Boxscore - HTM | PDF

Portland, OR - The Portland State Vikings checked all the boxes on Monday night.

A 94-52 home victory over Walla Walla University. Check.

Playing time all down the lineup. Check.

A winning non-conference record at 6-4 heading into Big Sky play. Check.

Warm fuzzy and a few days off for the Christmas holiday. Check.

In fact, everyone left the Stott Center with a smile on their faces, the Vikings in particular. Despite playing without three starters who had minor injuries, and missing four players in all, the Vikings got the job done with relative ease. PSU had five players score in double figures and shot .576 from the field on the way to the easy win.

Walla Walla, an NAIA school, scored the first four points of the game, but that was the high point for the Wolves as the Vikings ran off the next 13 points and controlled the game the rest of the way.

Senior guard DaShaun Wiggins scored 23 points, had five steals, four rebounds and three assists to lead the Viking effort. Two players made big contributions off the bench as Tim Douglas and Brandon Cataldo each scored 16 points in 22 minutes.

Douglas made 6-7 shots from the field, 4-5 three-pointers, and handed out a game-high five assists. 

Cataldo had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Both totals were career-highs as he hit 8-9 shots from the field.

Gary Winston (13 points) and Sebastian Suarez (11 points) were also in double figures. For Suarez it was a season-high.

Portland State made 38-66 from the field, and 9-21 (.429) from three-point range. Those were welcome figures for a team that had shot only 35% from the field over its previous five games.

"This team can be scary good offensively. And we're close. We'll get there," said Head Coach Tyler Geving, with a nod to getting his four injured players back on the court for conference play next week.

Walla Walla was just 17-56 (.304) from the field and 7-28 (.250) from behind the arc. Jordan Spady scored 22 points, while brother Luke Spady added 10 points and seven rebounds.

PSU out-rebounded Walla Walla 37-31. The Vikings forced 18 turnovers and converted them into 19 points.

GAME NOTES:
•    PSU, 4-0 at home this season, has won six straight home games dating to last season.
•    For the third straight game, the Vikings had a handful of players unavailable due to minor injuries, including SR F Tiegbe Bamba (back), SO F Braxton Tucker (foot), SO G Bryce White (hip) and JR C Dorian Cason (plantar faciitis). 
•    Head Coach Tyler Geving went with his seventh different starting lineup in 10 games.
•    The Vikings are 39-6 in non-conference games at home over the last nine years, 23-6 against Division I opponents, 16-0 against lower division opponents.
•    Portland State is off until the start of Big Sky Conference play on January 1. PSU hosts Southern Utah on New Year's Day at the Stott Center. Tip-off is 7:05 p.m. Live video, audio and stats are available at GoViks.com by clicking on the Game Day Box.