complete notes in pdf

PORTLAND STATE vs. PACIFIC (OR)
Friday, November 9, 2012, 8:05 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR

PORTLAND STATE: 17-15 • Big Sky: 10-6 • Home: 10-3 (2011-12)
PACIFIC: 9-16 • NWC: 3-13 • Road: 2-9 (2011-12)

Television: None
Radio: Freedom 970 AM, www.freedom970.com • Play-by-play: Fletcher Johnson • Pregame Show: 8 p.m.
Live Video Stream: www.bigskytv.org
Live Stats: vikslive.statb.us

All-Time Series: PSU leads 18-10 • Most recent meeting (Dec. 10, 2003): PSU 71-43 @ PSU

THE OPENING TIP
The Portland State Vikings open their 2012-13 season this Friday, hosting Pacific University of Oregon in a non-conference game at the Peter W. Stott Center. The game tips off at 8:05 p.m. or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the PSU women's game with George Fox.
    
The Vikings are led by fourth-year Head Coach Tyler Geving whose team had a 17-15 finish last year, 10-6 and third place in the Big Sky Conference. Geving has two returning starters and eight returning letterwinners on his roster.
    
Pacific is an NCAA III member of the Northwest Conference. The Boxers were 9-16 last season, 3-13 and tied for seventh in NWC play.

THE SCHEDULE: Friday's game will be the first of 14 home games for Portland State. The Vikings also play 14 on the road in 2012-13 prior to the Big Sky Conference Tournament... Big Sky Conference play opens at home against Idaho State on Dec. 20. PSU follows on Dec. 22 by hosting Weber State. That begins an expanded 20-game Big Sky schedule. The league has added two new full-time members in 2012-13, North Dakota and Southern Utah.

FOR OPENERS: Playing a wide variety of teams, home and road, Portland State is 7-9 in openers since reinstating basketball and joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97... the Vikings are 12-4 in home openers... under Coach Tyler Geving, PSU is 1-2 in season-opening games, but 3-0 in home opening games - all against Division I schools.

THE SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 18-10. However, the teams have met only one time since the 1964-65 season. That game was a 71-43 Viking win on Dec. 10, 2003 at the Stott Center... previously the teams had met 27 times between 1947 and 1965.

THE COACHES: Portland State Head Coach Tyler Geving has a 44-50 record in his fourth season. Geving has a 20-22 record against non-conference opponents and a 5-0 record against lower division schools... Pacific Head Coach Tim Cleary is in his third season. He has a 13-37 career record with the Boxers.

THE BOXERS: Pacific returns all five starters and 10 letterwinners from last year's team... senior guard Colin Wester is the Boxers' top returner after averaging 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season. Senior forward Charles Mosley averaged 10.8 points and 5.4 rebounds.

COMING UP: Portland State will go on the road for its next four games and not return home until a Dec. 12 game against Oregon State. The Vikings play at Oregon on Nov. 12 (6:30 p.m./Pac-12 Network), at Portland on Nov. 21, at Oklahoma State on Nov. 25, then at Loyola Marymount on Dec. 1.

RECENT GAME: VIKINGS HOLD OFF UPSET-MINDED CAVS, 96-93
Portland State scored two baskets in the final 30 seconds to hold off an upset-minded Concordia team, 96-93, in an exhibition game at the Stott Center on Nov. 2.
    
Trailing 93-92 in the final minute, the Vikings went inside to Renado Parker who scored on a short bank shot with 27 seconds left to play. On the other end, Concordia missed a baseline jumper with 10 seconds left. The Cavaliers' Adam Herman rebounded but PSU's Dre Winston Jr. stole it away, went the length of the court and scored for the final margin.
    
A desperation shot by Concordia came up short and PSU was relieved to get the three-point win.
    
The inside play of Herman and deep shooting of Willy Ligon kept Concordia in the game to the end. By halftime, Herman had 16 points on 7-9 shooting to go with 12 rebounds, while Ligon had 10 points. Herman went on to total game-highs of 30 points, 18 rebounds and six assists. Ligon finished with 25, including 5-9 from three-point range.
    
The Vikings shot poorly in the early going and did not lead until Michael Harvey hit a put-back basket with 7:59 to play in the first half. The Vikings were up 26-24 despite shooting just 34% to that point.
    
PSU led 44-39 at halftime, but were still at just 38% from the field.
    
The Vikings pushed their lead to 67-57 at the 12:52 mark. But Ligon shot the Cavaliers back into it, hitting three three-pointers and scoring 13 in a 15-2 run. Concordia led 72-69 with 9:55 to play.
    
The lead changed hands six times down the stretch before the Vikings made the plays at the end to win.
    
Winston Jr., making his first start for the Vikings after a redshirt season, had 25 points to lead PSU. Lateef McMullan added 17 points and six assists. Parker scored 18 for the Vikings.
    
