Game notes and stats in pdf

GEORGE FOX AT PORTLAND STATE
Saturday, December 15, 7:35 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR

PORTLAND STATE: 1-5 • Big Sky: 0-0 • Home: 1-1 • Road: 0-4
GEORGE FOX: 5-3 • NWC: 0-0 • Home: 1-1 • Road: 4-2

Television: None
Radio: Freedom 970 AM, www.freedom970.com • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Pregame Show: 7 p.m.
Live Video: www.BigSkyTV.org • Live Stats: http://vikslive.statb.us
All-Time Series: PSU leads 4-0

THE OPENING TIP

Portland State concludes its preseason non-conference schedule this Saturday when it hosts George Fox University in a 7:35 p.m. game at the Stott Center.

The game airs on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com, with the pre-game show beginning at 7 p.m.

Portland State is 1-5, coming off a 79-74 loss to Oregon State on Wednesday, and will try to break a five-game losing streak. It is PSU's longest losing streak since a five-gamer in February 2010.

To this point of the season, the Vikings' strength of schedule ranks 45th in the nation among 345 Division I teams.

George Fox has won its last three games and is 5-3 on the season, including 4-2 in road contests.

Saturday's game is the second of four in a row at home for the Vikings. PSU is 28-4 in non-conference homes games since the start of the 2006-07 season. In that span, the Vikings are 11-0 against lower division schools, 17-4 against Division I schools.

THE SERIES: PSU and George Fox have met four times over the span of 65 years. Two meetings came during the 1947-48 season, a third in 1977-78, and the most recent on Dec. 9, 2010. PSU has won all four games... in the Vikings' 124-81 win over the Bruins in 1977-78, Viking legend Freeman Williams scored 66 points.

VIKINGS vs. LOWER DIVISION SCHOOLS: Portland State is 6-0 in games against lower division schools since Tyler Geving has taken over as head coach... PSU has won 19 straight against lower division schools, with the last loss coming to Cascade (71-66) on Dec. 3, 2002. The Vikings are 31-1 against lower division schools since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97.

THE COACHES: Portland State Head Coach Tyler Geving has a 45-55 record in his fourth season. Geving has a 21-27 record against non-conference opponents. He is 1-0 against George Fox... GFU Head Coach Mark Sundquist is in his 13th season with the Bruins. Sundquist is 127-182 overall, including 0-1 against the Vikings.

THE BRUINS: George Fox was 11-14 overall in 2011-12. The Bruins were 8-8 and placed sixth in the NCAA III Northwest Conference. Four starters and nine letterwinners return from that team... Junior Sean Atkins leads the team in scoring at 18.3 points per game... Senior Anthony Sanchez averages 11.6 points, and team leading totals of 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game... the 5-3 Bruins have played a number of close games this season, with five decided by six points or less and a sixth going into overtime.

COMING UP: Portland State opens Big Sky Conference play next week, hosting Idaho State and Weber State. ISU comes in on Dec. 20, with WSU on Dec. 22. The Vikings will then have the week of Christmas off. Big Sky play continues Jan. 3 at Montana State.

FAST BREAKS

WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 1-5 this season. The Vikings are 1-1 at home, 0-4 on the road.
• The Vikings are on a five-game losing streak, their longest losing streak since Feb. 7-20, 2010.
• PSU lost its last home game, after winning five in a row at the Stott Center.
• The Vikings have lost their last six road games dating to last season.

Stott Stuff
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 66-18 at home, including 38-14 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
• Portland State has lost only four non-conference home games since the start of the 2006-07 season (28-4). PSU is 17-4 against Division I schools, and 11-0 against lower division schools over that span.
• PSU has gone 122-42 in 164 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 153-57 at home over the past 17 seasons. 

In 2011-12
• Portland State was 17-15 - its best season since 2008-09 (23-10).
• The Vikings were 10-6 in the Big Sky Conference, placing third, also its best finish since 2008-09 (2nd)
• PSU was 10-3 at home, 5-11 on the road and 2-1 in neutral site games.

And The Trivial
• Portland State is 23-22 all-time in overtime.
• Coach Tyler Geving is 1-2 all-time in overtime, including a 78-76 win last Dec. 21 at Eastern Washington.
• PSU is 2-15 against nationally-ranked opponents since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97.
• Head Coach Tyler Geving is 1-2 all-time against ranked opponents.
• Portland State is 17-38 in games televised in the Portland area since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97. That includes a 9-7 home record and 8-31 road record.
• PSU is 0-2 on local TV this year, losing at Oregon (80-69), and at home against Oregon State (79-74).

