complete notes and stats in pdf

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS vs. IDAHO STATE BENGALS
Thursday, January 2, 2014, 6:05 p.m. PT • Holt Arena (8,000), Pocatello, ID
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Record/Big Sky: 5-4/0-0
Head Coach: Tyler Geving
Record/Years: 57-74/5th year
 
IDAHO STATE BENGALS
Record/Big Sky: 3-6/0-0
Head Coach: Bill Evans
Record/Years: 9-30/2nd year
 
Live Video Stream: www.WatchBigSky.com
Live Audio Stream: www.GoViks.com • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Pregame Show: 5:45 p.m. PT
Live Stats: vikslive.statb.us, viksmobile.com
 
All-Time Series: PSU leads 28-16
Big Sky Series: PSU leads 24-12
Last Meeting: ISU 72-71 in Pocatello, 3/9/13
 
THE OPENING TIP
The Portland State Vikings open the new year with a new Big Sky Conference season. The Vikings begin their 18th campaign in the Big Sky on Thursday night when they travel to Idaho State. Tip-off for the league lid-lifter is 6:05 p.m. PT.
        
PSU will take a winning record into the Big Sky season, going 5-4 in non-conference games. The Vikings won their most recent game, 98-65, over Evergreen State. Idaho State comes into the contest at 3-6 in the preseason, having lost its last four contests.
        
The Vikings and Bengals have a pair of common opponents - with similar results - from the preseason. PSU beat Evergreen (98-65) and lost to Idaho (76-75), while ISU did the same (W, 99-62 vs ESC; L, 65-69 vs. Idaho).
        
Idaho State is 2-1 at home this season, while the Vikings went 0-2 in pre-season road games. Portland State will try to end a 12-game Big Sky road losing streak and 18-game road losing streak overall.
        
PSU's game with Idaho State opens a 20-game league schedule over the next 10 weeks. The Vikings travel to Weber State for a Saturday night contest then come home to face Montana State (Jan. 9) and Montana (Jan. 11) next week.
        
Audio for this week's games can be found on-line at GoViks.com. Just click on the appropriate link in the Game Day box. Pre-game audio starts at 5:45 p.m. both nights. A live video stream is available for all Big Sky Conference games at WatchBigSky.com and live stats can be found at www.vikslive.statb.us.
 
PSU AND THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE: Portland State begins its 18th season as a Big Sky Conference member. The Vikings are 137-145 all-time in Big Sky games, including 8-8 in Big Sky Tournament games. The Vikings won Big Sky regular season titles in 2005 and 2008, and Big Sky tournament titles in 2008 and 2009... in 2012-13, Portland State tied for 10th place with Idaho State at 5-15, missing the Big Sky Conference Tournament. The Vikings have been picked eighth in the 11-team Big Sky Conference preseason coaches poll and ninth in the preseason media poll.
 
PORTLAND STATE VS. IDAHO STATE - THE ALL-TIME SERIES:
• Portland State leads the all-time series with Idaho State, 28-16, and the Big Sky series, 24-12.
• PSU leads the Big Sky series in Pocatello, 9-8.
• The Vikings have won both Big Sky Tournament meetings with Idaho State, each of which was a semifinal.
• Last season the teams split the season series with each winning on their home court.
• The Vikings won 63-49 at the Stott Center behind 53% field goal shooting.
• Idaho State won 72-71 in the season-finale when Tomas Sanchez hit a game-winning jumper with six seconds remaining.
 
THE MONKEY ON THEIR BACKS: Can Portland State finally end an ugly road losing streak this week? The Vikings have 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 Vikings have lost 12 straight road games to Big Sky opponents.
 
IDAHO STATE BENGALS: Idaho State, located in Pocatello, is an original member of the Big Sky Conference, joining when the league formed in 1963. ISU has won two Big Sky titles in its history. The Bengals have made 11 NCAA playoff appearances all-time... last year, Idaho State was 6-24 overall, 5-15 in Big Sky Conference games... three starters and five letterwinners return from that team... the Bengals are 3-6 this season, having lost four in a row going into Thursday's game... ISU can score, averaging 72.4 points, but also give up 72.2 points and allow opponents to shoot .484 from the field... senior guard Tomas Sanchez leads the team with 15.9 scoring average, as well as 4.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game... junior guard Chris Hansen averages 15.8 points and has made 24 three-point field goals... other big contributors include senior guard Andre Hatchett (12.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and junior forward Jeffrey Solarin (11.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg). Solarin leads the Big Sky in offensive rebounds, getting nearly five of his 7.9 average on the offensive glass.
 
