PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS AT WEBER STATE WILDCATS
Thursday, March 7, 2013, 6 p.m. PT • Dee Events Center (11,500), Ogden, UT

PORTLAND STATE: 8-18 • Big Sky: 5-13 • Home: 8-6 • Road: 0-12
WEBER STATE: 22-5 • Big Sky: 16-2 • Home: 12-1 • Road: 10-4

Television: None
Radio: Freedom 970 AM, www.freedom970.com • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Pregame Show: 5:30 p.m. PT
Live Video: www.BigSkyTV.org • Live Stats: http://vikslive.statb.us

All-Time Series: WSU leads 31-11 • PSU in Ogden: 1-19
Big Sky Series: WSU leads 27-11 • PSU in Ogden: 1-18
Dec. 22 in Portland: Weber State 73, Portland State 69 (ot)

THE OPENING TIP
Portland State will complete its 2012-13 season on the road this week with games at Weber State and Idaho State. The Vikings (8-18, 5-13) play the Wildcats (22-5, 16-2) on Thursday night in a 6 p.m. PT start. On Saturday, PSU wraps up the season against the Bengals (5-23, 4-14) in another 6 p.m. PT game. Both games air on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. A live video stream is available at www.BigSkyTV.org.

With two losses at home last week, Portland State was eliminated from Big Sky Conference Tournament contention. Seven teams will make the tournament, which runs Mar. 14-16. However, at 5-13 in league play, the Vikings stand in 10th and can't make up enough ground in the final two contests.

PSU can still accomplish a 10-win season with a pair of wins this week. If so, it would mark 10 straight seasons with double-digit wins. 

More significantly, the Vikings would like to break through on the road and end their winless road record (0-12).  That will be a tough chore on Thursday night as the Vikings will battle perennial powerhouse Weber State. The Wildcats are 12-1 at home this year. Moreover, the Vikings are 1-19 all-time in Ogden. The lone win was a 71-69 decision in 2010-11 - Head Coach Tyler Geving's second season.

DEC. 22: WSU 73, PSU 69 (OT): Weber State made 4-5 field goals in overtime to outlast the Vikings at the Stott Center. PSU was up 58-54 with four minutes left, but WSU came up with a seven-point possession to take the lead, including a fast break layin, intentional foul and three-point field goal... Aaron Moore had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Vikings. Renado Parker added 18... five Wildcats were in double figures as they shot .547 from the field. Jordan Richardson and Gelaun Wheelwright each had 14 points.

THE WEBER STATE WILDCATS: Weber State is the most successful basketball program in Big Sky Conference history with 20 regular season championships, eight tournament championships and 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament... the Wildcats have been as good as ever this season, with a league-best 22 wins and are still in contention for the Big Sky title heading into the season's final week... Weber State has a remarkable resume, leading the Big Sky in scoring (76.0), scoring defense (61.5), scoring margin (+14.5), field goal percentage (.510), field goal percentage defense (.396), three-point percentage (.431), three-point percentage defense (.284) and rebounding margin (+5.7), not to mention home attendance (6,568 per game)... junior forward Davion Berry leads the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (3.7) and steals (34)... senior guard Scott Bamforth averages 13.1 points and has a team-high 67 three-point field goals... center Kyle Tresnak averages 11.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and has 33 blocked shots... senior forward Frank Otis leads the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.634), while freshman forward Joel Bolomboy is one of the Big Sky's top rebounders (7.6) and shot blockers (1.7).

THE COACHES: Portland State Head Coach Tyler Geving has a 52-68 record in his fourth season. Geving has a 29-41 Big Sky Conference record, and is 2-7 against Weber State... Weber State Coach Randy Rahe is in his seventh year. He has a 142-73 record, including 13-3 against the Vikings.

HOT SHOTS: 
• In the last five games, SR G Michael Harthun has averaged 16.6 points, 2.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds and shot 29-44 from the field (.659), 9-13 from three-point range (.692) and 16-19 at the line (.842).
• SO G Gary Winston is 9-14 from three-point range in the last six games (.643).
• Portland State is 96-119 at the line in the last four games (.807). For the season, PSU shoots .758 at the line, which ranks 13th in the nation.
• JR F Aaron Moore tied his career-high with 20 points on Saturday against Northern Colorado. He has scored in double figures in 12 straight games, and 17 of the last 18, while accummulating seven double-doubles.
• SR PG Lateef McMullan leads the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio in all games (99/39, 2.5 to 1) and conference games (80/26, 3.1 to 1). For the season, McMullan ranks 23rd in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio.
• The Vikings shoot .496 from the field, .441 from three-point range, and .772 at the line in the Stott Center, averaging 75.1 points.

