complete notes and stats in pdf

• Please note that Saturday's game time against Walla Walla University has been moved to 5:35 p.m.

WALLA WALLA WOLVES (1-10) vs. PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (4-2)
Saturday, December 3, 2011, 5:35 p.m. @ The Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR
Television: None
Radio: Freedom 970 AM, www.freedom970.com • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Pregame Show: 5 p.m.
Live Video Stream: www.b2tv.com • Live Stats: www.GoViks.com
All-Time Series: First meeting

The Portland State Vikings return home for a Saturday matchup with Walla Walla University at the Stott Center. The original gametime of 5:05 p.m. has been changed to 5:35 p.m. and will be the second game of a doubleheader with the PSU women. The Viking women host Nevada at 2 p.m. The men's game will air on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. The pregame show begins at 5 p.m.
    
PSU comes off a 2-1 performance at the Wyoming Jim Thorpe Classic over Thanksgiving weekend. The Vikings lost to Wyoming (65-51), but defeated Louisiana Tech (66-48) and Maryland-Eastern Shore (79-69). Portland State is 4-2 on the season, 2-0 at home, heading into the game with Walla Walla.
    
Saturday's game is one of just four preseason home games. Walla Walla is just 1-10 on the season and has a contest at Lewis-Clark State College on Wednesday prior to facing the Vikings.
    
The Vikings are in the midst of seven road games in nine preseason contests, and nine of 11 on the road overall leading into conference play. In the month of December, PSU plays just two at home and six on the road, including the conference openers at Montana (Dec. 28) and Montana State (Dec. 30).

STORYLINES
• The series: Portland State and Walla Walla University meet for the first time on the basketball court... the Wolves are the second, and final, lower division opponent the Vikings will face this year.
• The Wolves: Walla Walla is an NAIA Division II independent. The Wolves were 6-24 in 2010-11. Three starters and six letterwinners return from that team... Mark Moore leads the team with 13.5 points and 4.7 assists per game. He has made 22 three-point field goals and shoots .400 from range... Andrew Bailey averages 8.1 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Wolves.
• Head Coach Jimmy Hill is in his first year at Walla Walla University.

VIKING HEAD COACH TYLER GEVING
Tyler Geving is in his third season as Head Coach and seventh season overall with the Portland State program. Geving has a 31-37 record with the Vikings. He was 13-19 in 2009-10 and led PSU to the Big Sky Tournament semifinals. In 2010-11, his Vikings were 14-16 overall.
    
Geving is a 1996 graduate of Central Washington and has been in collegiate coaching for 17 years.
    
The third-year Head Coach is assisted by Andy McClouskey (2nd year, Oregon State, 1982), Eric Harper (7th year, Central Washington, 1995) and Anthony Owens (3rd year, Great Falls, 2006). Former Viking player Mickey Polis is the Director of Operations (3rd year, Portland State, 2009).
    
Geving's record breakdown:
    • 18-16 all-time in non-conference games, 13-21 all-time against Big Sky Conference opponents.
    • Geving is 20-9 at home. He is 11-28 on the road, including 4-2 in neutral site games.
    • Geving has never faced Walla Walla University, but he is 4-0 all-time against lower division schools.

GAME WEEK ACTIVITIES
VIKINGS ON THE RADIO: All Portland State basketball games can be heard on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. The Viking Pregame Show begins one-half hour prior to kickoff each week. Tom Hewitt does the play-by-play.
VIKINGS ON TELEVISION: Currently, Portland State has three games that are scheduled to be televised in the Portland area. They are: Nov. 11 against Denver (tape delay at 10:30) on Root Sports; Dec. 18 at Oregon State on Root Sports; and Jan. 29 vs. Montana on Altitude/CSN. Other televised games are expected to be announced later this fall.
VIKINGS ON THE INTERNET: Live streaming video of all Portland State home and Big Sky Conference games can be seen free at www.b2tv.com... Live stats for Portland State home games are at www.GoViks.com.
TICKETS: Tickets for all home games are available for $15 (reserved) and $10 (general admission). Youth prices are $10 and $7. Groups of 15 or more get special admission prices. To purchase tickets by phone, call 1.888.VIK.TIKS or 503.725.3307. Tickets are on sale at the PSU Ticket Office, located in Smith Memorial Student Union. Tickets are also available at the Stott Center beginning 90 minutes prior to tipoff.