THE COACH: Head Coach Tyler Geving is in 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).

RIGHTING THE SHIP: Portland State has lost five straight games. The last time the Vikings lost five in a row was a stretch between Feb. 7-20, 2010... the good news? Portland State plays its next three in a row, and 12 of the final 22, at home.

THE SHOT IS BACK... ALMOST: Portland State shot a season-high .559 from the field in the loss to Oregon State, which was a welcome return to the quality shooting that PSU fans are used to. The Vikings still need to correct a downward trend in three-point shooting, having hit only 2-12 from distance against the Beavers... the Vikings were shooting .505 from the field and .391 from distance after two games this season, but had gone cold, shooting just .357, .396 and .407 over the next three games. As a result the point totals had dwindled each game, from 77 to 69 to 60 to 58 to 56. PSU bounced back with 74 points against the Beavers behind their quality shooting... the Vikings are now at .455 on the season, but only .303 from distance, and averaging 65.7 points on the season. That is well below the norm for Viking basketball... traditionally, Portland State has been prolific on offense. PSU led the Big Sky in scoring each season from 2007-08 to 2010-11. Last year, the Vikings were second in scoring at 76.0 points per game, and led the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.483). The Vikings ranked 13th in the nation in field goal percentage and 26th in scoring last season... PSU has not averaged less than 72.0 points per game since the 2003-04 season.

ANOTHER POSITIVE STEP: Any coach will tell you, there are NO moral victories (certainly not on the won-loss record). But another positive take-away from the Vikings narrow loss to Oregon State was much-improved rebounding. PSU had a -7.2 rebounding ration against its first five opponents, but battled the much bigger Beavers to a 31-31 draw on the glass. 

THE DEFENSE SHOULD NOT REST: Head Coach Tyler Geving touted an improved defensive team for 2012-13, and that may come to fruition. But so far the Vikings are allowing opponents to shoot .488 from the field and .368 from three-point range. The 74.2 points allowed is slightly up from last year's 73.3 by opponents... one area the Vikings can improve to aid the defense is rebounding. The Vikings have a -6.0 rebounding deficit so far this season. Opponents have 67 offensive rebounds through six games to 48 offensive boards for the Vikings. That has given opponents a 67-40 edge in second chance points... on a positive note, the Vikings are forcing 15.3 turnovers per game, up from 11.4 forced last season.

BUMP IN THE ROAD: SO G Dre Winston Jr. had gotten his Portland State career off to a great start, leading the Vikings in scoring in the first three games. However, he was shut out in 23 minutes of play against Oklahoma State, shooting 0-5 from the field. Winston came back to get 14 points and three steals at Loyola Marymount, but left the game with a left hand injury. As a result, he did not start and played only 16 minutes against Oregon State, scoring nine points... Winston transferred to Portland State from Washington State where he played as a freshman in 2010-11, then sat out last season as a redshirt at PSU... currently, Winston averages 11.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and shoots .533 from the field.

PARKER'S PART: Though he has been touted as one of the Vikings' top returning players, if not the top player, SR F Renado Parker only became a starter this season. Parker averages a team-leading 11.3 points, is second in rebounding at 4.0 per game, while shooting .458 from the field and .778 from the line... Parker was 8-13 from the field against Oregon State, scoring a season-high 16 points.

MOORE, MOORE, MOORE: Speaking of season-highs, JR F Aaron Moore posted a season-high 14 points along with six rebounds against Oregon State. Moore shot a remarkable 7-7 from the field, which included four outside jump shots. That 7-7 mark matched the best shooting night by a Viking since the program joined the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97 (Anthony Washington, 7-7 vs. Eastern Washington, Mar. 4, 2006)... Moore has started all six games for the Vikings this season, averaging 7.8 points, a team-best 5.2 rebounds, while shooting .543 from the field and .900 at the line.

HALL MONITOR: JR G Marcus Hall got a slow start to the season, suffering a calf contusion that prevented him from playing in the preseason exhibition and the first game. After scoring just two points in his first two games, Hall seems to be getting his wheels back. The 6-4 transfer posted a game-high 16 points in 23 minutes off the bench at Loyola Marymount (12/1). That came after six points, two rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes at #20 Oklahoma State (11/25). Hall earned the start against Oregon State, scoring four points with six rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes... also expected to be one of the team's top defenders, Hall's role and minutes should continue to expand. Hall was the Northern California Player of the Year last season at Fresno City College.