NOT SO HOT: 
• As a team, the Vikings shoot .409 on the road, .323 from three-point range, and average 62.8 points.
• Portland State is 0-12 on the road this season.
• The Vikings will miss the Big Sky Conference Tournament this season.

ROAD WEARY: With two road games remaining this season, Portland State wants to avoid an ignominious feat. The Vikings stand 0-12 on the road so far. Only once in its history has PSU failed to win a road game - 0-14 in 2002-03. That year also featured PSU's poorest overall season record in history (5-22)... the 2002-03 team also had an eight-game losing streak, the longest losing streak over the past 10 years and longest Big Sky losing streak. This year's team matched that (Jan. 17-Feb. 9).

FIRST-HALF TROUBLES: Poor first-half play has been a big part of Portland State's problems this season. The Vikings have been outscored by 4.3 points per game in the first half this year, then outscored opponents by 1.4 points in the second halves of games... in the Vikings recent three-game winning streak they played well and took first-half leads in each game. PSU outscored opponents by an average of 8.3 points in the first half... a good start has been vital for the Vikings, as they are 7-1 when leading at halftime, 1-0 when tied at halftime, and 0-17 when trailing at halftime.

MOORE, MOORE, MOORE: JR F Aaron Moore has likely been the Vikings' MVP this season, leading the team in scoring (13.3), rebounding (7.3), blocked shots (25) and shooting .528 from the field and .735 at the line...  Moore has posted seven double-doubles this year and has a streak of 12 straight double-figure scoring games... currently, Moore is 11th in scoring, fourth in rebounding, sixth field goal percentage and 13th in blocked shots in the Big Sky Conference... Moore is one of only two Vikings in PSU's Big Sky history to post three straight double-doubles (Seamus Boxley)... he has led the team in scoring 10 times and rebounding 16 times.

GOOD HANDLE: JR PG Lateef McMullan has done a remarkable job of ball handling this season, highlighted by his career-high nine assists with no turnovers against Sacramento State (1/10). For the season, his ratio is 99/39 (2.51 ast/to) to lead the Big Sky and rank 23rd in the nation. He is fifth overall in the Big Sky in assists... for the year, the 5-11 ball-handler averages 10.3 points and 3.8 assists and has a team-high 39 three-point field goals.

PARKER'S PART: SR F Renado Parker struggled with a bad ankle throughout the month of January and that slowed his production... still, he is second on the team in scoring (11.4) and rebounding (5.2) this season... Parker had missed one game, playing three minutes in another and came off the bench in a third during his injury struggles... he has scored in double figures 16 times this season and led the team in scoring seven times this season... Parker has two double-doubles and two 20-point games.

THUN-ING UP: SR G Michael Harthun has averaged 16.6 points, 2.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds and shot 29-44 from the field (.659), 9-13 from three-point range (.692) and 16-19 at the line (.842) over the last five games... Harthun was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Feb. 25 after leading the Vikings to two wins while averaging 16.5 points, and shooting 69% from the field, 83% from three-point range and 100% at the line... Harthun has made 25-46 three-pointers (.544) in his last 15 games... Harthun is averaging 11.3 points per game, up from 8.6 last year... Harthun has remarkable numbers for a long-range shooter at .493 from the field, .452 from distance, and .828 at the line... he ranks 11th in field goal percentage and third in three-point percentage in the Big Sky Conference... Harthun currently maintains the fifth-best career three-point shooting percentage in school history at 86-197 (.437).

NICE COMEBACK: SO G Gary Winston has made a nice comeback from a nightmare shooting game at Montana State on Jan. 3. Winston was 0-9 in that game, 0-8 from three-point distance. In the 15 games since, he is 24-44 from three-point range (.545)... his .439 career three-point shooting ranks second in PSU history... he shoots .467 from three-point range this season to lead the team and rank second in the Big Sky... Winston averages 7.8 points per game, but has averaged 10.0 points per game while in the starting lineup.

6TH MAN MOMENTS: SO G Dre Winston Jr. continues to see his sixth-man role expand. He had eight points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal against North Dakota, then followed that with 13 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists against Northern Colorado... in the last six games, Winston Jr. has averaged 6.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists off the bench.

