PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (4-2) vs. PORTLAND PILOTS (5-3)
Saturday, December 7, 2013, 7:05 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Record/Big Sky: 4-2/0-0
Head Coach: Tyler Geving
Record/Years: 56-72/5th year

PORTLAND PILOTS
Record/West Coast: 5-3/0-0
Head Coach: Eric Reveno
Record/Years: 101-129/8th year

Live Video Stream: http://www.WatchBigSky.com
Live Audio Stream: www.GoViks.com • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Pregame Show: 6:45 p.m.
Live Stats: vikslive.statb.us, www.viksmobile.com

All-Time Series: UP leads 33-17
Since PSU reinstated basketball: UP leads 9-7
Last meeting, Nov. 21, 2012: UP 81-60 at UP

THE OPENING TIP
The Portland State Vikings come home for their final three non-conference games in the month of December, opening with a big cross-town rivalry contest against the University of Portland. The Vikings (4-2) and the Pilots (5-3) will meet on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at the Peter W. Stott Center. 

PSU is 4-0 at home this season, but comes off a 76-60 loss at Boise State last Friday. Portland has won four of its last five games - all at home - with the only loss coming in double overtime to North Texas.

Saturday's game will be available via live video stream at WatchBigSky.com, with live audio at www.GoViks.com. The pre-game show begins at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are available by contacting the Portland State Box Office at (503) 725-3307 or going on-line to www.GoViks.com.

VIKINGS VS. PILOTS: The University of Portland leads the all-time series which dates back to 1946, 33-17... since Portland State reinstated its basketball program in 1996-97, the Pilots hold a 9-7 advantage... Portland State is 5-3 in home games against Portland since 1996-97... UP has won the last two meetings, with the Vikings winning four straight prior to that... Viking Coach Tyler Geving is 1-2 against the Pilots... Portland Coach Eric Reveno is 2-4 against the Vikings... the teams have one common opponent this season, UC Davis. Portland beat the Aggies, 100-83, at home. The Vikings beat the Aggies, 79-63, also at home.

LAST YEAR, Nov. 21, 2012, PORTLAND 81, PORTLAND STATE 60: The Pilots hit 13 of their first 15 shots and jumped to a 32-15 lead. The Vikings never pulled closer than 15 points after that... Portland shot .517 from the field while the Vikings managed only .357... Andre Winston Jr. led PSU with 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals... Tanner Riley had a perfect night for the Pilots, scoring 23 points in 23 minutes, hitting 8-8 from the field, 4-4 from three-point range and 3-3 at the line.

PERSONNEL INTRIGUE: Portland State starting point guard Tim Douglas spent two years on The Bluff with the Portland Pilots (2010-12). In 2011-12, Douglas started 15 games, averaging 8.5 points and 3.0 assists in 23 minutes per game. In 2010-11, Douglas started nine games, averaging 7.7 points. He even scored a career-high 27 points during a 78-67 win over PSU in the Stott Center on Dec. 18, 2010. Douglas transferred to the Park Blocks in 2012-13 and redshirted per NCAA transfer rules. This season, he leads the Vikings in scoring (14.8), assists (3.8), three-pointers (9), steals (9), and minutes played (35.8).

HOME COURT HAPPINESS: With a 4-0 record at home this season, Portland State has improved its non-conference home record to 34-4 at the Stott Center since the start of the 2006-07 season (PSU is 43-19 in Big Sky home games over that span). PSU is 21-4 against Division I schools, and 13-0 against lower division schools in those non-conference games. Among the four losses are San Jose State (2007-08, in overtime), Seattle (2009-10, on a three-pointer at the final buzzer), Portland (2010-11, by 11 points) and Oregon State (2012-13, by five points). 

PORTLAND PILOTS: The University of Portland was 11-21 last season, 4-12 in the West Coast Conference... three starters and 10 letterwinners return from that team... this year, the Pilots have jumped to a 5-3 mark, winning four of their last five games... UP is 0-2 on the road, but those losses have come at top-ranked Michigan State and at Oregon State.... Portland averages 80.1 points per game, has outrebounded opponents by more than four per contest, and give up only 11 turnovers per game... junior guard Kevin Bailey leads the team at 15.9 points per game... Ryan Nicholas, a senior forward, leads the team with 9.8 rebounds per game and averages 13.5 points... junior center Thomas van der Mars averages 12.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and shoots .607 from the field.

VIKINGS VS. THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE: Portland State is 33-65 all-time against current members of the West Coast Conference... the majority of those games have come against Portland... Viking Coach Tyler Geving has a 4-4 record against WCC schools.

SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE QUICK NOTES

WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 4-2 this season, 4-0 at home, 0-2 on the road.
• PSU has won 16 of 22 at home dating to the 2011-12 season.
• The Vikings have lost their last 18 road games dating to the 2011-12 season.

Stott Stuff
• PSU has gone 133-47 in 180 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 164-62 at home over the past 18 seasons.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 77-23 at home, including 43-19 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 (34-4). PSU is 21-4 against Division I schools, and 13-0 against lower division schools over that span.

