complete notes and stats in pdf

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES
Monday, January 27, 2014, 7:05 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Record/Big Sky: 8-8, 3-4
Head Coach: Tyler Geving (60-78/5th year)
 
EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES
Record/Big Sky: 8-10, 3-4
Head Coach: Jim Hayford (33-48/3rd year)
 
Live Video Stream: 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, viksmobile.com
 
THE OPENING TIP
Portland State will try to keep it rolling at home on Monday as it hosts Eastern Washington in a Dam Cup game. The Vikings (8-8, 3-4) are playing the second of four straight at home over the span of eight days. They come off a 67-64 win over Southern Utah on Saturday. Eastern Washington (8-10, 3-4) also beat Southern Utah in a Thursday game and is tied with PSU for seventh place in the Big Sky Conference.
     
Monday's game will be for Dam Cup pride (see below), and a chance for Portland State to wrap up the Dam Cup competition for the 2013-14 season. More to the point for the two teams involved, it is a battle to  move into a tie for fifth place in the Big Sky standings.
     
PSU is now 7-3 in home games, and has won three of four games overall. The Eagles come in having won three of their last five. They have an 0-9 road record (but have won two neutral site games).
     
Monday's game tips off at 7:05 p.m. at the Stott Center. Live video, audio and stats can be found on-line at GoViks.com, starting at 6:45 p.m. Just click on the appropriate link in the Game Day box.
 
THE HOME STAND CONTINUES LATER THIS WEEK: Portland State plays two games at home later this week against tough competition. First-place Northern Colorado (13-4, 7-1) comes in for a Thursday contest, followed by third-place North Dakota (8-10, 5-3) on Saturday.
     
Strong offense has been the key to PSU's home success (7-3). The Vikings average 77.5 points, shoot .478 from the field, .413 from three-point range and .743 at the line.
 
THE SERIES: PORTLAND STATE VS. EASTERN WASHINGTON
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads 21-19. The Vikings lead 13-6 in Portland.
• BIG SKY SERIES: The series is tied 18-18. The Vikings lead 11-6 in Portland.
• STREAK: Portland State has won six straight meetings in the Stott Center and nine of 11 meetings overall.
• LAST SEASON: Each team won on its home court... Eastern Washington won 76-65 in Cheney. Venky Jois had 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots in the game... The Vikings took an 89-80 victory in Portland shooting 53% from the field and 84% at the free throw line.
• Viking Coach Tyler Geving is 6-2 all-time against Eastern Washington. Eagles' Head Coach Jim Hayford is 1-3 all-time against the Vikings.
 
EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES: Eastern Washington University is located in Cheney, WA. The Eagles have won one Big Sky Conference title in their history and made one appearance in the NCAA Division I Tournament... Eastern Washington was 10-21 last season, 7-13 and ninth in the  Big Sky Conference... four starters and seven letterwinners return from that team... this season, the Eagles are 8-10 overall, 3-4 in the Big Sky Conference... Eastern has proven to be one of the top offensive teams in the league, averaging 74.2 points per game, and lead the Big Sky with 7.8 three-pointers made per game... sophomore guard Tyler Harvey leads the Big Sky in scoring (21.2) and three-pointers made per game (3.4). He shoots 45% from three-point range and 89% at the line... junior guard Drew Brandon is the league leader in assists (5.2) while averaging 10.6 points... sophomore forward Venky Jois averages 13.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and has blocked 26 shots this season... the Eagles lead the Big Sky in blocked shots this season with 77.
 
THE DAM CUP
The Portland State Vikings and Eastern Washington Eagles are in the fourth year of a five-sport rivalry cup called The Dam Cup. The Dam Cup celebrates the friendly rivalry between the states of Oregon and Washington within the Big Sky Conference. Monday's basketball game will be worth two points in the Dam Cup series. Portland State currently leads the competition, 9-4, and 11 points are required to win the Dam Cup for the year. So, if the Vikings can win Monday's game, the PSU Athletic Program will have won the Dam Cup for the third time in four years.
     
The so-named rivalry refers to the four dams linking Oregon and Washington that one passes on the 339-mile drive from the Portland State campus to the Eastern Washington campus. Located along the Columbia River, they are Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Dam, The John Day Dam and the McNary Dam. 
     
The five sports competing for the cup are football, women's soccer, women's volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball. The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland and Spokane areas. Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions' student body. The winner of the Dam Cup will possess The Dam Trophy acknowledging the achievement for the following year.
     