THUN-ING UP: One thing the Viking team needed going into the 2012-13 season was a more consistent SR G Michael Harthun. Although he had some big games for Portland State last season, Coach Tyler Geving wanted more consistency in three-point production and scoring. Harthun, who averaged 8.6 points in 2011-12, is now averaging 10.2 points for the Vikings. However, like the rest of the team, Harthun has been cold from three-point range, hitting just 5-20 from distance.

BIG GAME PLAYER: SR G Lateef McMullan has come up big in the two meetings against Oregon State last season and this season. In the two games, McMullan scored 35 points (17.5) and handed out seven assists (3.5). He also hit 13-22 FGs (.591), 3-8 3-pt FGs (.375), and 6-7 FTs (.867).

LOCAL ANGLE: For just the third time in history, Portland State played the other three in-state Division I schools in the same season. The Vikings played at Oregon on Nov. 12, losing 80-69. PSU also lost at Portland on Nov. 21, 81-60, then dropped a 79-74 decision to Oregon State on Dec. 12... the other two seasons in which that triple occured were 1996-97 and 2002-03. PSU is 2-10 against Oregon since reinstating basketball in 1996-97, 7-9 against Portland and 0-6 against Oregon State.

PAC-12 SELLOUT: Oregon State's appearance at the Stott Center on Dec. 12 marked the first time in history that a Pac-12 school had played in Portland State's small on-campus arena. PSU had hosted Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State in past seasons, but all games were at either the Rose Garden or Memorial Coliseum. The result of OSU's appearance was a sellout. Over the last five seasons, Portland State has averaged 1,052 fans at home games. However, the Peter W. Stott Center, which seats 1,500 had not sold out since three games during the 2008-09 season. PSU now has 10 sellouts at the Stott Center in the Big Sky era (1996 to present). The Vikings are 8-2 in home games that are sellouts.

SLOW START: At 1-5, Portland State is off to a slow start. But, around the Big Sky Conference, teams are only 25-54 (.316) overall through Dec. 9, including 14-54 (.206) against other Division I conferences.

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... every player on the Viking roster is 20 or older... there are only six schools in the nation that do not have a freshman on the roster - true or redshirt. They are: Portland State, Ohio, Southern Illinois Edwardsville, Savannah State, Alabama-Birmingham, and Valparaiso.

NO RELATION: They are both from the state of Washington, had All-State credentials on their respective high school teams, and share the same last name. But SO Gs Gary Winston and Dre Winston Jr. are not related - it's just a happy coincidence.

VIKINGS SIGN BENTON DURING EARLY NLI PERIOD: Portland State basketball signed Kyle Benton, a senior forward at St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, CA, to a national letter of intent on Nov. 16. 

Benton, a 6-6, 220-pounder, will join the Viking program as a freshman in 2013-14. He is just beginning his senior year at St. Anthony. In 2011-12, Benton played at Gahr High School in Cerritos, CA where he averaged 12.0 points and 9.8 rebounds. He shot 42% from the field, 36% from three-point range and 71% at the line for an 18-11 team.

“The thing we like about Kyle the most is physically he is ready to go,” said Geving. “He has a good frame on him and is physically mature, which you often don't get with high school kids.

“Kyle is an all-around good player. He can step out and shoot the three-pointer and post up as well. He has a versatile inside-outside game. On defense, he moves his feet well and is a good rebounder.”

Benton will join a Viking team that will be losing five seniors at the conclusion of this season, three of whom are forwards. 

SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL
• SO G Dre Winston Jr. starts his Viking career off right, scoring 16 points (5-6 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 3-4 FT) with three assists in Portland State's season opening win over Pacific (11/9), 77-58.

• Portland State signed 6-6, 220-pound forward Kyle Benton to a National Letter of Intent (11/16). Benton is a senior at St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, CA.

• Portland State sells out the Stott Center against Oregon State (12/12), marking the first sellout since the 2008-09 season.

• JR F Aaron Moore was perfect against Oregon State (12/12), hitting 7-7 from the field for 14 points. That 7-7 mark matched a PSU record since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97 (also accomplished by Anthony Washington vs. Eastern Washington, Mar. 4, 2006).