complete notes and stats in pdf

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (5-4) vs. WALLA WALLA WOLVES (0-14)
Monday, December 22, 2014, 6:05 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR
 
Live Video Stream: www.WatchBigSky.com
Live Audio Stream: www.GoViks.com • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Pregame Show: 5:45 p.m.
Live Stats: www.vikslive.com, www.viksmobile.com
 
THE OPENING TIP
The non-conference schedule concludes on Monday night when Portland State hosts Walla Walla in a 6:05 p.m. game at the Stott Center. The Vikings will try to take some good vibes into the holidays after a rough past few weeks that have including four losses in their last five games. Those vibes can only come with a win over an NAIA program as Big Sky Conference play looms on Jan. 1.
     
PSU (5-4) started the year 4-0, including a pair of impressive road wins. But since Nov. 30, the Vikings have dropped four of five games, with all four losses coming on the road. The lone win was a 65-59 decision over CSU Bakersfield at home on Dec. 13.
     
The Vikings' problem as of late? Simply put, poor shooting. Over the past five games the Viks have made only 92-272 (.338) from the field. Three-point shooting has been equally abysmal at 21-84 (.250). Meanwhile the Vikings have done well at the free throw line (92-120, .767).
     
Portland State has been out-rebounded in all five games as well, with an average deficit of 9.4 per game.
     
The opportunity to turn that all around comes at home on Monday, where the Vikings are 3-0 this season, and shooting it well at .491 from the field, .444 from three-point range, .760 at the line while averaging 79.7 points.
     
The Walla Walla Wolves would seem to be the ideal opponent as they come in at 0-14 on the season. Walla Walla has lost recent games to Big Sky opponents Idaho (86-39) and Eastern Washington (95-34).
     
Monday's game is available via live video stream at www.WatchBigSky.com. Links to live video, audio and statistics can be found at GoViks.com by clicking on the Game Day box.
     
Portland State opens Big Sky Conference play on Jan. 1 with a home game against Southern Utah.
 
THE SERIES: PORTLAND STATE VS. WALLA WALLA
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 1-0.
• PREVIOUS MEETING: Dec. 3, 2011, Portland State 102, Walla Walla 47:  Portland State trailed 11-8 early, then went on a 15-0, 21-2, 31-4, 42-11 run in the first half... Nate Lozeau led the Vikings with 18 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes of play. PSU freshmen Brandon Cataldo (9 pts, 4 reb) and Gary Winston (6 pts, 2 reb) also contributed... the Vikings shot .566 from the field and made only seven turnovers... Walla Walla shot .328 and committed 18 turnovers.
• VIKINGS VS. LOWER DIVISION SCHOOLS:  Portland State is 15-0 against lower division schools over the past nine seasons... Head Coach Tyler Geving is 10-0 against lower division schools.
• NON-CONFERENCE HOME GAMES: Portland State has lost only six non-conference home games in the last nine seasons (38-6). PSU is 23-6 against Division I schools, and 15-0 against lower division schools over that span... Head Coach Tyler Geving is 24-5 in non-conference home games.
• COACHES:  Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (74-89, 6th season) is 1-0 all-time against Walla Walla. Wolves Coach Jimmy Hill (66-126, 9th season) is 0-1 all-time against Portland State.
 
WALLA WALLA WOLVES
• Walla Walla University is an NAIA Division II independent program. The Wolves were 11-18 last season.
• Walla Walla is 0-14 this season, 0-12 on the road.
• The Wolves have been outscored by nearly 30 points per game this season (59.8-88.8). They shoot just .342 from the field. However, they have been effective from long range, making 8.0 three-pointers per game.
• Senior guard Tyreek Luckett leads the Wolves in scoring (13.8), rebounding (5.6) and assists (3.2) this season. He has made 24 three-pointers.
• Sophomore guard Luke Spady averages 12.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 5-4 this season, 3-0 at home, 2-4 on the road.
• The Vikings have won five straight home games dating to last season.
• PSU has lost four straight games on the road after winning its first two.
• Portland State has lost four of its last five games overall.
• The Vikings opened the season with a four-game winning streak, matching the best streak of last season accomplished on three occasions.
• Portland State was 17-15, 12-5 at home, 4-9 on the road, 1-1 in neutral site games in 2013-14.
• The Vikings went 11-9 in the Big Sky Conference, 7-3 at home and 4-6 on the road.
Stott Stuff
• PSU has gone 144-52 in 196 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 175-67 at home over the past 19 seasons.
• Portland State is 51-23 at home in six seasons under Tyler Geving.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 88-26 at home, including 50-22 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
• Portland State has lost only six non-conference home games in the last nine seasons (38-6). PSU is 23-6 against Division I schools, and 15-0 against lower division schools over that span.
 
