complete notes and stats in pdf

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS vs. WEBER STATE WILDCATS
Saturday, January 4, 2014, 6:05 p.m. PT • Dee Events Center (11,500), Ogden, UT
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Record/Big Sky: 5-5/0-1
Head Coach: Tyler Geving (57-75/5th year)
 
WEBER STATE WILDCATS
Record/Big Sky: 4-5/1-0
Head Coach: Randy Rahe (154-80/8th 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
 
THE OPENING TIP
Portland State will try to regroup on Saturday night against a formidable opponent when the Vikings take on Weber State. PSU lost its Big Sky Conference opener at Idaho State on Thursday, 87-76, and now travel to the most difficult place to win in the league, Ogden, UT. The Vikings and Wildcats meet in a 6:05 p.m. PT game at Dee Events Center.
         
With Thursday's loss, Portland State is now 5-5 on the season, 0-1 in the Big Sky. Weber State beat Eastern Washington, 74-67, to open Big Sky play with a win. Although the Wildcats are only 4-5 on the season, they are a favorite in the Big Sky Conference title chase after a 30-win season in 2012-13. Weber State is 3-1 at home this year.
        
The Vikings and Wildcats have no common opponents this season.
        
Portland State's Thursday-night road loss puts it at 0-3 on the road this year. But more significantly, the Vikings have a 13-game Big Sky road losing streak and 19-game road losing streak overall, dating back to 2012. In addition, the Vikings are just 1-19 all-time in Big Sky games in Ogden.
        
Audio for Saturday's game can be found on-line at GoViks.com, starting at 5:45 p.m. Just click on the appropriate link in the Game Day box. 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.
 
THE SERIES: PORTLAND STATE VS. WEBER STATE
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Weber State leads 32-11, including 20-1 in Ogden, UT.
• BIG SKY SERIES: Weber State leads 28-11, including 19-1 in Ogden, UT.
• BIG SKY TOURNAMENT PLAY: Weber State leads PSU 5-0 all-time in Big Sky Tournament games.
• LAST SEASON: Weber State swept the series last season, winning 73-69 in overtime in Portland and 80-52 in Ogden... WSU shot 55% from the field in each game.
• Weber State has won six straight games in the series and nine straight games in Ogden.
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THURSDAY'S LOSS: Portland State had five players score in double figures at Idaho State, but couldn't score consistently enough to keep up with a hot-shooting Bengal team (.565/.643/.813). Despite forcing ISU into 21 turnovers, the Bengals shot .667 from the field in the second half to hold off the Vikings. The Bengals also made 20-25 second-half free throws. PSU shot only .406 for the game. DaShaun Wiggins and Andre Winston Jr. led the way with 13 points apiece.
 
WEBER STATE WILDCATS: Weber State, located Ogden, UT, is an original member of the Big Sky Conference, joining when the league formed in 1963. WSU has won 20 Big Sky Conference regular season titles and eight Big Sky Tournament Championships. The Wildcats have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances... Weber State was 30-7 last season, 18-2 in the Big Sky. Three starters and seven letterwinners return from that team... Head Coach Randy Rahe is 14-3 all-time against Portland State... senior guard Davion Berry leads the Wildcats this season in scoring (15.8), assists (3.4), three-pointers (13) and steals (11). Kyle Tresnak and Jeremy Senglin each average 12.2 points per game. Tresnak has a league-leading 16 blocked shots and grabs 5.8 rebounds per game... forward Joel Bolomboy leads the Wildcats and the Big Sky Conference with 9.3 rebounds per game... Weber State is a strong defensive team, holding opponents to 66.4 points per game, and leads the league in field goal shooting defense (.401), three-point shooting defense (.305) and blocked shots (4.3).
 
THE MONKEY ON THEIR BACKS: Can Portland State finally end an ugly road losing streak? The Vikings have three road losses this season, extending PSU's road losing streak to 19 games dating back to the 2011-12 season... the Vikings have lost 13 straight road games to Big Sky opponents matching a school record (1/27/00-2/24/01)... the school record for consecutive road losses is 21.
• PSU has shot .381 from the field, .636 at the line and averaged 15.3 turnovers in those three losses.
• At home, PSU shoots .479/.717 and averages only 10.4 turnovers.
• The Vikings average 61.3 points on the road and 78.7 at home.
 
PSU AND THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE: Portland State is in its 18th season as a Big Sky Conference member. The Vikings are 137-146 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.
 
COMING UP
         Beginning next week Portland State comes upon perhaps the most favorable part of its' Big Sky Conference schedule with six of eight games at home running through February 1. The Vikings host Montana State on Jan. 9, then Montana on Jan. 11. After a Sacramento State/Northern Arizona road trip, PSU comes home for four straight games to round out the month.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 5-5 this season, 5-2 at home, 0-3 on the road.
• PSU has won 17 of 25 at home dating to the 2011-12 season.
• The Vikings have lost their last 19 road games dating to the 2011-12 season.
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 137-146 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the tournament (8-8).
• PSU is 93-44 in home games, 41-98 in road games and 3-4 in neutral site games.
• PSU is 52-49 in Big Sky games since the start of the 2007-08 season, 58-51 including tournament games.
 
HOT SHOTS:
• In his last two games, SR G Marcus Hall has 25 points (8-11 FG, 4-6 3-pt, 5-6 FT) and 11 rebounds.
• JR G Tim Douglas has scored in double figures in all 10 games this season. He leads the team in scoring (15.7), three-pointers (18), assists (4.1) and steals (17).
• FR G Zach Gengler posted a season-high 11 points (4-6 FG, 1-1 3-pt, 2-3 FT) in 14 minutes off the bench against Idaho State.
• JR C Brandon Cataldo is shooting .630 from the field to lead the team.
 
NOT SO HOT:
• Portland State was 0-14 on the road in 2012-13, is 0-3 this year, and has lost 19 straight road games overall.
• PSU shoots only .381 from the field and .636 at the line while playing on the road.
• After a stellar offensive run of nearly 18 points per game over the previous five, JR G DaShaun Wiggins is 3-16 from the field in the last two games.

WINSTON HITTING THE MARK: JR G Andre Winston Jr. had his second straight 13-point game, making 5-10 from the field and 3-4 at the line against Idaho State. Winston has been very efficient on offense this season, averaging 10.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He shoots .547 from the field and a team-leading .865 at the line. He also has an excellent 21/11 assist-to-turnover ratio. Those are nice improvements from his numbers last year of 7.0, .391 and .705.