WEBER STATE WILDCATS (11-3, 3-0) vs. PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (7-8, 1-2)

Saturday, January 7, 7:05 p.m. @ Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR

Television: None

Radio: Freedom 970 AM, www.freedom970.com • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Pregame Show: 6:30 p.m.

Live Video Stream: www.b2tv.com • Live Stats: www.GoViks.com

All-Time Series: WSU leads 27-11 • PSU in Portland: 10-8 

Big Sky Series: WSU leads 23-11 • PSU in Portland: 10-6

Portland State will have a formidable challenge on Saturday night when it hosts the best team in the Big Sky Conference and the top scorer in the nation in Division I basketball. The Vikings (7-8, 1-2) will take on Weber State (11-3, 3-0) and junior guard Damian Lillard (25.5 ppg) at the Stott Center in a 7:05 p.m. game. It airs on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. Live video streaming is available at www.b2tv.com. 

The Vikings will take the momentum of a 20-point win over Northern Arizona (82-62) into Saturday's game. The win ended a four-game losing streak and the Vikings are currently in a four-way tie for fifth place in conference play.

Portland State is trying to take advantage of a home-heavy month of January. PSU is undefeated at home this year (5-0) and has won six straight at home dating to last season. Eight of the Vikings final 14 Big Sky games are at home, including five of seven during the month of January.

Weber State stands atop the Big Sky after a 76-69 win at Eastern Washington on Thursday. Damian Lillard, the nation's leading scorer, posted 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the game.

The Wildcats are the league's top team this season and have been picked to win the league in both preseason Big Sky coaches and media polls. However, the Vikings have beaten them the last two years they have come to Portland.

NATION'S LEADING SCORER COMES TO TOWN

Once upon a time, Portland State had the nation's leading scorer in Freeman Williams (1976-77, 39.6 ppg; 1977-78, 35.9 ppg). Currently, Weber State has the top scorer at the Division I level in guard Damian Lillard (25.5 ppg). Lillard was the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year in 2008-09 and first team All-Big Sky Conference. In 2009-10, Lillard was the Big Sky Player of the Year. After missing most of last year with a knee injury, Lillard is back. He also ranks eighth in the nation in three-pointers made (47), 19th in free throw percentage (.904) and in the top 25 in three-point percentage (.461). The result of all those impressive numbers? As of Friday morning, nine NBA scouts had requested credentials to see Lillard play Saturday in the Stott Center.

STORYLINES

• The series: Weber State has won nine of the last 12 meetings and seven straight in Ogden... the Wildcats lead the Big Sky series, 23-11, and the all-time series, 27-11... the Wildcats hold the best record against Portland State of any Big Sky school... WSU is 4-0 all-time against the Vikings in Big Sky Tournament games.

• Last year: The teams split last year's meetings with each winning on their own home court... the Vikings won 71-69 in Portland and lost 80-58 in Ogden... Charles Odum scored 16 points and the Vikings had only seven turnovers in the win in Portland... Kyle Bullinger scored 22 and Scott Bamforth had 19 in the Wildcats win... WSU shot 53% while the Vikings shot only 32% in Ogden.

• The Wildcats: Weber State has won 20 Big Sky Conference regular season titles, the most of any school in the 49-year history of the league. The Wildcats have won eight Big Sky Tournament Championships and made 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament... last year, WSU was 18-14 overall, 11-5 and third in the Big Sky Conference... three starters and eight letterwinners return from that team... Damian Lillard averages 25.5 points per game to lead the nation in scoring. His .904 free throw percentage and 3.3 three-pointers per game also lead the Big Sky. He also gets a team-best 3.5 assists per game... Scott Bamforth averages 15.2 points and has made 40 three-pointers... leading rebounder Kyle Bullinger (9.0) has been out since the sixth game of the season with injury... WSU leads the Big Sky in scoring (79.5), scoring margin (+10.7), free throw percentage (.807) and three-point field goals made (9.7)... the Wildcats are second in the nation in free throw percentage, fifth in three-pointers made and ninth in fewest turnovers (11.5).

• Head Coach Randy Rahe is in his sixth year at Weber State and has a 106-64 record.... he is 9-3 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. 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's record breakdown:

• Geving is 34-43 all-time at Portland State.

• 14-23 all-time against Big Sky Conference opponents, 20-20 all-time in non-conference games.

• Geving is 23-9 at home. He is 11-34 on the road, including 4-2 in neutral site games.

