Eagles vanquish Vikings to stay in hunt

Eastern Washington moved within two games of Portland State for the sixth and final spot in the Big Sky tournament with an 80-61 women’s basketball win over the Vikings Thursday at Cheney.

Joanna Chadd’s 19 points led four players in double figures for the seventh-place Eagles (8-17, 3-9). Phynique Allen came off the bench to score 15, Nicole Scott had 14 and Sydney Benson added a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. EWU finished the game shooting 50 percent from the field.

Claire Faucher scored 14 and Kelsey Kahle added 12 for the Vikings (9-16, 5-7). PSU outrebounded the Eagles 41-35 and forced more turnovers (21-16), but it couldn’t overcome 25 percent shooting in the second half.

PSU candidates

Two candidates with local connections are among the four finalists for the athletic director position at Portland State University.

Pete Isakson, associate director of athletics for external affairs at Washington State, is scheduled to interview March 5-6, according to an Associated Press story. Former Eastern Washington sports information director Bruce Parker, who is the athletic director at Carroll College, is scheduled March 12-13.

Swimming

Washington State’s Erin McCleave placed second in the 500-yard freestyle with an NCAA qualifying time of 4:43.46 at the Pac-10 Swimming Championships in Long Beach, Calif.