complete notes and stats in pdf

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS vs. NORTHERN ARIZONA
Thursday, February 13, 2014, 7:05 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center, Portland, OR
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Record/Big Sky: 11-10, 6-6
Head Coach: Tyler Geving (63-80/5th year)
 
NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS
Record/Big Sky: 10-13, 7-5
Head Coach: Jack Murphy (21-34/2nd 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
The Portland State Vikings will host two home games this week as they try to get their traction back in the Big Sky Conference playoff race. The Vikings lost two close games on the road last week to drop from a tie for third to a tie for sixth in the very tight Big Sky standings.
     
PSU is 11-10 on the season, 6-6 in the Big Sky. The Vikings will host Northern Arizona (10-13, 7-5) on Thursday night, then Sacramento State (9-11, 5-6) on Saturday. The Big Sky race is so close that the Vikings are currently a game out of a tie for second and also just a game ahead of a tie for ninth.
     
PSU is 10-3 at home this season, including winning its last five straight. NAU is 3-11 in away games. The Lumberjacks have lost three in a row on the road. Sacramento State is 2-9 on the road. The Hornets have won three straight games - all at home - coming into this week's play.
     
Thursday's game with NAU tips off at 7:05 p.m. at the Stott Center. Saturday's game with Sacramento State is also a 7:05 p.m. start. The Hornets will face Southern Utah (Monday) and Eastern Washington (Thursday), prior to playing the Vikings.
     
Live video, audio and stats are available for both Viking games this week at GoViks.com. Just click on the Game Day box.
     
Balloon Man Skip Banks will perform at halftime of each game this week.
 
SO CLOSE, AND YET...      
Portland State continues to have its struggles on the road, compiling only a 1-7 record. Last week's two losses at Montana and Montana State were agonizingly close. The Vikings had a two-point lead with 25 seconds left in regulation, but lost 82-76 in overtime at Montana. SR F Kyle Richardson had a career-best performance with 25 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots in the loss. At Montana State, the Vikings led by eight at 51-43 with just over 12 minutes to go. The Bobcats rallied to pull out a 69-64 victory.
     
PSU's performance on the road will be key to the Vikings' post-season prospects as they play four straight away from the Stott Center beginning next week. PSU travels to Southern Utah (Feb. 20), Eastern Washington (Feb. 24), North Dakota (Feb. 27) and Northern Colorado (Mar. 1). The Vikings wrap up the regular season with two home games against Weber State (Mar. 6) and Idaho State (Mar. 8).
     
With nine teams within two games of one another in the 11-team Big Sky Conference, almost anything can happen. First-place Weber State (10-2) now holds a comfortable three-game lead in the standings. After that, the next nine teams are somewhere between 7-5 and 5-7. Only Southern Utah (0-11) appears to be out of contention for a Big Sky Conference Tournament berth.
     
top seven teams in the Big Sky Conference will earn berths into the conference tournament, Mar. 13-15, at the home of the regular season champion. The host will have an opening round bye, while quarterfinal games will match 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5.
 
THE SERIES: PORTLAND STATE VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads 22-19. PSU leads 15-4 in Portland.
• BIG SKY SERIES: Portland State leads 20-18. PSU leads 14-4 in Portland.
• BIG SKY TOURNAMENT PLAY: Northern Arizona leads 2-1 all-time in Big Sky Tournament games.
• STREAK: Northern Arizona has won two in a row, with both games coming in Flagstaff. The Vikings have won the last two games in Portland.
• LAST MEETING, JAN. 18 IN FLAGSTAFF, NAU 77, PSU 56: Northern Arizona hit 14 of its first 18 shots in the second half to break open a tie game at halftime. At one point the NAU rally was 29-4. The 'Jacks outscored the Vikings 50-24 in the paint in the game. NAU's Max Jacobsen scored 19 points to lead all scorers.
• Viking Coach Tyler Geving is 3-6 all-time against Northern Arizona. NAU's Jack Murphy has a 2-1 record against the Vikings.
 
NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS: Northern Arizona is located in Flagstaff, AZ. The Lumberjacks have won four Big Sky Conference regular season titles in their history and two BSC Tournament Championships. NAU has made two appearances in the NCAA Tournament... Northern Arizona is 10-13 on the season, 7-5 in the Big Sky. The Lumberjacks' next win will match last year's win totals (11-21, 8-12)... the backcourt of junior guards Quinton Upshur and Aaseem Dixon has combined to make 96 three-point field goals this season. Upshur averages 15.7 points while Dixon averages 12.8.... senior forward Max Jacobsen is averaging 13.0 points and shoots .579 from the field for the 'Jacks... Gaellan Bewernick is the team leader with 6.6 rebounds per game... junior center Len Spings has 43 blocked shots to rank second in the Big Sky Conference.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 11-10 this season, 10-3 at home, 1-7 on the road.
• PSU has won five in a row at home, but lost three in a row on the road.
• The Vikings are 6-6 in the Big Sky Conference, 5-1 at home and 1-5 on the road.
• With 11 wins this season, PSU has already bettered last year's win total (8-20) and conference win total (5).
• PSU is 6-5 in close games (five points or less or OT).
• The Vikings have come back to win five games this season when trailing at halftime.
• Portland State is 46-21 at home in five seasons under Tyler Geving.
Stott Stuff
• PSU has gone 139-50 in 189 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 170-65 at home over the past 18 seasons.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 83-24 at home, including 48-20 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.
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 143-151 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the tournament (8-8).
• PSU is 98-45 in home games, 42-102 in road games and 3-4 in neutral site games.
• PSU is 58-54 in Big Sky games since the start of the 2007-08 season, 64-56 including tournament games.
 
HOT SHOTS:
• JR G Gary Winston has averaged 15.6 points in his last nine games, making 49-89 shots (.551)... Winston is leading the Big Sky in three-point percentage for the second year in a row (28-56, .500).
• SR F Kyle Richardson has scored in double figures in five straight games, averaging 15.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. He made 33-50 shots (.660) in those games... Richardson had career-highs of 25 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots on Thursday at Montana... he had double-doubles at Montana and Montana State.
• JR C Brandon Cataldo has made 10-14 shots from the field in his last four games (.714).
 
NOT SO HOT:
• The Vikings shot only .383 from the field in the loss to Montana State. It was their worst shooting game since the season-opener at UNLV (.311).
• The Vikings are 1-7 on the road this season.
 
HOME/ROAD DIFFERENTIAL:
• Portland State is 10-3 at home this season, 1-7 on the road.
• PSU has shot .412 from the field, .308 from distance and .660 at the line on the road this year.
• At home, PSU shoots .496/.407/.752.
• The Vikings average 63.8 points on the road and 78.2 at home.
 
SHOOT IT WELL, WIN A GAME: Portland State shot .526, .547 and a season-high .614 from the field in their last three home games, out-shooting all three opponents and getting three victories. Last week, the Vikings were out-shot by Montana and Montana State and lost both games. That comes as no surprise as the Vikings are 8-0 this season when they shoot a higher percentage than their opponents, 3-10 when they don't.
 
POST PRESENCE: SR F Kyle Richardson is playing the best basketball of his career. Over the last five games, he has averaged 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and posted two double-doubles. Richardson has made 33-50 shots from the field (.660)... against Montana (2/6), Richardson had his career-best game with 25 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots... 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 25 minutes per night, Richardson averages 7.9 points and 5.4 rebounds - both career highs.
• Richardson scored 16 points (7-9 FG) with eight rebounds against Northern Colorado (1/30).
• Had a career night with 25 points (10-15 FG), 12 rebounds and three blocked shots at Montana (2/6).
• Richardson has led the Vikings in rebounding seven times this season and has two double-doubles.
• Ranks eighth in the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.550) and 11th in rebounding (5.4).
 
