PORTLAND – The Vikings fought all the way to the final buzzer but they came up short, falling 68-62, to the Eastern Washington Eagles Saturday afternoon at the Peter W. Stott Center.
 
Portland State (10-12 overall, 4-6 Big Sky Conference) had chances to overcome adversity over the final 10 minutes but struggled at the free-throw line. The Vikings went to the line six-straight times in the fourth quarter to shoot two shots and came away with one point each time. At the end of that stretch they were down seven, 59-52, with 2:05 left in the game.
 
On the other side of the court, Eastern Washington (13-9, 8-3) hit eight-straight free throws over the next minute of action to go up 11, 67-56, with 52 seconds left. The Vikings scored six of the final seven points in the game to cut into the lead but were unable to come all the way back, falling by the six-point margin.
 
The Vikings got contributions from their top scorers once again against the Eagles. Sophomore G Ashley Bolston led the team with 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists. She played a career-high 40 minutes, not coming out once. She recorded four of the Vikings' nine steals but did turn the ball over six times.
 
Sophomore F Courtney West tallied her third double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Big Sky's leader in blocks was limited to just one block in the game. Sophomore G Sidney Rielly added 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the floor. She hit 1-of-2 from three-point range.
 
Both teams struggled protecting the ball in the opening quarter. They each tallied seven turnovers over the first 10 minutes. The Vikings went 3-of-13 from the floor in the first and trailed 14-7 heading into the second. The Vikings cut into the Eagles lead by just a point in the second quarter, trailing 30-24 at the break.
 
Portland State could not corral EWU's Delaney Hodgins, the Big Sky Conference's leading scorer, in the first half. She scored 16 of the team's 30 first-half points, going 6-for-11 from the floor. The Vikings made some nice halftime adjustments and held Hodgins to just two points in the second half.
 
The score bounced back-and-forth in the third quarter as Eastern Washington went up by 10 before Portland State cut it to a four-point game late in the quarter. A late jumper by the Eagles maintained their six-point advantage heading into the fourth.
 
Portland State went on a 6-0 run early in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to one point on a Tatiana Streun free throw. Streun came in and gave the Vikings a much-needed spark in the second half. She scored five points with six rebounds and two assists in just 14 minutes of action.
 
Eastern Washington extended its lead back up to nine points after some made shots and some Portland State missed free throws. The Eagles went up by 11 late in the game before the Vikings cut the lead to the final six-point margin.
 
Tisha Phillips led the Eagles with a game-high 19 points. She went 7-for-12 from the floor, including 4-for-5 from three-point range. Ashli Payne posted a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds.
 
The Vikings hit the road next week for a pair of tough road games at Idaho State and Weber State. They open the week against the Bengals on Thursday, Jan. 9.