complete game notes and stats in pdf

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (6-5) vs. CAL STATE FULLERTON TITANS (7-3)
Thursday, December 22, 2011, 7:05 p.m. @ Titan Gym (4,000), Fullerton, CA
Television: None
Radio: Freedom 970 AM, www.freedom970.com • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Pregame Show: 6:30 p.m.
Live Video Stream: www.fansonly.com • Live Stats: www.GoViks.com
All-Time Series: CSF leads 4-3 • PSU in Fullerton: 0-3

Portland State wraps up its road-heavy preseason schedule at Cal State Fullerton on Thursday night at Titan Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and the game can be heard on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com.
    
The Vikings come off a 101-68 loss at Oregon State on Sunday, dropping their record to 6-5. Seven of the 11 games have been played on the road with the eighth coming at CSF. After starting the year 5-2, PSU has lost three of four with all three losses on the road (Utah Valley, Oregon and Oregon State).
    
Cal State Fullerton has gotten off to a good start with a 7-3 record this season. The Big West member is on a four-game winning streak. Among those wins are a 31-point victory at Utah (81-50) and a 15-point win over Eastern Washington one week ago (91-76).
    
The Vikings and Titans have one common opponent in Cal State Bakersfield. The Roadrunners beat CSF 73-66 at home on Nov. 26. PSU beat the Roadrunners, 91-87, on Dec. 15 in Portland.
     
After the game at Cal State Fullerton, the Vikings will step into Christmas before opening Big Sky Conference action. Portland State has two non-conference games later this season: at an ESPN Bracketbuster opponent to be named (Feb. 18) and at Seattle (Mar. 10).
    
PSU opens conference play on the road at Montana (Dec. 28) and Montana State (Dec. 30).

STORYLINES
• The series: Portland State and Cal State Fullerton will have their fourth meeting in the last five years... the Titans lead the all-time series, 4-3, but lost at Portland State last year, 93-89... PSU is 0-3 all-time in Fullerton... PSU has won the last two meetings in the series.
• Last year: Portland State came back from 11 points down with 13:38 to play at the Stott Center, winning 93-89. Chris Harriel scored 13 straight points and 16 of 18 in a seven-minute stretch during the PSU rally. Charles Odum scored the last nine points for PSU and had a game-high 21 with five assists... Orane Chin scored 32 points to lead the Titans. CSF shot .596 from the field, while the Vikings shot .525.
• PSU vs. the Big West: Portland State is 21-26 all-time against members of the Big West Conference. Fullerton is PSU's only Big West opponent this season.
• The Titans: Cal State Fullerton was 11-20 last season, 7-9 and sixth place in the Big West Conference. Three starters and six letterwinners return from that team... with a hot start to this season, the Titans have some impressive numbers, shooting .502 from the field, averaging 80.6 points and outrebounding opponents by more than 11 per game. Their only weakness has been an average of 18 turnovers per game... DJ Seeley leads five players scoring in double figures with a 14.8 average... Isiah Umipig averages 14.5 points and has made a team-high 28 three-point field goals... Kwame Vaughn is averaging 13.5 points and 4.3 assists... Omondi Aomoke leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game, shoots .587 from the field and averages 13.3 points.
 • Head Coach Bob Burton is in his tenth year at Cal State Fullerton. He has a 141-115 record overall. Burton is 1-2 all-time against the Vikings.

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 33-40 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:
    • 20-19 all-time in non-conference games, 13-21 all-time against Big Sky Conference opponents.
    • Geving is 22-9 at home. He is 11-31 on the road, including 4-2 in neutral site games.
    • Geving 1-0 all-time against Cal State Fullerton and has a record of 3-0 all-time against schools from the Big West Conference.

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 four 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. 12 at Oregon on CSN; Dec. 18 at Oregon State on Root Sports; and Jan. 29 vs. Montana on Altitude/CSN. Other televised games are TBA.
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.

FAST BREAKS

NATIONAL RANKINGS: In NCAA statistics released on Monday, Portland State maintained some high rankings among the 338 Division I schools:
• 35th in rebounding margin, +6.7
• SR G Charles Odum ranks 35th in free throw percentage, .887
• SR F Chehales Tapscott ranks 48th in rebounding, 8.9
• SR F Cheheles Tapscott ranks 16th in double-doubles, 5

BIG SKY BEST: The Viking team leads the Big Sky Conference in field goal percentage (.473), rebounding margin (+6.7) and three-point field goal defense (.302)... JR F Chehales Tapscott leads the Big Sky Conference in rebounding (8.9)... SR G Charles Odum ranks third in scoring (16.5) and leads in free throw percentage (.887)... SR C Nate Lozeau ranks second in field goal percentage (.642).

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 made 38 more free throws than its opponents have attempted (PSU 199-272, .732; Opponents 122-161, .758).

LIGHTS OUT: Portland State's .673 (33-49) shooting performance against CSU Bakersfield (12/15) was easily its best of the season. It was also the best shooting by a Viking team in 66 games. The last time PSU shot better was a 33-48 (.688) performance against Eastern Washington on Dec. 5, 2009.

