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CHENEY, Wash. – Sophomore G Yaremi Mejia scored a career-high 14 points off the bench but the Vikings fell to the Eastern Washington Eagles, 70-57, Saturday afternoon at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.
 
Mejia went 5-for-6 from the floor, including a three-pointer, in 23 minutes off the bench. She went a perfect 3-for-3 at the free throw line and accounted for five rebounds, three assists, and a career-high four steals.
 
Sophomore G Cici West added eight points and a game-high 14 rebounds in the loss. The Big Sky Conference's leading rebounder improved her rebounding average to 10.2 rebounds per game. She is also averaging 10.2 points per game this season, the only player in the conference to average double-digit points and rebounds this season.
 
Freshman G Kian McNair scored 11 points in the game with three rebounds and an assist, while freshman F Pia Jurhar added nine points and seven rebounds in 31 minutes.
 
The Vikings jumped out to an eight-point lead at 11-3 following a 9-0 run early in the first quarter. They went up 13-7 before the Eagles put together a 12-2 run over the final 3:37 of the quarter to take a 19-15.
                                                                                                  
The second quarter played similar to the first as the lead bounced back and fourth. Portland State was again ahead in the final minutes of the first half before Eastern Washington went on a 7-2 run to close out the half. The Eagles led 30-27 at the break.
 
McNair and West led the Vikings in scoring in the first half with nine and eight points respectively. Unfortunately, West went scoreless in the second half and finished with her eight points.
 
Eastern Washington opened the second half with a 13-2 run to go up by 17 points, 46-29, and virtually put the game out of reach. Portland State cut into the lead over the final 4:47 of the quarter but trailed by 10, 54-44, heading to the fourth.
 
The Eagles pushed its lead to as much as 20 points in the fourth quarter before a late run by the Vikings cut the lead to the final 13-point margin, 70-56.
 
Eastern Washington's Hayley Hodgins led all scorers with a game-high 24 points. She accounted for five of the Eagles' nine three-pointers in the game.
 
Portland State struggled throughout the game turning the ball over. The Vikings turned it over 25 times, which led to 38 points for the Eagles. The Vikings tallied 11 steals in the game and forced 23 turnovers but turned them into only 23 points.
 
Eastern Washington improved to 18-9 overall and 12-3 in Big Sky play with the win, while Portland State fell to 3-22 and 1-13. The Vikings have now lost 21 straight games on the road, dating back to last season.
 
Portland State returns to the Peter W. Stott Center next week for its final two home games of the season. The Vikings host North Dakota on Thursday, Feb. 25 for a 7 p.m. PT tip. They then host Northern Colorado for their final home game of the season on Saturday, Feb. 27. Saturday's game will be Senior Day for the Vikings.
 
NOTES
• Sophomore G Yaremi Mejia posted a career-high 14 points off the bench.
• Mejia also posted career highs in field goals made (5) and steals (4).
• Sophomore G Cici West posted her 12th double-digit rebound game of the season.
• Freshman G Kian McNair recorded a steal in the game, keeping her consecutive games with a steal streak alive.