The Dam Cup is based on a point system.  Each game played in the five sports between the two schools has a point value. Points are only rewarded for regular season contests. The annual football game is worth four points, the women's soccer match is worth three points, each women's volleyball match is worth two points for a total of four points possible, and each men's and women's basketball game is worth two points for a total of four points possible in each sport. New for the 2013-14 season a fan interaction platform at www.DamCup.com that will be worth 2 points.  The total points possible are 21 which means that to win the cup a school would need to win at least 11 points.
 
The 2013-14 Dam Cup Series
Volleyball - Sept. 23 - @ PSU 3, EWU 0 - PSU leads 2-0
Soccer - Oct. 4 - PSU 2, @ EWU 0 - PSU leads 5-0
Volleyball - Oct. 28 - PSU 3, @ EWU 1 - PSU leads 7-0
Football - Nov. 23 - @ EWU 42, PSU 41 - PSU leads 7-4
Women's Basketball - Dec. 29 - PSU 86, @ EWU 74 - PSU leads 9-4
Men's Basketball - Jan. 27 @ PSU
Women's Basketball - Feb. 24 @ PSU
Men's Basketball - Feb. 24 @ EWU
 
Previous Dam Cup Champions
2010-11         PSU 9-8
2011-12         PSU 15-2
2012-13         EWU 10-7
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 8-8 this season, 7-3 at home, 1-5 on the road.
• The Vikings are 3-4 in the Big Sky Conference, 2-1 at home and 1-3 on the road.
• Portland State is 43-21 at home in five seasons under Tyler Geving.
• With eight wins this season, PSU has already matched last year's win total (8-20).
Stott Stuff
• PSU has gone 136-50 in 185 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 167-65 at home over the past 18 seasons.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 80-24 at home, including 45-20 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
• Portland State has lost only six 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.
 
HOT SHOTS:
• Portland State is now 5-2 in close games this season (decided by four points or less).
• SR G Marcus Hall is 22-39 from three-point range in home games (.564). He is 13-16 in his last three home games (.813).
• JR G Gary Winston has averaged 12.8 points in his last six games.
 
NOT SO HOT:
• Portland State ranks last in the Big Sky in three-point field goal defense (.391). In Big Sky games, the Vikings rank last in opponent field goal percentage (.508), and second to last in three-point field goal defense (.418).
 
HOME/ROAD DIFFERENTIAL:
• Portland State is 7-3 at home this season, 1-5 on the road.
• PSU has shot .404 from the field, .307 from distance and .650 at the line on the road this year, averaging 12.2 turnovers.
• At home, PSU shoots .478/.413/.743 and averages 11.6 turnovers.
• The Vikings average 61.7 points on the road and 77.5 at home.
 
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT: When your coach tells you every possession is important, you better believe it. In four of Portland State's last five games, neither team has held a lead of double digits. In PSU's win over Southern Utah, the Vikings' largest lead was eight while the Thunderbirds largest lead was seven... the only game of the five with a double digit lead was at Northern Arizona, when the Lumberjacks pulled it off in the second half of their win. Prior to that, Montana State's largest lead was nine points in the Jan. 9 game. PSU's largest lead was four... Montana's largest lead was nine while PSU's largest lead was eight on Jan. 11... against Sacramento State, PSU's biggest lead was six and the Hornets' biggest lead was eight.
 
KEEP SHOOTING GARY: JR G Gary Winston led the Big Sky Conference in three-point percentage last season (.470), so it is no surprise he ranks second in the league right now (.474). Moreover, he hit clutch threes in two recent Viking wins. Winston made the game-winner with 2.6 seconds remaining in the third overtime of an 81-78 win against Montana (1/11). Then, with the Vikings clinging to a 61-58 lead against Sacramento State (1/16) in overtime and less than a minute to play, Winston rose up and buried a trey to make it 64-58 with 42 seconds to go. That shot essentially sealed the win for the Vikings.
• Winston is the Portland State career leader in three-point percentage (.449).
• Winston scored a career-high 21 points with five assists and hit a game-winning three-point field goal in triple-overtime against Montana (1/11).
• In his last six games, Winston has averaged 12.8 points and 2.8 assists, hitting 12-26 three-pointers.
 
