PORTLAND STATE: 8-19 • Big Sky: 5-14 • Home: 8-6 • Road: 0-13
IDAHO STATE: 5-24 • Big Sky: 4-15 • Home: 4-7 • Road: 1-17

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: PSU leads 28-15 • PSU in Pocatello: 9-10
Big Sky Series: PSU leads 24-11 • PSU in Pocatello: 9-7
Dec. 20 in Portland: Portland State 63, Idaho State 49

THE OPENING TIP
Portland State wraps up its 2012-13 season on Saturday night in Pocatello when it faces Idaho State in a Big Sky Conference game. The Vikings (8-19, 5-14) meet the Bengals (5-24, 4-15) in a 6:05 p.m. PT game that airs on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com. A live video stream is available at www.BigSkyTV.org.

Portland State and Idaho State opened the Big Sky schedule on Dec. 20 in Portland; a 63-49 PSU win. Each team has played 18 Big Sky games since that time, but neither was able to earn a berth in next week's Big Sky Conference Tournament. That makes Saturday night a pride game for both squads.

The good news for Portland State is it has had more success in Pocatello than any other Big Sky road locale. The Vikings have their only winning road record there with a 9-7 mark in 16 previous seasons.

Hopefully, that provides an edge for the Vikings as they attempt to avoid a winless road season in 2012-13. PSU is 0-13 on the road and has lost 15 straight road games overall. 

PSU has lost three straight games going into the finale, including its biggest loss of the year on Thursday, an 80-52 defeat at Weber State.

The Bengals are 4-7 at home this season. They have lost five in a row (including an 87-73 decision to Eastern Washington on Thursday) and 12 of the last 13 overall.

DEC. 20: PSU 63, ISU 49: Portland State went on a 27-9 run down the stretch to beat the Bengals at the Stott Center. The Vikings shot .532 from the field for the game, hit 7-13 three-point field goals and out-rebounded Idaho State, 29-22... Lateef McMullan tied his career-high of 20 points, hitting 7-9 shots, 3-5 three-pointers, and 3-5 at the line. He added four assists and a career-high four steals... Melvin Morgan led the Bengals with 17 points.

SINGING A SAD THUN: SR G Michael Harthun was playing the best basketball of his PSU career over the last few weeks, averaging 16.6 points and shooting 66% from the field in the past five games. However, “Toon” injured his knee in practice earlier in the week forcing him to miss Thursday's game and making him doubtful for Saturday. His absence definitely hurts the Vikings offensively and is an unfortunate end to a solid career. Harthun has shot 44% from three-point range the last two seasons, and 45% this year while averaging 11.3 points per game.

THE IDAHO STATE BENGALS: Like the Vikings, Idaho State will miss the Big Sky Tournament this year... during its history, ISU has made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, but has not won the Big Sky and advanced since 1987... the Bengals are last place in the 11-team Big Sky, having lost five in a row and 12 of 13... Melvin Morgan leads the team in scoring at 12.1 points per game... Chris Hansen averages 11.2 points and has made 67 three-point field goals... Tomas Sanchez averages 10.4 points and 3.8 assists per game... the Bengals have struggled to score this year, ranking last in the Big Sky in scoring (56.5), field goal percentage (.404), three-point percentage (.316), rebounding margin (-6.7), and assists (10.0).

THE COACHES: Portland State Head Coach Tyler Geving has a 52-69 record in his fourth season. Geving has a 29-42 Big Sky Conference record, and is 5-2 against Idaho State... Idaho State Head Coach Bill Evans is in his first year with the Bengals... In 16 years as a collegiate head coach, Evans is 214-247.

HOT SHOTS: 
• In his 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). However, Harthun missed Thursday's game with a knee injury and is not expected to play on Saturday.
• SO G Dre Winston had a season-high five assists on Thursday night and has averaged 3.7 assists over the last six games.
• SO G Gary Winston is 10-17 from three-point range in the last seven games (.588). Going into the season's final game, Winston leads the Big Sky in three-point percentage (.462) by a fraction over Weber State's Jordan Richardson (.459).
• JR F Aaron Moore has scored in double figures in 13 straight games, and 18 of the last 19, while accummulating seven double-doubles.
• SR PG Lateef McMullan leads the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio in all games (100/40, 2.5 to 1) and conference games (81/27, 3 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: 
• The Vikings scored just 13 points in the first half at Weber State - a season low - and shot only .367 from the field for the game. The 80-52 loss was the Vikings' largest deficit of the year.
• As a team, the Vikings shoot .406 on the road, .317 from three-point range, and average 62.0 points.
• Portland State is 0-13 on the road this season.
• The Vikings will miss the Big Sky Conference Tournament this season.

ROAD WEARY: With one road game remaining this season, Portland State wants to avoid an ignominious feat. The Vikings stand 0-13 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).

GET NUMBER NINE: Portland State's fewest wins in 17 seasons as a Big Sky member was five in 2002-03... the Vikings have twice won nine games (1996-97 and 2000-01) in a season. A win on Saturday would match that total.

FIRST-HALF TROUBLES: Poor first-half play was never more evident for the Vikings than Thursday in Ogden. PSU shot just 6-33 from the field (.183) and trailed 41-13 at the break. Bad starts have been a big part of Portland State's problems this season. The Vikings have been outscored by 5.1 points per game in the first half this year, then outscored opponents by 1.3 points in the second halves of games... 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 0-18 when trailing at halftime... 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.

ALL ABOUT THE SHOOTING: The Vikings have been a good-shooting home team, and a bad-shooting road team this season. The difference in home and road shooting statistics for the Vikings mirrors Portland State's home (8-6) and road (0-13) records. The Vikings shoot .496 from the field and .441 from three-point range at home. On the road, they shoot just .406 from the field and .317 from three-point range... the scoring averages reflect those shooting numbers: 75.1 at home, and 62.0 on the road.

THE DEFENSE SHOULD NOT REST: Weber State shot .558 against the Vikings on Thursday, a trend that has hurt the Vikings all year. PSU allows opponents to shoot .485 from the field - a league worst.