PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (9-9, 3-3) vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (9-10, 3-3) 
Saturday, January 21, 6:05 p.m. @ Reese Court (6,000), Cheney, WA
Television: None
Radio: Freedom 970 AM, www.freedom970.com • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Pregame Show: 5:30 p.m.
Live Video Stream: www.b2tv.com • Live Stats: www.GoViks.com
All-Time Series: The series is tied 18-18 • PSU in Cheney: 6-12 
Big Sky Series: EWU leads 17-15 • PSU in Cheney: 5-11

Winners of three out of four, the Portland State Vikings will try to maintain that momentum on Saturday in Cheney, WA when they take on the Eastern Washington Eagles. It is a key game for the two teams as they are tied for fifth place in the Big Sky Conference at 3-3.

Tip-off is 6:05 p.m. at Reese Court. The game airs on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. Live video streaming is available at www.b2tv.com. 

Portland State comes off an 80-68 home victory over Idaho State on Monday. The Vikings took a while to get going, but once they did, pulled away in the second half for a second win in a row and third in four outings. Reigning Big Sky Conference Player of the Week Charles Odum led the Vikings with a career-high 29 points.

Now 9-9 on the season, the Vikings are 3-8 overall on the road, including two neutral site wins. PSU's last road game was a win, 86-75, at Northern Colorado last week.

Both the Vikings and Eagles are trying to climb in the Big Sky standings as they near the midway point of the conference race. Weber State is the class of the field at 6-0, Montana is 4-1, but both PSU and EWU are only a half-game out of third place. Third- and fourth-place teams host first round Big Sky Tournament games while the second-place team would get a first-round bye.

Eastern Washington suffered a non-conference loss at Seattle on Monday, 91-78. The Eagles are 9-10 overall this year, 5-1 at home. 

STORYLINES

• The series: The all-time series is tied 18-18, with Eastern Washington leading the Big Sky series, 17-15... EWU leads 11-5 in Big Sky games in Cheney... the Eagles won the last meeting between the schools, 65-51, last February in Cheney, but the Vikings won six straight games prior to that.

• Last year: The teams split the season series last year with each team winning on its home court. The Vikings took a 74-58 win over the Eagles in Portland, holding them to just .308 shooting from the field. Chris Harriel had 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Vikings. Tremayne Johnson scored 21 points with 10 rebounds off the bench for the Eagles... Eastern Washington shot over 60% in the second half to come from behind and beat the Vikings, 65-51, in Cheney. Johnson scored 20 points to lead the way. Charles Odum scored 14 points  with five rebounds. The Vikings shot just 37% in the game.

• The Eagles: Eastern Washington has won one Big Sky Conference Championship and made one trip to the NCAA Tournament since joining the league in 1987-88... the Eagles were 10-20 last season, 7-9 and tied for fifth in the Big Sky... in the off-season, the Eagles made a coaching change, bringing in Jim Hayford... four starters and eight letterwinners return, making Eastern Washington one of the league's most experienced teams... the Eagles rank second in the nation with 9.9 three-point field goals made per game... Collin Chiverton, who leads Eastern with 17.0 points per game, ranks seventh individually with 3.2 made per game... point guard Cliff Collimon averages 15.1 points and 5.3 assists per game.

• Head Coach Jim Hayford is in his first year at Eastern Washington. He has a 9-10 record and has never faced Portland State. Hayford is 263-94 all-time in 13 seasons as a collegiate coach.

VIKING HEAD COACH TYLER GEVING

Tyler Geving is in his third season as Head Coach and seventh season overall with the Portland State program. 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:

• Geving is 36-44 all-time at Portland State.

• 16-24 all-time against Big Sky Conference opponents, 20-20 all-time in non-conference games.

• Geving is 24-10 at home. He is 12-34 on the road, including 4-2 in neutral site games.

• Geving is 3-1 all-time against Eastern Washington, 1-1 at Cheney.

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: Portland State has four televised games this year in the Portland area. They are: Nov. 11 against Denver 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.

CHARLES ODUM NAMED BIG SKY PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Viking basketball player Charles Odum was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Monday (prior to the Idaho State game) after leading PSU to its first league road win of the season last Thursday at Northern Colorado.

Odum led the Vikings' best three-point shooting game of the year to an 86-75 decision over the Bears. The 6-foot senior guard from Lakewood, CA scored 22 points with five assists and four rebounds in the game. Odum made 7-9 from the field, 4-6 from three-point range and 4-5 at the line for his sixth 20-point game of the season.

PSU shot a season-best 13-21 from three-point range (.619) and shot 29-47 (.617) overall in the win. 

Odum, who followed that honor with a career-high 29 points in a win over Idaho State on Monday night, leads the Vikings in scoring and ranks second in the conference this season at 18.2 points per game. He shoots .534 from the field to rank sixth and .858 at the line to rank third. Odum was a second-team All-Big Sky selection in 2010-11.