HOT SHOTS:
• JR G DaShaun Wiggins has averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists over the last three games.
• JR G Tim Douglas has scored in double figures in all six games this season.
• JR C Brandon Cataldo is shooting .667 from the field (10-15) and 1.000 at the line (3-3).
• Portland State has held opponents to 64.3 points per game and .418 shooting.

NOT SO HOT:
• PSU was outrebounded 28-11 in the second half against Boise State (40-26 overall).
• Portland State was 0-14 on the road in 2012-13, is 0-2 this year, and has lost 18 straight road games overall. 

DEFENSIVE PRESENCE: Over the past eight years, Portland State has proven to be a solid offensive team that at times has struggled defensively. Not so this year as the Vikings are holding opponents to 64.3 points per game and .418 shooting... the 64.3 points allowed leads the Big Sky for scoring  defense... despite losing to Boise State, the Vikings gave up only 76 points to the nation's leading scoring team (102.0 ppg going into the contest). BSU was shooting over 52% going into the game, but managed only .446 against the Vikings... the Vikings are also forcing nearly 15 turnovers per game and have a +2.5 turnover margin.

GOOD STARTS: New point guard Tim Douglas is expected to make a big impact for the Vikings this season. So far, he has not disappointed, averaging team-highs of 14.8 points, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals... Douglas has led the Vikings in scoring in three games and assists in four games. He has scored in double figures in all six games.

MOORE, MOORE, MOORE: SR F Aaron Moore is the top returning Viking after leading PSU in scoring and rebounding last season. Despite a slow start to this season due to back issues, Moore has returned to form. He averaged 16.0 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting .543 from the field and .909 at the line in the Vikings' home tournament (Nov. 22-24)... Moore matched his career-high of 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a win over Loyola (11/22). It was his eighth career double-double... for the year he averages 12.0 points and 6.4 rebounds.

OUR COUSIN VINNIE: If you remember the "Microwave", former Detroit Piston sixth-man Vinnie Johnson, then know that Portland State appears to have their own version in JR G DaShaun Wiggins. In his last three games, Wiggins has come off the bench to average 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in just over 20 minutes per contest. His big game was a 21-point, seven-rebound, three-assist, two-steal performance in a win over UC Davis (11/24). Wiggins had 19 points and three assists at Boise State (11/29)... Wiggins is second on the team in scoring (13.0), rebounding (4.0), three-pointers (8) and steals (7).

LET'S GET SMALL: Portland State Head Coach Tyler Geving has a wealth of talent at the guard position. As a result, he has frequently had three and four guards on the floor at a time. It has worked out well as he has had great production from JR Gs Tim Douglas, Andre Winston Jr., DaShaun Wiggins, Gary Winston and FR G Zach Gengler. A guard-heavy lineup has mandated that SR G Marcus Hall has had to play the "4" spot frequently. Hall is a strong defender and has handled that role well. In addition, all of the Viking guards have proven to be good rebounders.

THE MONKEY ON THEIR BACKS: Portland State has two road losses this season at Mountain West opponents UNLV and Boise State. That extends PSU's road losing streak to 18 games dating back to the 2011-12 season. PSU shot .356 from the field with 35 turnovers in the two losses. The good news is PSU plays its next three at home before starting Big Sky Conference play.

TASTY TIDBITS:
• Despite losing 76-60, PSU held Boise State 26 points below its nation's leading scoring average (102.0).
• During Portland State's preseason tournament, the Vikings came back from double-digit, second-half deficits to beat both Loyola and SIUE. The win over UC Davis was a little more conventional as the Vikings went wire-to-wire, leading by double-digits throughout the second half.
• When Portland State went 0-7 from three-point range against UNLV in the season opener (11/9) it marked the first time in PSU history that a Viking team failed to make a three in a game. Since 1996-97 when basketball was reinstated on the Park Blocks, PSU had made at least one three-pointer in 495 straight games. Fortunately, the Vikings came back to make 26 three-pointers over the last four games.
• The crowd of 13,148 at UNLV was the ninth-largest ever for a game in which the Portland State program has played.
• Portland State is 14-4 in home opening games since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97.
• Portland State plays 17 regular season home games this year, the most ever scheduled in a single season.
• 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 JR Gs Gary Winston and Andre Winston Jr. are not related - it's just a happy coincidence.
• JR G Sebastian Suarez will redshirt this season due to complications with his transfer status. He needs to establish a year of residency and will be eligible to compete in the 2014-15 season. Also redshirting this season is JR G Kyler Shula.
• The Viking basketball program has graduated 16 of 17 players who have completed their eligibility under Head Coach Tyler Geving.
• Portland State is in its 18th season as a member of the Big Sky Conference and Division I. PSU played basketball from 1946-1981 before discontinuing the program. Basketball was reinstated for the 1996-97 season.
• Speaking of tasty, Portland State basketball fans will have the opportunity to Get Stuffed this winter at the Stott Center. Any fan purchasing a ticket for a seat at the Peter W. Stott Center will receive free concessions. That's right, all the food you can eat from the concession stand. Portland State students, with student tickets, will also take advantage of this promotion. It's just that simple. Buy your ticket and you eat for free.  To get your tickets, call the Portland State box office at (503) 725-3307 or go to www.GoViks.com.
• And just for the heck of it, Kobayashi ate 12 hot dogs in 88 seconds at Portland State's game against Loyola on Nov. 22.