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).
• SR G Lateef McMullen dished out a career-high eight assists to go with 14 points as the Vikings beat George Fox, 85-74 (12/15), ending a five-game losing streak. SR G Michael Harthun (16 pts) and SO G Gary Winston (14 pts) combined for 30 points, hitting 11-17 from the field and 6-7 from three-point range.
• SR G Lateef McMullan tied a career-high with 20 points (7-9 FG, 3-5 3-pt FG, 3-5 FT), had four assists and four steals as the Vikings opened Big Sky Conference play with a 63-49 win over Idaho State (12/20). PSU shot .532 for the game, winning its' second straight at home.
• JR F Aaron Moore posted the first double-double of the season by a Viking with career-highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds in an overtime loss to Weber State (12/22). Parker made 8-12 field goals and added two assists and a blocked shot.
• Despite a loss at Montana State (1/3), JR F Aaron Moore had his second straight double-double with 17 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. SR G Lateef McMullan scored 17 points as well, hitting a career-high 5-9 three-point field goals.
• JR F Aaron Moore posted his third double-double in a row with 14 points and 11 rebounds at Montana (1/5).
• Five Vikings scored in double figures as Portland State hit a season-high 12-18 three-pointers in an 87-69 win over Sacramento State (1/10). SR G Michael Harthun scored a season-high 18 points (7-11 FG, 4-5 3-pt), while SR G Lateef McMullan scored 14 points with a career-high nine assists. SR G Martin Whitmore scored a career-high 11 points and SO C Brandon Cataldo blocked a career-high four shots.
• SR F Renado Parker tied his career high with 20 points (7-13 FG, 6-8 FT) and grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds in a 79-74 win over Northern Arizona (1/12). Once again the Vikings had five players score in double figures, including 13 points and seven assists from Lateef McMullan.
• SR G Michael Harthun had his best game of the season at North Dakota (1/19) with 19 points (6-8 FG, 4-4 3-pt FG, 3-3 FT) and three rebounds.
• JR F Aaron Moore posted career-highs of 20 points and four blocked shots, while grabbing 10 rebounds at Eastern Washington (1/28). It was Moore's fourth double-double of the season.
• SR F Martin Whitmore scored 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-3 3-pt) and grabbed a career high nine rebounds in a career-high 22 minutes against Montana (1/31).
• SR F Renado Parker (18 pts, 13 reb) and JR F Aaron Moore (19 pts, 11 reb) each posted double-doubles in a loss at Northern Arizona (2/7). It was Moore's fifth double-double of the year and Parker's second.
• SR G Michael Harthun led six Vikings in double figures - the first time that has occured all season - as Portland State scored a season-high in a 90-69 win over Southern Utah (2/14). Harthun hit 7-11 from the field, 1-1 from three-point range and 4-4 at the line to tie his season-high of 19 points. The Vikings made 24-24 free throws in the second half and a season-high 31-35 at the line overall (.886).
• SR F Michael Harvey scored a career-high 13 points in PSU's 90-69 win over Southern Utah. Harvey made 2-4 from the field, 9-10 at the line, and added four rebounds and two steals in 16 minutes of play. SR G Gary Winston set a career-high with seven rebounds.
• SR F Renado Parker tied his career-high with 20 points in leading the Vikings to a second straight win, 89-80, over Eastern Washington. SR G Michael Harthun missed only one shot on his way to 18 points and a career-high five assists. JR F Aaron Moore (17 pts, 9 reb) and SO G Gary Winston (14 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) also had big games as PSU shot 53% from the field and 84% at the line.
• PSU made a 16-0 second-half run to push past UC Riverside for a 66-58 win (2/23) - the Vikings' third in a row. Guards Michael Harthun (15 points) and Gary Winston (10 points) combined to hit 7-12 field goals, 5-7 three-pointers and 6-6 free throws.
• SR G Michael Harthun was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Feb. 25 after leading the Vikings to a pair of wins over Eastern Washington and UC Riverside. Harthun averaged 16.5 points, 2.5 assists and two rebounds per game. He shot 9-13 (.692) from the field, 5-6 (.833) from 3-point range, and made all 10 of his free throws.
• SR F Aaron Moore grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds in the Vikings' loss to North Dakota (2/28). Moore posted his seventh double-double of the season, scoring a team-high 16 points as well.
• SR F Aaron Moore matched his career-high with 20 points (7-14 FG, 1-1 3-pt, 5-7 FT) in a loss to Northern Colorado (3/2). He added four reboubnds, two assists and two blocked shots.