PERILOUS PERIMETER: On the other hand, Portland State has been struggling mightily from three-point range this season (although the Vikings have been a decent 10-25 in the last two games, .400). And, considering how well the Vikings have done in virtually every other facet of the game, imagine where they might be with some solid three-point shooting. The Vikings made a season-worst 1-14 (.071) from three-point range in a six-point loss at Utah Valley. The Vikings were just 5-19 at Oregon (.263)... for the year, the Vikings are only 47-182, .258. Making just 4.3 threes per game, PSU is way down from a team that has averaged between seven and nine per game over the last four years, while shooting between .352 and .393 each year (and leading the Big Sky in scoring each year)... the most the Vikings have made in any game this season is seven, and the highest game percentage prior to the CSU Bakersfield game had been only .318.

GUARD GAME: Are the Viking guards emerging?.... PSU's four guards (SR Charles Odum, JRs Lateef McMullan and Michael Harthun, FR Gary Winston) had their best combined effort of the season against CSUB. The foursome hit 21-30 field goals (.700), 4-8 three-pointers (.500) and 14-22 free throws  (.636) for 60 points, an average of 15.0 per man. In addition, they had 14 rebounds, 16 assists and three steals... Winston missed the Oregon State game with a quad injury. Odum, McMullan and Harthun combined for 38 points (12.7 per man), eight rebounds and five assists in that one, hitting 13-27 FGs, 4-9 3-pt FGs, 8-11 FTs.

DEFENSIVE DIVISION: Through the first seven games of the season, the Vikings were allowing just 61.0 points to rank first in the Big Sky. The most any opponent had scored was 69 points. Aiding the effort was a +10.0 rebounding margin - which led the Big Sky as well... however, the Vikings have given up 90.0 points per game over the last four (128-243 opp FG, .527), losing three. The level of competition has been admittedly much tougher in those games including a pair of Pac-12 opponents, but the Vikings will have put the clamps back on to get back in the win column.

FULL HOUSE: The Vikings finally have their full complement of players available for the 2011-12 season. JR F Martin Whitmore played briefly in his first game against CSU Bakersfield. He had been out with an elbow injury suffered in a preseason exhibition game... JR F Renado Parker became eligible when fall term ended due to his transfer status (arriving for winter term last year). The 6-5 post has averaged 8.8 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting a team-best .682 from the field over four games... the Vikings had gotten NCAA clearance for FR G Gary Winston in game three. He averages 7.0 points and shoots 46% from three-point range to lead the Vikings... Parker, Winston and Whitmore will likely be the first three off the bench for the Vikings this season.

CHUCK WAGON: SR G Charles Odum has been the Vikings' offensive leader this season, averaging a team-high 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals. He is shooting a stellar .492 from the field and .887 at the line. Odum's shooting would be even better if he could find the range from three-point distance. After hitting .395 from three-point range in 2010-11, Odum is just 6-37 (.162) so far this year. That means he is shooting 54-85 on two-point attempts, a remarkable .635 percentage. Season highlights:
• Odum has scored in double figures in nine games this season and has three 20-point games.
• Odum ranks third in scoring, first in free throw percentage, and fifth in steals in the Big Sky.
• 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).

“BIGS” BASKETS: Every member of Portland State's “big guys” is currently shooting .500 or better, all the way down the roster: JR F Renado Parker (.682), SR C Nate Lozeau (.642), FR F Kidus Ephrem (.538), SR F Chehales Tapscott (.516) and FR C Brandon Cataldo (.500)... the result is PSU shoots a Big Sky-best .473 from the field as a team.
 
TAP-INS: SR F Chehales Tapscott is a double-double waiting to happen. He is averaging 14.1 points and 8.9 rebounds this season with a Big Sky best five double-doubles... Tapscott also leads the Vikings with 10 blocked shots and 18 steals. Highlights this year:
• Tapscott is shooting .516 from the field and .733 at the line.
• Tapscott has five double-doubles this year to lead the Big Sky, and 11 in 35 career games at Portland State.
• Tapscott ranks first in rebounding, fifth in blocked shots, sixth in scoring and field goal percentage in the Big Sky.
• Tapscott was named to the Wyoming Jim Thorpe Classic All-Tournament team (11.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, five assists, four blocks, four steals).
• The 6-5 forward scored six of the final eight points in a win over Seattle (11/15), 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.

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 .642 from the field (52-81) to rank second in the Big Sky Conference. He is averaging 11.6 points and 6.7 rebounds (15th and 4th, respectively, in the Big Sky). Those numbers are up dramatically from 4.7 points and 2.4 rebounds last year.
• Lozeau has posted three double-doubles (four career).

COMING ON: JR G Lateef McMullan started slow but has come on of late, averaging 14.0 points and 3.3 assists while shooting .471 from the field over his last five games. He had been averaging 5.7 points and 2.0 assists  while shooting .200 from the field in the six games prior to that.

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.
• PSU routed Walla Walla, 102-47, for its third straight win (12/3), shooting .566 from the field. SR C Nate Lozeau had 18 points and nine rebounds to lead the way. SR G Charles Odum added 17 points, four rebounds and four assists.
• JR G Michael Harthun scored a career-high 22 points (9-11 FGs) in leading the Vikings to a 91-87 win over Cal State Bakersfield. Five players scored in double figures and the Vikings shot .673 from the field (33-49), the best by a PSU team in more than two seasons.
• JR G Lateef McMullan posted a career-high 19 points (7-12 FG, 4-5 FT) in a loss at Oregon State (12/18).