WHEN YOU'RE HOT, YOU'RE HOT: ...and when you're not, you're not. SR G Marcus Hall is red-hot at home over his last three games, making 15-21 field goals (.714), 13-16 three-point field goals (.813) and 6-6 free throws. He posted a career-high 19 against Montana State (1/9), then two nights later hit another career-high in the win over Montana (1-11). Hall had 21 points in that game with seven rebounds and three assists... on the road, Hall is not hot over the last three games, going 4-17 from the field and 2-12 from three-point range... Hall, who averaged from 5.3 points and 1.0 assists in the first eight games, has averaged 11.8 points and  2.1 assists over the last eight games.
• Hall shoots .452 from three-point range this season to rank third in the Big Sky.
• Hall has a team-high 28 three-pointers for the season.
 
THE LEADER: JR G Tim Douglas is making a big impact for the Vikings this season. He is averaging team-highs of 14.3 points and 3.6 assists.
• Douglas has led the Vikings in scoring in five games and assists in 10 games.
• He has scored in double figures in 14 of 16 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 10th in scoring and fifth in assists in the Big Sky Conference.
 
WINSTON HITTING THE MARK: JR G Andre Winston Jr. continues to be very efficient on offense this season, averaging 9.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He shoots .537 from the field and .781 at the line. He also has an excellent 31/24 assist-to-turnover ratio. Those are nice improvements over his numbers last year of 7.0, .391 and .705.
 
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. Wiggins has come off the bench in 11 of 16 games this season and is second on the team in scoring (12.3), and steals (15), and third in three-pointers (18) in just 22 minutes per night. He is also the easy leader in free throw attempts, making 65-87 already this season.
• 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).
• Scored a game-high 20 points (7-13 FG, 5-6 FT) against Montana State (1/9).
• Wiggins has led the team in scoring seven times and rebounding twice.
• Wiggins ranks 19th in the Big Sky Conference in scoring.
 
POST PRESENCE: SR F Kyle Richardson saw limited action in three seasons at Long Beach State. After graduating and transferring to Portland State for his final season this year, Big Rich has stepped up his role and his game. Richardson, along with JR G Tim Douglas (who was also a high school teammate), are the only Vikings to start every game. In 24 minutes per night, Richardson averages 5.7 points and 4.6 rebounds - both career highs.
• Richardson had career-highs of 12 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 6-9 shots from the field, in a win at Sacramento State (1/16).
• Richardson has led the Vikings in rebounding four times this season.
 
THE BIG CAT IS ON THE PROWL: JR C Brandon Cataldo has been a "project" player for the Vikings the past two seasons. This season he has begun to assert himself. Cataldo is averaging modest numbers of 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 13.1 minutes per night. Those work out to 15.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per 40 minutes... in the last three games, Cataldo has scored 27 points (10-17 FG) with 19 rebounds in a combined 66 minutes (9.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 22 mpg).
• Cataldo leads the team with a .583 field goal percentage and .833 free throw percentage. He shoots .575 from the field for his career.
• Cataldo has led the Vikings in rebounding twice this season.
 
GAME-WINNERS: JR G Gary Winston's game-winning shot against Montana (1/11) was the first inside the final five seconds of a game by a Viking since the 2011-12 season. Portland State had three game-winning scores coming inside the final five seconds of games that year - one by Chehales Tapscott (vs. Seattle), and two by Charles Odum (vs. Eastern Washington and vs. Northern Colorado (FTs))... SR G Marcus Hall's three-pointer with 28.9 seconds left provided the difference in the Vikings' 67-64 win over Southern Utah (1/25).
 
FOUR GUARDS AND A GOALIE: By necessity, Portland State Head Coach Tyler Geving has had to play small this season, more so than ever now with the suspension of SR F Aaron Moore. The strength of the Viking team is in its guards and Portland State is now playing more of them than ever - a little reminiscent of the Don Nelson/RUN-TMC era of the Golden State Warriors in the late 1980s and early 1990s (Google 'em). Expect the Vikings to start four guards and one big man every game. From there, PSU hopes to spread its opponents out on the floor, attack on the drive and kick out for three pointers when open. The "four guards and a goalie" approach expects to score a lot of points. The challenge for the Vikings will be defending and rebounding against bigger opponents.
 
... AND SOMETIMES FIVE GUARDS: The Vikings went with five guards down the stretch in the 67-64 win over Southern Utah (1/25). PSU trailed 56-52 with 6:03 to play when Coach Geving inserted a five-guard lineup. The Vikings outscored the Thunderbirds, 15-8, the rest of the way for the victory.