PRESEASON REVIEW
• Portland State wrapped up its preseason schedule at 5-4, tied for the second-best mark in the Big Sky (Northern Colorado 6-3, Montana 5-4).
• The Vikings were 5-2 at home, 0-2 on the road.
• PSU's 5-4 non-conference record was its first winning preseason mark in three seasons (9-5 in 2010-11).
• PSU had wins over teams from the Big West, Missouri Valley, and Ohio Valley Conferences, with losses to Mountain West opponents (2), the West Coast and the WAC.
• Portland State ranks fourth in the Big Sky in scoring (73.2) and scoring defense (68.8).
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky Conference in three-point percentage (.393), assists (14.4) and assist-to-turnover ratio (130/108: 1.2/1).
 
COMING UP
Portland State opens the Big Sky Conference schedule with four of its first six games on the road. Then, the Vikings come home for four in a row in late January/early February.
        
This Saturday night, after facing Idaho State, the Vikings travel to Weber State. The Wildcats have started slow off a tough preseason schedule, going 3-5. However, throughout history, no Big Sky program has given the Vikings more trouble than Weber State. The Wildcats hold a 28-11 advantage in Big Sky games, and 32-11 lead all-time.
        
Portland State has lost six in a row to the Wildcats and has won just once in 20 Big Sky games in Ogden (2005-06).
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 5-4 this season, 5-2 at home, 0-2 on the road.
• PSU has won 17 of 25 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 134-49 in 183 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 165-64 at home over the past 18 seasons.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 78-23 at home, including 43-19 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
• Portland State has lost only five non-conference home games since the start of the 2006-07 season (35-6). PSU is 21-6 against Division I schools, and 14-0 against lower division schools over that span.
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 137-145 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the tournament (8-8).
• PSU is 93-44 in home games, 41-97 in road games and 3-4 in neutral site games.
• PSU is 52-48 in Big Sky games since the start of the 2007-08 season, 58-50 including tournament games.
And The Trivial
• Portland State is 23-23 all-time in overtime. Coach Tyler Geving is 1-3 all-time in overtime.
• 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 17-39 in games televised in the Portland area since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97. That includes a 9-7 home record and 8-32 road record.
 
HOME COURT HAPPINESS: With a 5-2 record at home this season, Portland State has improved its non-conference home record to 35-6 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 21-6 against Division I schools, and 13-0 against lower division schools in those non-conference games. Among the six 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; 2013-14, by 16 points), Oregon State (2012-13, by five points) and Idaho (2013-14, by one point).
 
HOT SHOTS:
• The 98 points scored by the Vikings in the win over Evergreen State was the most in 62 games by the Vikings, dating back two seasons. PSU shot a season-high .545 from the field (36-66).
• SR F Aaron Moore set a new career-high with 21 points (8-13 FG, 5-8 FT) against Evergreen State.
• Although he did not start for the first time all season, SR G Marcus Hall had season-highs of 13 points (4-5 FG, 1-1 3-pt, 4-4 FT) and seven rebounds against Evergreen State.
• JR G Tim Douglas has scored in double figures in all nine games this season. He leads the team in scoring (16.1), three-pointers (16), assists (4.1) and steals (15).
• SR F Kyle Richardson matched his season-high with nine points (4-5 FG, 1-2 FT) against Evergreen State. He also led the team with four assists and grabbed five rebounds in only 20 minutes.
• JR C Brandon Cataldo is shooting .667 from the field (16-24) to lead the team.
• Despite making only 2-10 three-pointers against Evergreen State, PSU leads the Big Sky with a .393 mark from distance.
 
NOT SO HOT:
• Portland State was 0-14 on the road in 2012-13, is 0-2 this year, and has lost 18 straight road games overall.
• After a stellar offensive run of nearly 18 points per game over the previous five, JR G DaShaun Wiggins was only 1-7 with five points against Evergreen State.
 
GOOD STARTS: New point guard Tim Douglas is making a big impact for the Vikings this season. He is averaging team-highs of 16.1 points, 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals. Douglas also leads in three-pointers with 16, while shooting .400 from distance.
• Douglas has led the Vikings in scoring in four games and assists in six games.
• He has scored in double figures in all nine games with a season-high 27 against Portland (12/7).
• Douglas was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 10.
• Douglas ranks fifth in scoring, fourth in assists and minutes played in the Big Sky Conference.
 
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. Although Wiggins got the start against Evergreen State, he has come off the bench in seven of nine games this season. In his previous five games off the bench, Wiggins averaged 17.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in just 22 minutes per contest... for the season, Wiggins is second on the team in scoring (13.0), three-pointers (13) and steals (10)... Wiggins is shooting .419 from three-point range.
• Wiggins' had a 21-point, seven-rebound, three-assist, two-steal performance in a win over UC Davis (11/24).
• He set new career-highs with 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals against Idaho (12/14).
• Wiggins has led the team in scoring three times and rebounding twice.
 
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. For the year, he averages 12.4 points, a team-leading 6.1 rebounds and has a team-best five blocked shots.
• Moore 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 scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a win over Loyola (11/22). It was his eighth career double-double.
• He set a new career-high with 21 points (8-13 FG, 5-8 FT) against Evergreen State (12/23).
• He has led the team in rebounding six times.
 