KEEP SHOOTING GARY: JR G Gary Winston has proven to be Portland State's best shooter the past two years. And he has been on a hot streak lately, averaging 15.6 points, 3.1 assists and shooting 55% from the field in the last nine games. Over that span, he has posted a career scoring high (21) and career-high assists (6, twice)... Winston led the Big Sky Conference in three-point percentage last season (.470), so it is no surprise he leads again this year (28-56, .500). Moreover, he hit clutch threes in two 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 (.458).
• Ranks 12th in overall field goal percentage in the Big Sky (.508).
• 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).
• Posted 19 points (7-12 FG, 2-4 3-pt, 3-3 FT) with five rebounds and tied a career-high with six assists in a win over Northern Colorado (1/30).
• Had 19 points (7-8 FG, 3-3 3-pt, 2-2 FT), two assists and two steals in the win over North Dakota (2/1).
 
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). The starting lineup of four guards and one big man has produced exciting and successful play. Strategically, PSU spreads its opponents out on the floor, attacks on the drive and kicks out for three pointers when open. The "four guards and a goalie" approach has been effective offensively. Meanwhile, defending and rebounding against bigger opponents has also gone well as the Vikings are out-scrapping the competition.
 
THE LEADER: JR G Tim Douglas is making a big impact for the Vikings this season. He is averaging team-highs of 13.1 points and 3.8 assists.
• Douglas has led the Vikings in scoring in five games and assists in 13 games.
• He has scored in double figures a team-high 14 times with a season-high 27 against Portland (12/7).
• Douglas was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 10.
• Douglas ranks 13th in scoring and sixth in assists in the Big Sky Conference.
 
HALL MONITOR: SR G Marcus Hall continues to be a dangerous shooter for the Vikings. He leads the team with 36 three-point field goals made and shoots .429 from distance... Hall's main value has been defending bigger opponents in the Vikings' four-guard lineup. He has handled the role well.
• Ranks eighth in the Big Sky in three-point percentage at .429.
• Hall has a team-high 36 three-pointers for the season.
• 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.
 
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 15 of 21 games this season and is second on the team in scoring (12.5) and steals (21), and fourth in three-pointers (23) in just 22.8 minutes per night. He is also the easy leader in free throw attempts, making 89-115 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 18th in the Big Sky Conference in scoring.
 
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 11.8 minutes per night. Those work out to 17.3 points and 13.9 rebounds per 40 minutes... Cataldo has 25 points (10-14 FG) and 21 rebounds in 41 minutes of the last four Viking games.
• Cataldo leads the team with a .613 field goal percentage. He shoots .579 from the field for his career.
• Cataldo has led the Vikings in rebounding three times this season.
 
FOSTERING GOOD DEFENSE: You wouldn't expect a walk-on player who almost never shoots the ball to have a big impact on your team, but SR G Alyx Foster has for the Vikings. Foster has attempted just 12 shots, scoring 13 points all season. But he has proven valuable in a defensive role, and in particular lately, playing the "4" position at only 6-foot-3. Foster has averaged 13 minutes per game over the last eight contests as a backup to Marcus Hall. And though he has averaged just one point and two rebounds per game in those games, Head Coach Tyler Geving would tell you Foster has been vital to the Vikings' success.
 
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).
 
NO TIME LIKE OVERTIME: Portland State played back-to-back overtime games for the first time in its history on Jan. 11 and 16 (records of games between 1947-54 do not include overtime designations). What is really great about this historical quirk is the Vikings won both contests. More recently, the Vikings lost an overtime game at Montana... PSU beat Montana, 81-78, in triple overtime on Jan. 11. It marked the first multiple overtime game for the Vikings in four years and ninth in school history. PSU once played (and won) a four-overtime game against Northern Arizona (92-91 in 2008-09). The contest was a particularly thrilling win for the green and black as JR G Gary Winston hit a game-winning three-pointer with 2.6 seconds left in the third overtime against the defending Big Sky Champions. Winston and SR G Marcus Hall each scored career-highs of 21 points... the Vikings beat Sacramento State, 68-64 in overtime on Jan. 16 in Sacramento. Winston again hit a key three-pointer in overtime. But the really exciting part about that win was it ended a 20-game road losing streak for the Vikings... on Feb. 6, Montana beat the Vikings, 82-76, in overtime in Missoula.