Eastern Washington women cruise past last-place Portland State 63-39

From staff reports

The Eastern Washington women’s basketball team opened the second half of Big Sky Conference play with a 63-39 victory over last-place Portland State on Monday at Reese Court in Cheney.

Juniors Jaydia Martin and Jaleesa Lawrence each had 14 points to lead the Eagles (18-5, 8-2 Big Sky). They pulled to within a half-game of idle Northern Arizona (8-1), which sits atop the Big Sky standings.

Martin’s 14 points nearly matched her total across her last five games (15 points), and for the first time this season the preseason all-conference selection made more than half her field-goal attempts, going 6 of 9 overall.

Redshirt sophomore Aaliyah Alexander added 10 points, five rebounds and four assists, while senior Jamie Loera had eight rebounds, seven assists and five points.

The Eagles grabbed 48 rebounds, their most in Big Sky play, including 22 on the offensive side, one shy of their season-high.

Esmeralda Morales, the Big Sky’s leading scorer at 17.4 points per game, had 14 points to lead Portland State (5-17, 0-10), which lost its 14th straight game.

Eastern led 35-20 at half and pushed its lead to as many as 27 points in the fourth quarter. The 24-point margin of victory was the Eagles’ second-largest of the Big Sky season.

The Eagles will host Idaho at 2 p.m. Saturday at Reese Court, the first half of a doubleheader between the EWU and Idaho women’s and men’s teams.