DAM CUP CLINCHED, BUT COMPETITION CONTINUES

The Portland State Vikings and Eastern Washington Eagles are in the second year of a five-sport rivalry cup called The Dam Cup. The Dam Cup celebrates the friendly rivalry between the states of Oregon and Washington within the Big Sky Conference. Saturday's basketball game will be worth two points in the Dam Cup series. However, Portland State has already won this year's competition with a 9-0 advantage. 

Portland State currently possesses the Dam Trophy having won the inaugural Dam Cup in 2011-12 by a 9-8 score. The winner of the Dam Cup possesses The Dam Trophy acknowledging the achievement for the following year. 

The so-named rivalry refers to the four dams linking Oregon and Washington that one passes on the 339-mile drive from the Portland State campus to the Eastern Washington campus. Located along the Columbia River, they are Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Dam, The John Day Dam and the McNary Dam.  

The five sports competing for the cup are football, women's soccer, women's volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball. The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland and Spokane areas. Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions' student body.

The Dam Cup is based on a point system.  Each game played in the five sports between the two schools has a point value. Points are only rewarded for regular season contests. The annual football game is worth four points, the women's soccer match is worth one point, each women's volleyball match is worth two points for a total of four points possible, and each men's and women's basketball game is worth two points for a total of four points possible in each sport, The total points possible are 17 which means that to win the cup a school would need to win at least 9 points. 

The 2011-12 Dam Cup Series

Soccer - Oct. 7 PSU 1 @ Eastern Washington 0 - PSU leads 1-0

Volleyball - Oct. 15 @ PSU 3, Eastern Washington 0 - PSU leads 3-0

Football - Oct. 29 PSU 43, @ EWU 26 - PSU leads 7-0

Volleyball - Nov. 12 PSU 3, @ EWU 0 - PSU leads 9-0

Men's Basketball - Jan. 21 @ EWU, Feb. 25 @ PSU

Women's Basketball - Jan. 21 @ PSU, Feb. 23 @ EWU

RECENT GAME: ODUM'S CAREER-HIGH 29 LEADS VIKINGS OVER BENGALS

Portland, OR - Charles Odum posted a career-high 29 points to lead the Portland State Vikings to their third win in four Big Sky Conference games, beating Idaho State, 80-68, at the Stott Center.

For most of the night, the Vikings' play was as blustery as the chilly, wet weather on the Park Blocks. But PSU took charge midway through the second half, pulling away for the win.

Odum's 29 came on 10-18 from the field, 3-5 from three-point range and 6-7 at the line. He had 18 in the second half and eight in the final two minutes. 

The win gets the Vikings to an even 9-9 on the season and 3-3 in the Big Sky. PSU moves into a tie for fifth place with Saturday night's opponent, Eastern Washington.

Portland State got off to a sluggish start. The Vikings made only one of their first eight shots and trailed 9-2 after six minutes. Idaho State mixed up its defensive looks throughout the first half further confusing PSU. The Bengal lead increased to 10 on two different occasions.

Chehales Tapscott sparked an 8-0 run with five points and a steal, pulling the Vikings within 26-24 just inside of four minutes to go in the half. 

Odum made a running three-pointer at the end of the half, was fouled on the play and converted the free throw for four. That tied it for the first time at 32-32.

“That was a big play and gave us a little momentum,” said Viking Coach Tyler Geving. “To go in there tied at half we felt pretty good.”

The Vikings were lucky to have the tie at intermission, shooting only .367 from the field, but took advantage with 11 points off ISU turnovers.

“The way we are successful is to get energy off our defense and at the beginning of the game we didn't have any defensive intensity, so I think that is why we were flat both offensively and defensively,” said Odum. 

Odum then opened the second half with a three and the Vikings had their first lead at 35-32. The lead changed hands six more times before PSU finally had the game in hand. Trailing 49-48 at the 10:32 mark, the Vikings went on an 15-3 run. Tapscott's driving layin at the 6:39 mark had PSU ahead 63-52.

The Vikings shot 12-19 from the field in the second half (.632) and took advantage by making 21-26 free throws. 

Tapscott had one of his best games with 15 points, six rebounds and career-highs of five steals and four blocked shots. His harassing defense in the front of the Viking press helped forced Idaho State into 16 turnovers which PSU turned into 23 points.

“Our defense got us back into it. Chehales made a bunch of nice plays, pressing again (and forcing turnovers). That got us some easy baskets, a little momentum and it went from two-point lead to 10 in a hurry in the second half,” said Geving. “The good thing is, everybody in the locker room wasn't celebrating. They knew we didn't play well, but still found a way to win. That's what good teams do.”