HOT SHOTS
• JR C Collin Spickerman blocked six shots against CSU Bakersfield, tying a school record accomplished three times previously.
• SR G DaShaun Wiggins scored 18 points, making a career-high four three-pointers, in the loss to San Francisco. He currently leads the Big Sky Conference in three-point percentage (.545).
• SR G DaShaun Wiggins has scored in double figures all nine games this season. He posted a career-high 32 points (12-18 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 5-10) in the Vikings overtime win against Southern Illinois Edwardsville  (11/24). It was the first 30-point game by a Viking in 68 games.
 
NOT SO HOT
• Over the past five games the Vikings have made only 92-272 (.338) from the field. Three-point shooting has been equally abysmal at 21-84 (.250).
• Portland State is last in the Big Sky Conference in rebounding margin (-7.7).
• SO G Bryce White (left hip, leg), SO G Zach Gengler (ankle) and SR F Tiegbe Bamba (left calf, achilles) were all unable to play against San Francisco.
• After starting the season 16-20 (.800) from the field and 10-12 (.833) three-pointers in the first three games, SR G Tim Douglas has made only 7-43 field goals (.163) and 3-19 three-pointers (.158) in his last six games.
• SR G Gary Winston has gone 4-18 (.222) from the field and 1-10 from three-point range (.100) in the last two games.
 
NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS: Where Portland State stands in the NCAA statistical rankings through games of Dec. 18:
• 29th in the nation in free throw percentage (.746).
 
HOME-ROAD DIFFERENTIAL: Portland State is 3-0 at home this season, 2-4 on the road.
• PSU averages 79.7 points at home, shooting .491 from the field, .444 from three-point range and .760 at the line.
• The Vikings average 61.8 points on the road, shooting .348/.313/739.
• PSU has out-rebounded opponents by 1.1 per game at home, but has been out-rebounded by 12.0 per game on the road.
• Opponents shoot .412 from the field and .673 at the line in the Stott Center. They shoot .496/.739 in their own arenas against the Vikings.
 
INJURIES AND LINEUPS: Head Coach Tyler Geving had to go with his sixth different starting lineup in nine games when PSU tipped it off at San Francisco on Thursday. The constant change has been the result of numerous nagging injuries to different players and certainly affected team continuity... Portland State has had six different players miss games already this season due to minor injuries (SO F Braxton Tucker, 1; SO G Bryce White, 2; SR G Gary Winston, 1; SO G Zach Gengler, 2; JR C Dorian Cason, 1; SR F Tiegbe Bamba, 1). And, JR C Collin Spickerman saw limited minutes in the first few games as he was returning from a preseason ankle sprain... White is expected to miss Monday's game as well, while Gengler and Bamba are probable to play.
 
CHARITY WORK: Once again this season, Portland State is a team adept at drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. The Vikings are 159-213 this year (.746), ranking 29th in the nation in percentage.
• PSU has also made more charity shots (159) than Viking opponents have attempted (146).
• SR G DaShaun Wiggins averages seven free throw attempts per game. SO G Bryce White averages six attempts per game.
• The Vikings average 23.6 free throw attempts per game. Opponents average only 16.2.
 
2014-15 SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL
• In his first game as a Viking, SR F Tiegbe Bamba led the team to a rare win over a Pac-12 school as the Vikings beat USC 76-68 (11/15). Bamba scored 19 points (8-11 FG, 3-3 3-pt), had six rebounds, four steals and two assists in the game, leading five players in double figures. It was the first win over a Pac-12 opponent since the 2006-07 season and just the fifth all-time (5-48).
• SR F Tiegbe Bamba was named Big Sky Conference co-Player of the Week (11/18) after his performance in the win over USC. Bamba had 19 points, six rebounds and four steals in a 76-68 win.
• SO G Bryce White posted 19 points, six rebounds and five assists as the Vikings routed Willamette, 84-63 (11/18). PSU shot .544 from the field, .571 from three-point range and forced 23 turnovers for the second straight game. SR G Tim Douglas scored 15 points and did not miss a shot (6-6 FG, 3-3 3-pt FG).
• SR G DaShaun Wiggins scored a career-high 32 points (12-18 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 5-10 FT) in leading the Vikings to a 90-87 overtime win against Southern Illinois Edwardsville (11/24). Wiggins made a driving three-point play to give the Vikings the lead for good with 1:21 to play in OT. His 30-point effort was the first by a Viking in 68 games.
• With a 63-55 win over Cal State Northridge, Portland State improved to 4-0 to start a season for the first time since 2008-09 (11/26). The Vikings played their best defensive game, holding the Matadors 18 points below their season average, forcing 18 turnovers and .383 shooting. SR F Tiegbe Bamba scored 18 points (7-10 FG, 4-6 FT) with eight rebounds to lead the Vikings.
• JR C Collin Spickerman blocked six shots in a win over CSU Bakersfield (12/13), tying a Portland State school record set three times previously.
• The Viking defense shut down CSU Bakersfield (12/13) in a 65-59 win. Portland State blocked eight shots, forced 15 turnovers and held the Roadrunners to just 18-60 from the field (.300). SO F Braxton Tucker led the Vikings with a season-high 18 points (7-10 FG, 4-6 FT).