PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Record/Big Sky: 9-8, 4-4
Head Coach: Tyler Geving (61-78/5th year)
 
NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS
Record/Big Sky: 13-4, 7-1
Head Coach: BJ Hill (56-52/4th 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 is right where it needs to be as it prepares to host the Big Sky Conference's first-place team, Northern Colorado, this Thursday. The Vikings come off two straight home wins, and have won four of five overall. Now 9-8 on the season and 4-4 in the Big Sky Conference, they face their toughest league challenge to date in the Bears of UNC (13-4, 7-1). Northern Colorado maintains the best overall record in the Big Sky and is ranked 13th in the Mid-Major Top 25.
     
Thursday night's game is the third of four straight at home for Portland State. The Vikings are now 8-3 in the Stott Center this season and have moved into a tie for fifth in the Big Sky standings (4-4). Only three teams in the Big Sky have winning season records. They are Northern Colorado (13-4), Weber State (10-6) and Portland State (9-8).
     
Thursday'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 Vikings wrap up their home stand against third-place North Dakota (8-10, 5-3) on Saturday.

Chain Saw juggler Mad Chad will be featured at halftime of both Viking games.
 
THE LITTLE GUYS ARE PLAYING BIG: Portland State won its second straight home game on Monday night, beating Eastern Washington, 92-83, on the strength of a guard-heavy lineup. PSU trailed by 10 at halftime, and was down eight at the 17:15 mark of the second half when Head Coach Tyler Geving went to a five-guard lineup. That group cranked up the pace, forced turnovers and exploded offensively, outscoring the Eagles, 34-18, over the next 12 minutes. PSU shot .655 in the second half on the way to the win. JR G Andre Winston Jr. had a career-high 23 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals to lead the Vikings.
     
Just two nights earlier, the Vikings trailed Southern Utah, 56-52, with 6:03 to play. Geving went to his all guard group in that one and PSU outscored the Thunderbirds, 15-8, down the stretch for a 67-64 victory.
     
In the five-guard lineup, the tallest Viking on the court has been either SR G Marcus Hall (6-4) or SR G Alyx Foster (6-3) with no other player taller than 6-2.
 
THE SERIES: PORTLAND STATE VS. NORTHERN COLORADO
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads 13-5. The Vikings lead 7-2 in Portland.
• BIG SKY SERIES: Portland State leads 9-5. The Vikings lead 5-2 in Portland.
• STREAK: Northern Colorado has won two games in a row and five of the last seven in the series.
• LAST SEASON: Northern Colorado swept the season series, winning 67-50 in Greeley and 85-75 in Portland. Tate Unruh scored 42 points in the two games, making 13-22 field goals and 10-14 three-pointers.
• Viking Coach Tyler Geving is 3-5 all-time against Northern Colorado. UNC's BJ Hill is 4-2 against the Vikings.
 
NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS: The University of Northern Colorado, located in Greeley, CO, is in its eighth season as a member of the Big Sky Conference. Northern Colorado won the 2011 Big Sky Conference Championship, advancing to the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time... Northern Colorado was 13-18 last season, 10-10 and tied for fourth in the Big Sky Conference... all five starters, and eight letterwinners return from that team, making it the most experience team in the Big Sky... this season, Northern Colorado is in first place in the Big Sky Conference with a 13-4 record, 7-1 in league play... Northern Colorado has proven to be the best offensive team in the league, leading the Big Sky in scoring (75.4), field goal percentage (.498), three-point percentage (.402)... UNC is also one of the top defensive teams, ranking second in scoring defense (65.5) and field goal percentage defense (.439), and first in three-point defense (.327) and rebounding margin (+5.9)... forward Derrick Barden (13.6), guard Tate Unruh (12.5) and forward Tim Huskisson (12.0) lead a balanced offensive attack... Barden also ranks second in the Big Sky with 8.6 rebounds per game... a Bear player leads the league in every shooting category: Unruh is tops in free throw percentage (.921), while Huskisson leads in three-point percentage (.487) and Dominique Lee leads in field goal percentage (.654).
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 9-8 this season, 8-3 at home, 1-5 on the road.
• The Vikings are 4-4 in the Big Sky Conference, 3-1 at home and 1-3 on the road.
• Portland State is 44-21 at home in five seasons under Tyler Geving.
• With nine wins this season, PSU has already bettered last year's win total (8-20).
• The Vikings have won two in a row and four of their last five games.
 