Kenny McGowen scored 20 points to lead Idaho State. Chase Grabau added 18 points and four assists. The Bengals dropped to 4-14 on the season, 2-4 in the Big Sky.

GAME NOTES: Portland State is now 6-1 at home this year… it was Odum's seventh 20-point game of the season, but his first at home. PSU is 4-3 when he scores 20.

FAST BREAKS

WINNING LINES  

• The Vikings are 6-1 at home this year, 2-1 in Big Sky games... PSU was 10-5 at home in 2010-11, 4-4 in Big Sky home games... over the last six seasons, PSU is 61-15 at home, including 31-12 in Big Sky Conference games.

• The Vikings are 3-8 on the road this season, with two neutral site wins... the Vikings are 1-2 in Big Sky road games... Portland State ended a nine-game Big Sky Conference road losing streak with the win at Northern Colorado... the Vikings were 4-11 on the road in 2010-11, including 2-0 in neutral site games.

• PSU has gone 117-39 in 156 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 148-54 at home over the past 16 seasons. 

• PSU is 40-30 in Big Sky games since the start of the 2007-08 season, 45-31 including tournament games.

BETTER THAN EVEN: Portland State is now two games over .500 all-time against current members of the Big Sky Conference (147-145). Here are the all-time records: PSU has winning records vs. Idaho State (26-15), Northern Arizona (20-17), Northern Colorado (12-3) and Sacramento State (22-10). The Vikings are .500 against Eastern Washington all-time (18-18). PSU has losing all-time records against Montana (20-28), Montana State (18-26) and Weber State (11-28)... And approaching even: PSU is 124-126 all-time in Big Sky Conference games against current Big Sky schools.

LIGHTS OUT: With the exception of Monday night's first half against Idaho State, Portland State has shot the ball brilliantly the last four games, with three performances over .500, and two over .600. PSU made 31-50 from the floor for a .620 mark against Northern Arizona on Jan. 5, then 27-53 for .509 against Weber State on Jan. 7. In the win at Northern Colorado, the Vikings hit 29-47 for .617, and a season-best 13-21 from three-point range (.619)... the Vikings were .367 in the first half vs. ISU, but improved to .632 in the second half to manage a decent .469 overall... the Vikings have shot over .500 seven times this season and are 5-2 in those games... PSU has shot over .600 three times this year and are 3-0 in those games... PSU shot .673 (33-49) in a win over CSU Bakersfield (12/15). That was 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.

BIG SKY BEST: Not surprisingly, the Viking team leads the Big Sky Conference in field goal shooting (.486) and ranks second in scoring (77.4), free throw percentage (.751) and rebounding margin (+3.8)... SR F Chehales Tapscott leads the Big Sky Conference in rebounding (8.7), is second in blocked shots (1.2) and third in steals (1.9)... SR G Charles Odum ranks second in scoring (18.2) behind the nation's leader Damian Lillard (25.5). He is third in free throw percentage (.858)... SR C Nate Lozeau ranks third in field goal percentage (.569)... in Big Sky Conference only games, Portland State leads the league in scoring (77.7)... Tapscott leads the Big Sky in rebounding (8.5) and steals (2.7).

NATIONAL RANKINGS: In NCAA statistics released on Monday, Portland State maintained some high rankings among the 338 Division I schools:

• 32nd in scoring (77.3)

• 19th in field goal percentage (.487)

• 25th in free throw percentage (.746)

• SR G Charles Odum ranks 43rd in free throw percentage, .859

• SR F Chehales Tapscott ranks 51st in rebounding, 8.8

PERILOUS PERIMETER: Portland State is the best shooting team in the Big Sky (.486) but until recently, had been struggling mightily from three-point range. The numbers have been edging north gradually, as the Vikings are 31-65 over the last three (.477)... in six league games, PSU is at .417 from three-point range... PSU made a season-high 13-21 in the win at Northern Colorado for a season-best .619 mark... the Vikings had been down in the mid-.200s, but are now up to .319 for the season, and 5.2 made per game -  still worst in the Big Sky. Those numbers are 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).

2 VS. 3: That's right, Portland State is the league's best overall shooting (.486) and two-point shooting team (396-713, .555), and its worst three-point shooting team (94-295, .319)... the only other Big Sky team shooting better than .500 from two-point range is Sacramento State (.506). 

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 more free throws than its opponents have attempted (PSU 320-426, .751; Opponents 225-298, .755), which is pretty good considering the Vikings have played more road games (11) than home games (8).

SCORING IN BUNCHES: SR G Charles Odum has scored 20 or more points seven times this season - with six of those coming on the road. He has scored 20 or more in four of the last six games, including a career-high 29 against Idaho State (1/16). In those seven games, Odum is 56-94 from the field (.596), averaging 24.9 points and the Vikings are 4-3... Odum is averaging 21.3 points in league games.