WINSTON HITTING THE MARK: JR G Andre Winston Jr. had another efficient offensive game against Evergreen State with 13 points (5-6 FG, 1-1 3-pt FG, 2-2 FT), three assists and no turnovers. Winston is averaging 10.1 points on .558 from the field and .879 at the free throw line this season. He leads the team in free throw shooting and ranks second in field goal shooting. Those are nice improvements from his numbers last year of 7.0, .391 and .705.
 
THE BIG CAT IS ON THE PROWL: JR C Brandon Cataldo has been a "project" player for the Vikings the past two seasons. Now he appears ready to assert himself. The 6-10 Cataldo had eight points (4-5 FG) and seven rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench against Idaho. He played only eight minutes in the win over Evergreen State but grabbed four rebounds and blocked two shots. Cataldo is averaging 5.0 points and is second on the team at 4.1 rebounds per game in just 12.9 minutes per night... Cataldo is shooting .667 to lead the team this season. He shoots .579 from the field for his career.
 
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.
 
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 have come back to shoot .417 from three-point range, making seven per game, since then.
• 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 F Tiegbe Bamba is still rehabilitating from an achilles injury last season at Midland JC. His return date is still unknown.
• 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. 
• 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.
 
VIKING ONE-LINERS (and sometimes two)
• Portland State has two players from foreign countries on its roster; Tiegbe Bamba (France) and Sebastian Suarez (Chile). Since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97, Portland State has had players from England and Canada (3), Nigeria and Lithuania.
• FR G Zach Gengler was the Oregon 5A High School Player of the Year in 2012-13.
• SR F Kyle Richardson has already earned a degree in Communication Studies from Long Beach State. He has entered graduate school at Portland State and has one year of eligibility remaining.
• SR F Aaron Moore has a son, Aaiden, who turned six years old in October.
• PSU has three players that competed for other Division I schools: Andre Winston, Jr. (Washington State), Tim Douglas (Portland) and Kyle Richardson (Long Beach State).
• Head Coach Tyler Geving and Associate Head Coach Jeff Hironaka were both assistant coaches on the 2000-01 Seattle Pacific basketball staff.
• Special Advisor Barry Adams, a high school coaching legend in the state of Oregon, was recently elected to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. He will be inducted on March 10.
• Former Viking Ime Udoka played seven seasons in the NBA. He started 75 games for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2006-07. Udoka is now an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs.
• Julius Thomas, who holds Portland State records for games played (121), field goal percentage in a season and career (.671/.663), and career wins (78) is now the starting tight end for the Denver Broncos. Thomas played on two Big Sky Conference Championship/NCAA Tournament teams (2007-08, 2008-09) at PSU.
• Another former Viking, Chehales Tapscott, was drafted by the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League on Nov. 1. He was a first team All-Big Sky selection for the Vikings in 2011-12, averaging 14.1 points and leading the Big Sky in rebounding (9.3) and blocked shots (43).
• By the end the first of March, 13 of the 16 Vikings will be 22 or older. Only FR Zach Gengler and Kyle Benton are under 21 (both 18).
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL 
• Portland State made 15 straight field goals to open the second half in a 79-43 win over Pacific Lutheran (11/13). The Vikings did not have a miss until 3:15 remained in the game and outscored the Lutes, 47-20, in the second half. PSU shot 53% from the field in the game. JR G Tim Douglas led four Vikings in double figures with 16 points.
• SR F Aaron Moore led a come-from-behind win over Loyola (11/22), 67-63, by tieing his career-high of 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. JR G Andre Winston Jr. added 16 points as the Viking erased a 17-point second-half deficit.
• For the second game in a row, PSU came from double-digits down in the second half to earn a win. The Vikings beat Southern Illinois Edwardsville, 77-74 (11/23). JR G Tim Douglas scored 18 points to lead the Vikings while JR G DaShaun Wiggins added 17 points off the bench.
• JR G DaShaun Wiggins had a Viking season high of 21 points in a 79-63 victory over UC Davis (11/24). Wiggins added seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in just 21 minutes. It marked PSU's fourth win in a row - its longest winning streak since the 2011-12 season.
• JR G Tim Douglas posted a team season-high 27 points in a loss to Portland, 92-76 (12/7). Douglas added six rebounds, four steals and three assists. He was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week for his performance.
• JR G DaShaun Wiggins set season-highs in every category with 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in a loss to Idaho (12/14). JR G Tim Douglas handed out a season-high eight assists in the game.
• Portland State scored a season-high 98 points - its most in 62 games - in a 98-65 win over Evergreen State (12/23). The Vikings shots a season-high .545 from the field. SR F Aaron Moore scored a career-high 21 points, while SR G Marcus Hall added season-bests of 13 points and seven rebounds.
• PSU wrapped up its first winning preseason mark in three years at 5-4 (12/23).