RECENT GAMES: VIKINGS GO 2-1 AT WYOMING JIM THORPE CLASSIC
Laramie, WY - The Portland State Vikings went 2-1 at the Wyoming Jim Thorpe Classic over Thanksgiving weekend, finishing in second place. PSU lost to Wyoming (65-51), then defeated Louisiana Tech (66-48) and Maryland-Eastern Shore (79-69).
A few highlights:
• PSU held Louisiana Tech to just 48 points allowed - the fewest allowed in 77 games, dating back to the 2008-09 season.
• SR G Charles Odum scored a career-high 27 points in the win over Louisiana Tech (9-14 FGs, 9-9 FTs).
• SR F Chehales Tapscott had a career-high 14 rebounds in the win over Louisiana Tech.
• SR C Nate Lozeau had his third double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Maryland-Eastern Shore.
• SR G Charles Odum scored 25 against Maryland-Eastern Shore for his second straight 20-point game.
• JR G Michael Harthun had a season-high 15 points in the win over Maryland-Eastern Shore (6-9 FG, 3-5 3-pt FG).
• SR G Charles Odum and SR F Chehales Tapscott were both named to the All-Tournament team.
• Tournament Records: Wyoming (3-0), Portland State (2-1), Louisiana Tech (1-2), Maryland-Eastern Shore (0-3).

FAST BREAKS
WINNING LINES  
• The Vikings are 4-2 after six games for the second straight year... PSU is now 3-0 all-time against Maryland-Eastern Shore and 8-1 all-time against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
• The Vikings are 2-0 at home this year... PSU was 10-5 at home in 2010-11, 4-4 in Big Sky home games... over the last five seasons, PSU is 57-14 at home, including 29-11 in Big Sky Conference games.
• The Vikings are 2-2 on the road this season... the Vikings were 4-11 on the road in 2010-11, including 2-0 in neutral site games... PSU was 1-7 in Big Sky road games.
• PSU has gone 113-38 in 151 games at the Stott Center since the 1996-97 season. Including home games at Memorial Coliseum (12-6) and the Rose Garden (19-9), the Vikings are 144-53 at home over the past 16 seasons.
• PSU is 37-27 in Big Sky games since the start of the 2007-08 season, 42-28 including tournament games.

CHUCK WAGON: SR G Charles Odum is gaining momentum after a slow start in the first game of the season. He was at his best at the Wyoming Jim Thorpe Classic, earning All-Tournament honors. Odum scored a career-high 27 points in a win over Louisiana Tech, then followed it with 25 points in a win over Maryland-Eastern Shore. He shot 16-28 from the field (.571) in those two games and 18-20 at the line (.900). Season highlights:
• Odum averages a team-high 17.5 points and 2.0 steals per game. He also averages 3.5 rebounds and has 10 assists. He is shooting .508 from the field and .927 at the line.
• Odum has scored in double figures in five of six games this season.
• Odum ranks third in scoring, second in steals and second in free throw percentage in the Big Sky.

INSIDE PRESENCE: Portland State's big men have dominated during the first six games of the season. SR C Nate Lozeau and SR F Chehales Tapscott have combined to average 26.0 points, 18.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.3 steals per game. They are shooting 55-104 from the field (.529). Tapscott (9.5) and Lozeau (8.5) rank second and third in the Big Sky Conference in rebounding.
 
TAP-INS: SR F Chehales Tapscott scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds at Denver... he followed that with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Seattle. In that game, Tapscott scored six of the final eight points, bringing PSU back from a seven-point deficit with 1:39 to play. He hit the game-winning shot with 4.6 seconds to play... Tapscott posted 19 points (8-10 FG) with eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 19 minutes against Linfield... he grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds in the win over Louisiana Tech - the most by a Viking in four seasons. Highlights this year:
• Tapscott leads the team in rebounding (9.5) and blocks (9), and ranks second in scoring (14.0) and steals (11). He is shooting .448 from the field and .711 at the line.
• Tapscott has three double-doubles this year, and nine in 30 career games at Portland State.
• Tapscott was named to the Wyoming Jim Thorpe Classic All-Tournament team (11.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, five assists, four blocks, four steals).
• Tapscott ranks second in rebounding and blocked shots and ninth in scoring in the Big Sky.

NATE'S NOTES: SR C Nate Lozeau scored a career-high 19 points at Denver. He followed that with 13 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in the win over Seattle... Lozeau then had another career high with 12 rebounds against Linfield. Highlights this year:
• Lozeau is shooting .630 from the field (29-46) while averaging 12.0 points and 8.5 rebounds.
• Entering this week's play, he has posted three double-doubles (four career).