CHUCK WAGON: SR G Charles Odum has been the Vikings' offensive leader this season, averaging a team-high 18.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He is shooting a stellar .534 from the field and .858 at the line. Odum is shooting 90-141 on two-point attempts, a remarkable .638 percentage. Season highlights:

• Odum is averaging 19.8 points and shooting .621/.571/.810 in Big Sky Conference games.

• Odum has scored in double figures in 16 games this season. He has seven 20-point games.

• Odum ranks second in the Big Sky Conference in scoring, third in free throw percentage and sixth in field goal percentage.

• He was at his best at the Wyoming Jim Thorpe Classic, earning All-Tournament honors. Odum scored a 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). 

• Odum was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week after scoring 22 points (7-9 FGs, 4-6 3-pt, 4-5 FT) with five assists and four rebounds in a road win at Northern Colorado (1/12).

• Odum had a career-high 29 points in the win over Idaho State (1/16).

TOP 10 GUY: SR F Chehales Tapscott ranks first in rebounding (8.7), fifth in field goal percentage (.535), seventh in scoring (14.0), second in blocked shots (1.2) and third in steals (1.9) in the Big Sky. Alas, he is only 12th in free throw percentage (.739).

TAP-INS: SR F Chehales Tapscott is a double-double waiting to happen. He is averaging 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds this season with a Big Sky best six double-doubles... Tapscott also leads the Vikings in steals, rebounds and blocked shots... Highlights this year:

• Tapscott tied a career-high with four blocks and set a career high with five steals against Idaho State. He has eight blocks in his last two games and 13 steals in his last four games.

• Tapscott is shooting .535 from the field and .739 at the line.

• Tapscott has six double-doubles this year to lead the Big Sky, and 12 in 42 career games at Portland State. He has been the team's leading rebounder in 31 of 42 career games.

• 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.

• Tapscott played his best game of the year with a season-high 26 points (10-15 FG, 1-2 3-pt, 5-6 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block against Weber State (1/7).

EMERGING: JR G Lateef McMullan's game is getting better as the season progresses. He scored a career-high 20 points and tied his career-high with six assists in the win at Northern Colorado (1/12). That performance continues the trend of recent week's for McMullan... averaging 7.0 points and 2.3 assists after eight games, McMullan has scored in double figures in eight of the last 10 contests, averaging 12.3 points and 2.5 assists. 

THUN-ING UP: JR G Michael Harthun is getting more and more comfortable at shooting guard for the Vikings as the season goes along. “Toon” is now shooting .473 from the field, .419 from three-point range, averages 9.3 points and has a team-high 26 three-pointers made... over the last 10 games, he has made 17-35 from three-point range (.486).

SIXTH MAN: JR F Renado Parker has been making the impact hoped for when he became eligible for the Vikings at the end of fall term. Though only 6-5, Parker is a powerful post player who has performed well as the Vikings' sixth man. Parker averages 8.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in his first 11 games. He shoots .576 from the field and .769 at the line. 

“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 (.576), SR C Nate Lozeau (.569), FR F Kidus Ephrem (.538), SR F Chehales Tapscott (.535) and FR C Brandon Cataldo (.500)... Tapscott has made 22-34 over the last three games (.647).

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.

• SR G Charles Odum matched his career high with 27 points (8-13 FG, 2-4 3-pt FG, 9-9 FT) in the Vikings' Big Sky opener at Montana (12/28).

• Portland State shot 62% from the field  and forced 23 Lumberjack turnovers in an 82-62 win over Northern Arizona (1/5). That improved the Vikings' home record to 5-0 on the season. SR G Charles Odum had 18 points (6-8 FG, 2-2 3-pt, 4-4 FT) with five assists, three rebounds and two steals to lead the Vikings.

• SR F Chehales Tapscott scored a season-high 26 points (10-15 FG, 1-2 3-pt, 5-6 FT), with eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block against Weber State (1/7).

• JR G Lateef McMullan scored a career-high 20 points (7-11 FG, 2-4 3-pt, 4-5 FT) with six assists and five rebounds in leading the Vikings to a 86-75 win at Northern Colorado (1/12). SR G Charles Odum scored 22 points (7-9 FG, 4-6 3-pt, 4-5 FT) with five assists. The Vikings shot .617 from the field, including a season-best 13-21 from three-point range (.619).

• SR G Charles Odum scored a career-high 29 points (10-18 FG, 3-5 3-pt, 6-7 FT) in leading the Vikings to an 80-68 win over Idaho State (1/16). SR F Chehales Tapscott added 15 points, six rebounds, five steals and four blocked shots as the Vikings had to recover from a 10-point first-half deficit to win.