• Geving is 2-2 all-time against Weber State, winning both games at home.

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.

FAST BREAKS

WINNING LINES  

• The Vikings are 5-0 at home this year and have won six straight home games overall... PSU was 10-5 at home in 2010-11, 4-4 in Big Sky home games... over the last six seasons, PSU is 60-14 at home, including 30-11 in Big Sky Conference games.

• The Vikings are 2-8 on the road this season, which includes two neutral site wins... the Vikings have lost five straight road games... Portland State has lost nine straight Big Sky Conference road games... 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 116-38 in 154 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 147-53 at home over the past 16 seasons. 

• PSU is 38-29 in Big Sky games since the start of the 2007-08 season, 43-30 including tournament games.

OVER .500: With an 82-62 win over Northern Arizona on Thursday, Portland State is now one game over .500 against current members of the Big Sky Conference in all-time games at 145-144. Here are the all-time records: PSU has winning records vs. Idaho State (25-15), Northern Arizona (20-17), Northern Colorado (11-3) 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 (11-27)... PSU is 122-125 all-time in Big Sky Conference games against current Big Sky schools.

LIGHTS OUT: Portland State had another impressive shooting performance in the win over Northern Arizona. The Vikings made 31-50 from the floor for a .620 mark - their second game over 60% this season... the Vikings have shot over 52% five times this season and are 4-1 in those games... PSU shot .673 (33-49) in a win over CSU Bakersfield (12/15) earlier this season. That 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.

BIG SKY BEST: The Viking team leads the Big Sky Conference in field goal shooting (.478) and rebounding margin (+4.6), and ranks second in scoring (76.5) and scoring margin (+3.0)... SR F Chehales Tapscott leads the Big Sky Conference in rebounding (9.1)... SR G Charles Odum ranks second in scoring (17.7) and free throw percentage (.893).

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 21 more free throws than its opponents have attempted (PSU 255-343, .743; Opponents 179-234, .765).

PERILOUS PERIMETER: Portland State is the best shooting team in the Big Sky (.478) but has been struggling mightily from three-point range this season, Thursday's 7-14 performance notwithstanding. Despite that season-best percentage of .500, the Vikings still shoot only .287 from distance, making 4.7 per game. 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 (.478) and two-point shooting team (.554), and its worst three-point shooting team (.287)... the only other Big Sky team shooting better than .500 from two-point range is Sacramento State (.506). Northern Colorado shoots .486 from two-point distance. Weber State is .474 from two-point distance.

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 gave up 87.8 points per game over the next seven (217-415 opp FG, .523), losing six... PSU's defensive troubles were particularly clear in the second halves of those seven games with the Vikings giving up 54, 45, 47, 59, 56, 32, 45 for an average of 48.3 points allowed in the second half alone... on Thursday, the Vikings corrected those problems, holding Northern Arizona to .414 shooting, 62 total points and 34 in the second half. It was the fewest points allowed in eight games by the Vikings. We'll see if that begins a trend reversal. 

GUARD GLORY: Portland State's three “bigs” have performed well and consistently this year. On Thursday night against Northern Arizona, it was the guards that stood out. The Vikings' three starting guards, SR Charles Odum, and JRs Lateef McMullan and Michael Harthun, combined for 42 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and five steals. That made 16-23 field goals (.696), 5-9 from three-point range (.556) and 5-5 at the line (1.000).

“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 (.593), SR C Nate Lozeau (.571), FR F Kidus Ephrem (.538), SR F Chehales Tapscott (.512) and FR C Brandon Cataldo (.500)... the result is PSU shoots .478 from the field as a team... PSU's three main big men, Tapscott, Lozeau and Parker combine to average 32.8 points, 20.0 rebounds and have 22 blocked shots. They shoot a combined 157-286 (.549) from the field.

EPHREM OUT FOR THE SEASON: FR F Kidus Ephrem was lost for the season this week after suffering a meniscus tear in his right knee during practice. Ephrem will have surgery and recuperate for the next 6-8 weeks before he would be able to work out again. That effectively ends his season. Ephrem played in the first seven games of the season, averaging 10 minutes, 2.3 points and 2.6 rebounds. His playing time diminished with the eligibility of JR F Renado Parker and the return of JR F Martin Whitmore, however Ephrem is expected to develop into a solid Big Sky player for the Vikings over the next three years.

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).

• 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.