boxscore

Portland, OR - Lateef McMullan tied his career-high with 20 points, adding four assists and four steals as the Portland State Vikings broke open a tight game in the second half, beating Idaho State, 63-49, in the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams at the Stott Center.

PSU trailed 40-36 with 15:08 to play, but outscored the Bengals 27-9 the rest of the way to pick up the win. McMullan shot 7-9 from the field, 3-5 from three-point range and 3-5 at the line for his 20 points. He scored a dozen points along with three steals after intermission.

"He's playing at a high level," said Viking Coach Tyler Geving of his point guard. "That's four games in a row (playing well), and we need him to play like that. If he does, we are going to be pretty good."

The win starts the Vikings at 1-0 in Big Sky play and makes them 3-5 overall. PSU has won two straight at home.

Idaho State came into the game as the lowest scoring team in the nation and it quickly became evident why. Aside from a .379 season shooting mark, the Bengals milked the clock on each offensive possession and mainly packed into a 2-3 zone on defense, forcing the Vikings into perimeter passing. The game lasted only 90 minutes from tip-off to the final horn.

Portland State held the Bengals to their average (49.6), but couldn't get the tempo going to their liking. 

PSU shot .545 in the first half, but the Bengals nearly matched that, making 12-24 for a .500 mark. It was tied at 28-28 at halftime.

Idaho State took an early lead in the second half before PSU took charge. With the Vikings down 40-36, they converted a five-point possession to take the lead back.

Michael Harvey scored an inside basket and was fouled. Harvey missed the free throw but McMullan rebounded, drove the lane, scored and was also fouled. His free throw made it 41-40 with 13:33 left in the half. 

That sequence ignited the Vikings down the stretch. Renado Parker scored eight points in the next four minutes and PSU pulled away.

"Winning by 14 over these guys is a lot because there are so few possessions in the game, and they grind you out." said Geving. "It was such a low possession game and they do a good job defensively. We hadn't seen a 2-3 zone all year, but its a credit to our kids. They hung in there and found a way."

For the game, the Vikings shot .532 from the field (25-47), while the Bengals shot .468 (22-47). PSU was strong from distance again, making 7-13 (.538), including 3-5 by Harthun. Portland State out-rebounded Idaho State, 29-22.

Harthun had 13 points and four rebounds, while Parker added 10 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. Aaron Moore had another steady performance with nine points and a game-high seven rebounds. 

Melvin Morgan led Idaho State, now 1-8/0-1, with 17 points and three assists.

GAME NOTES: In his last three games, McMullan has averaged 16.7 points, 5.3 assists and made 17-26 field goals... SO C Brandon Cataldo had a career-high four blocked shots by halftime, including three in one flurry of shots by Idaho State… Portland State is now 11-6 all-time in Big Sky Conference home openers, 7-10 in Big Sky Conference openers… PSU has beaten Idaho State in five of their last six meetings, and 13 of the last 16… Portland State hosts Weber State in another Big Sky Conference game on Saturday night. Tip-off is 7:35 p.m. The game airs on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. A live video stream can be found at www.BigSkyTV.org and live stats are at vikslive.statb.us.