Concordia shot 63% in the second half to make the comeback and threaten an upset bid. The Cavaliers shot 57% for the game.
    
Portland State shot 59% in the second half and 47% overall. The Vikings made 23-27 at the line (85%).
    
GAME NOTES: Also playing in their first game for the Vikings was Aaron Moore and Lamont Prosser. Moore scored 11 points and had three rebounds. Prosser had seven points and two rebounds.

A LOOK BACK
The Portland State Vikings went 17-15 in 2011-12, their best record since a 23-10 campaign in 2008-09. The Vikings 10-6 mark and third place finish was also a best since going 11-5 and placing second in 2008-09.

The Vikings were led by a pair of first team All-Big Sky Conference performers in Chehales Tapscott (14.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg) and Charles Odum (19.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg). Those two have since graduated.

Senior guards Lateef McMullan (9.4 ppg, 2.9 apg) and Michael Harthun (8.6 ppg, 48 3-pt FG) are the only returning starters from that team. However, returning forward Renado Parker (9.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, .568 FG%) and guard Gary Winston (6.5 ppg, 35 3-pt FG) were also primary contributors.

FAST BREAKS
THE COACH: Head Coach Tyler Geving begins his fourth season in 2012-13. The Vikings have improved each year he has been at the helm from 13-19 to 14-16 to 17-15. Most significant, the Vikings were 10-6 in the Big Sky Conference in 2011-12, placing third. PSU has twice reached the semifinals in the Big Sky Tournament under Geving (2010 and 2012)... in 2011-12, Geving set personal marks for most wins (17), most Big Sky wins (10), best Big Sky finish (3rd) and best home winning percentage (.769)... Geving spent four seasons as an assistant at PSU before being named Head Coach... the fourth-year Head Coach is assisted by Andy McClouskey (3rd year, Oregon State, 1982), Eric Harper (8th year, Central Washington, 1995) and Anthony Owens (4th year, Great Falls, 2006). Former Viking player Mickey Polis is the Director of Operations (4th year, Portland State, 2009).

BALANCED ATTACK: Portland State does not have a freshman on the roster in 2012-13. But, the Vikings do have a balanced roster with five sophomores, five juniors and five seniors.

LOCAL ANGLE: For just the third time in history, Portland State will play the other three in-state Division I schools in the same season. The Vikings play at Oregon on Nov. 12, at Portland on Nov. 21, then host Oregon State on Dec. 12. The other two seasons in which that triple occured were 1996-97 and 2002-03. PSU is 2-9 against Oregon since reinstating basketball in 1996-97, 7-8 against Portland and 0-5 against Oregon State.

WINNING WAY: Portland State is six games over .500 all-time against current members of the Big Sky Conference (156-151). Here are the all-time records: PSU has winning records vs. Idaho State (27-15), Northern Arizona (21-17), Northern Colorado (13-3), Sacramento State (24-10), Eastern Washington (20-18) and Southern Utah (1-0). PSU has losing all-time records against Montana (20-28), Montana State (19-28), Weber State (11-30) and North Dakota (0-2)... The same is true in Big Sky games: PSU is 132-130 all-time in Big Sky Conference games against current Big Sky schools. PSU has winning records against Idaho State (23-11), Northern Arizona (19-16), Northern Colorado (9-3) and Sacramento State (23-9). PSU has losing records against Montana (11-21), Montana State (16-20), Weber State (11-26) and Cal State Northridge (no longer a BSC member, 3-7). PSU and Eastern Washington are tied (17-17).

THE BROOM: Every Big Sky Conference season series that Portland State played in during the 2011-12 season resulted in a sweep. PSU swept five opponents, going 2-0 against Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State. PSU was swept by Weber State, Montana and Montana State. The Vikings went on to beat Montana State in a Big Sky Tournament quarterfinal, then lost to Weber State in the Big Sky semifinal.

SHOOT 'EM UP: For the first time in five years, the Vikings did NOT lead the Big Sky Conference in scoring in 2011-12. However, at 76.0 points per game, they were a close second to Weber State (77.4) and scored more points than 2010-11 (72.3). PSU did lead the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.483), which was the team's best mark in seven years... the Vikings ranked 13th in the nation in field goal percentage and 26th in scoring.

SHOOTING IS EVERYTHING FOR THIS TEAM: The Vikings were 16-1 when shooting a higher percentage than their opponents in 2011-12, 1-13 when opponents outshoot them.

THEY'RE GONE NOW: Portland State lost three starters to graduation from 2011-12: Charles Odum, Chehales Tapscott and Nate Lozeau. All three were significant contributors. Odum averaged 19.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and shot .529 from the field and .833 at the line. Tapscott averaged 14.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, shot .526 from the field, had 43 blocked shots and 56 steals. Lozeau averaged 7.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and shot .568 from the field. Tapscott and Odum were both first team All-Big Sky Conference honorees.