After several weeks of subpar play that saw them lose seven of their past nine games, the Vikings showed why they were the preseason favorite to win the Big Sky title by putting together two solid halves on both ends of the floor. They shot better than 56 percent in each period, including a 60.9 percent mark in the second half, while limiting the Eagles to 30.3 percent shooting, the lowest by an opponent in over two months.

Portland State opened the scoring on a jumper by Stephanie Egwuatu, before Eastern Washington scored four straight and held the lead for much of the first 15 minutes. Not until the 5:04 mark when Greene made a layup, was fouled and hit the ensuring free throw did the Vikings finally go back in front, 24-23.

It was a lead they would never relinquish.

The Vikings (14-12) extended their five-point halftime lead to 10 with 16:48 left on a three ball by Jones and fought off several Eastern Washington comeback attempts from there. The Eagles were able to narrow the gap to three around the nine minute mark, but PSU went back up by double-digits, 65-55, on a Courtney VanBrocklin layup with 5:40 remaining.

The Eagles weren't done, though, putting a scare into the Vikings on a rather unusual five-point play with just under two minutes left. With 1:40 to go, Chene Cooper drained a 3-pointer and teammate Carrie Ojeda was fouled down low while battling for positioning. Ojeda made both free throws and the Eagles were within 69-66. VanBrocklin answered with a basket for the Vikings, but Cooper sank another shot from behind the arc, making it a two-point ball game.

Portland State was able to pull out the win after they went 5 of 6 at the line and the Eagles missed several shots in the waning seconds.

In her postgame show, Vikings Head Coach Sherri Murrell commended the poise her team showed down the stretch.

"We could have easily given that ball game away, but we didn't panic and made the plays that we needed to. They (Eastern Washington) are in second place for a reason and they showed it by coming back. I talked to my team about taking a deep breath and keeping their focus and they did that.

"All night long we just played great team basketball. I feel so proud of the way that they played tonight because Eastern is a very good team."

Jones finished with at least 20 points for the second game in a row, while making all four of the Vikings' three-pointers. Shauneice Samms added 12 points and eight rebounds, and VanBrocklin chipped in 11 points and seven boards of her own.

Just a freshman, Greene played perhaps her finest game yet as a Viking, shooting 4 of 6 and making nine of 10 at the line. She also registered five rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot in 34 minutes.

Brianne Ryan, the Big Sky's leading scorer, paced Eastern Washington with 20 points, all of which came in the second half. Cooper scored 17, while Ojeda tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds.

NOTES: The Vikings can clinch the sixth seed in the Big Sky tourney with a win over Sac State on Saturday. The three-day event will be hosted by either Idaho State or Eastern Washington, depending on the results over the coming nine days ... PSU won at Reese Court for the first time in three years ... the Vikings were able to overcome 21 turnovers. EWU had just eight ... Jones moved into seventh all-time at Portland State in points (1,322), third in 3-pointers attempted (539) and a tie for 10th in 20-point games (14) ... Jones made four or more 3-pointers in a game for the 17th time in her career ... Murrell also commented on the play of her post players, who helped the Vikings outscore Eastern Washington 34-28 in the paint. Egwuatu, Samms and Mikaela Rivard combined for 26 points on 12 of 14 shooting ... VanBrocklin played a big part in keeping Ryan to zero first-half points ... Eastern Washington's shooting percentage was the second lowest by a Viking opponent this year ... the Eagles are now 16-11, 10-4 Big Sky.