HOT SHOTS:
• Portland State is now 6-2 in close games this season (decided by less than 10 points) and 5-2 in games decided by four points or less.
• JR G Andre Winston Jr. scored a career-high 23 points (7-13 FG, 8-10 FT) with six rebounds, six assists and three steals in the win over Eastern Washington.
• JR G DaShaun Wiggins had his fourth 20-point game of the season with 21 points and five assists against Eastern Washington.
• JR G Gary Winston has averaged 14.2 points in his last five games.
 
NOT SO HOT:
• Portland State ranks last in the Big Sky in three-point field goal defense (.389). In Big Sky games, the Vikings rank last in opponent field goal percentage (.506), and second to last in three-point field goal defense (.410).
 
HOME/ROAD DIFFERENTIAL:
• Portland State is 8-3 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 .482/.406/.754 and averages 11.6 turnovers.
• The Vikings average 61.7 points on the road and 78.8 at home.
 
SHOOT IT WELL, WIN A GAME: Portland State ended up with one of its best shooting performances of the season, hitting 30-57 against Eastern Washington for a .526 percentage. The Vikings outshot the Eagles (.492) and got the win. That was no surprise as the Vikings are 6-0 this season when they shoot a higher percentage than their opponents.
 
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... Geving went to five guards again in the second half of the Vikings' win over Eastern Washington (1/27). In a 12-minute span, PSU outscored Eastern Washington, 34-18. Including a five-guard stint late in the first half, PSU outscored EWU, 43-26, with that lineup.
 
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 (.463). 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 (.447).
• 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 five games, Winston has averaged 14.2 points and 2.8 assists.
 
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 four games, making 17-25 field goals (.680), 14-19 three-point field goals (.737) 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 11.0 points and  2.0 assists over the last nine games.
• Hall shoots .446 from three-point range this season to rank third in the Big Sky.
• Hall has a team-high 29 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 14.4 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 15 of 17 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. comes off a career-game in the win over Eastern Washington. Winston scored a career-high 23 points (7-13, 8-10 FT) with six rebounds, and career-highs of six assists and three steals... Winston has been very efficient on offense this season, averaging 10.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He shoots .537 from the field and .784 at the line. He also has an excellent 37/25 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 12 of 17 games this season and is second on the team in scoring (12.8), and steals (16), and third in three-pointers (21) in just 22.7 minutes per night. He is also the easy leader in free throw attempts, making 73-96 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).
• Posted 21 points (5-11 FG, 3-7 3-pt, 8-9 FT) with five assists in the win over Eastern Washington (1/27).
• Wiggins has led the team in scoring seven times and rebounding twice.
• Wiggins ranks 17th 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 6.1 points and 4.5 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).
• Matched his career-high with 12 points (6-7 FG) in the win over Eastern Washington (1/27).
• Richardson has led the Vikings in rebounding four times 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).
 
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).
• SR G Marcus Hall scored a career-high 19 points (7-10 FG, 5-7 3-pt), hit a career-best five three-pointers and handing out a best-ever six assists in a 79-76 loss to Montana State (1/9).
• JR G Gary Winston hit a three-pointer with 2.6 seconds left in triple overtime to beat Montana, 81-78 (1/11). Winston scored a career-high 21 points (6-11 FG, 3-7 3-pt, 6-8 FT) in the game and all nine of the Viking points in the third OT. He added five assists. Also posting a new career-high was SR G Marcus Hall with 21 points (5-7 FG, 5-6 3-pt, 6-6 FT), seven rebounds and three assists.
• Portland State ended a 20-game road losing streak with a 68-64 overtime win at Sacramento State (1/16). It was PSU's second straight overtime game and win. The Vikings got career-highs of 12 points (6-9 FG) and 10 rebounds from SR F Kyle Richardson.
• JR C Brandon Cataldo scored a career-high 10 points in a 77-56 loss to Northern Arizona (1/18).
• SR G Marcus Hall hit a decisive three-pointer with 28.6 seconds remaining as the Vikings beat Southern Utah 67-64 (1/25). PSU trailed by four with six minutes to play but came back for a three-point win. JR G DaShaun Wiggins scored 15 points to lead four Vikings in double figures.
• JR G Andre Winston Jr. scored a career-high 23 points (7-13 FG, 8-10 FT) with six rebounds, six assists and three steals in a 92-83 win over Eastern Washington (1/27). JR G DaShaun Wiggins added 21 points as the Vikings shot .655 in the second half of the game to come back from a 10-point halftime deficit.