WELCOME TO THE SHOW: FR G Gary Winston had to sit out the Vikings' first two games while the NCAA confirmed his transfer status to Portland State. He originally signed with Idaho, but ended up attending Walla Walla CC last year and did not play basketball. The NCAA gave him clearance on Nov. 18 and Winston has taken little time to make an impact. In four games, he has averaged 8.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists as the Vikings' sixth man. At 7-12 from three-point range, he has proven to be PSU's top long-range shooter (.583).

THUN-ING UP: JR G Michael Harthun (har-TOON) is starting to find the range from outside. He was 6-9 from the field, and 3-5 from three-point range, as he scored a season-high 15 points in the win over Maryland-Eastern Shore. Harthun now averages 8.7 points to rank fourth on the team. His three-point shooting (now 7-21, .333) will be vital to the Vikings' success this season.

D-ING UP: Portland State has not been a strong defensive team the past few seasons. The caveat is the Vikings have always been a strong offensive team, leading the Big Sky Conference in scoring the last four years. This season, Head Coach Tyler Geving has placed an emphasis on defense and it has been paying off. The Vikings are allowing just 63.3 points through six games to rank second in the Big Sky. Opponents are shooting just .404 from the field and .233 from three-point range. Aiding the effort is a +6.7 rebounding margin and 19 blocked shots through six games... the 48 points allowed Louisiana Tech were the fewest given up in 77 games by the Vikings (and during Geving's tenure).

FREE IS A GOOD PRICE: For the second year in a row, Portland State is doing a great job of getting to the free throw line. So far, PSU has shot more than twice as many free throws as its opponents have, and made more than 50% more than its opponents have attempted (PSU 116-157, .739; Opponents 46-72, .639).

C-NOTES: Portland State scored 101 points against Linfield (11/21), making it exactly one season since its previous 100-point effort - a 102-98 win over Lamar in last year's third game. It was the first 100-point game at the Stott Center since a 100-73 win over Sacramento State on Feb. 22, 2007. It was the second 100-point game under Head Coach Tyler Geving... PSU is 78-6 all-time in 100-point games and has not lost one since a 129-114 defeat to UNLV in 1975-76... only two of PSU's 100-point games were overtime contests.

ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO: The Vikings had been without three key players during the first two games. Those three would possibly have been the first three off the bench if available. That changed on Nov. 21 against Linfield when FR G Gary Winston was given clearance by the NCAA and became eligible to play... the Vikings still need two more players to have the depth that Coach Tyler Geving needs and desires. JR F Martin Whitmore is out indefinitely with an elbow injury suffered in the preseason exhibition game with Western Oregon. Whitmore provides much-needed perimeter shooting for the Vikings... also missing is JR F Renado Parker, who will not be eligible until the end of fall term due to his transfer status (arriving for winter term last year). He is likely to be able to play on Dec. 10 vs. Utah Valley.

2011-12 SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL
• SR C Nate Lozeau posted a career-high 19 points in the Vikings' 69-61 loss at Denver (11/11).
• SR F Chehales Tapscott hit a short jump shot in the lane with 4.6 seconds left to beat Seattle, 66-65 (11/15). Tapscott brought PSU back from a 65-58 deficit with 1:39 to play. He scored six of the final eight points, and had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the game. SR C Nate Lozeau added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
• Five Vikings scored in double figures as PSU reached 100 points for the first time in 30 games, downing Linfield, 101-64 (11/21). SR F Chehales Tapscott had a game-high 19 points (8-10 FG), while SR C Nate Lozeau scored 14 with a career-high 12 rebounds.
• SR G Charles Odum scored a career-high 27 points (9-14 FG, 9-9 FT) and SR F Chehales Tapscott had a career-high 14 rebounds in leading the Vikings to a 66-48 win over Louisiana Tech (11/26). It was the fewest points allowed by the Vikings in 77 games.
• SR G Charles Odum had 25 points, while JR G Michael Harthun scored a career-high 15, and SR C Nate Lozeau added a double-double in a 79-69 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore (11/27).
• SR G Charles Odum (19.7, 3.7 rpg) and SR F Chehales Tapscott (11.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg) were both named to the Wyoming Jim Thorpe Classic All-Tournament team after leading the Vikings to a 2-1 record.