complete notes and stats in pdf

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS vs. SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS
Thursday, February 20, 6 p.m. PT • The Centrum (5,300), Cedar City, UT
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Record/Big Sky: 11-12, 6-8
Head Coach: Tyler Geving (63-82/5th year)
 
SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS
Record/Big Sky: 1-22, 0-14
Head Coach: Nick Robinson (12-42/2nd year)
 
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: vikslive.statb.us, viksmobile.com

THE OPENING TIP
The Portland State basketball team finds itself with a tough hill to climb as it goes on the road for four straight games beginning this week. The Vikings, losers of four straight, are 6-8 and in 10th place in the Big Sky Conference as they vie to make the seven-team Big Sky post-season tournament. Just two weeks ago, the Vikings were tied for third, but those four losses have dropped them seven positions in a remarkably tight conference race.
     
The good news for the Vikings is they are just one game out of a tie for fifth and two games out of a tie for third. More good news? The Vikings have already defeated the four teams they will face. The challenge? They must make up ground on the road.
     
PSU (11-12, 6-8) plays at Southern Utah (1-22, 0-14) on Thursday night in the first of four in a row away from the Stott Center. The Vikings picked up a 67-64 win over the Thunderbirds in Portland on Jan. 25. Thursday's game is a 6:05 p.m. PT start. Live video, audio and stats are available for at GoViks.com. Just click on the Game Day box.
     
After a season-opening win over Arizona Christian, Southern Utah has lost 22 games in a row. The T-Birds are 1-8 at home. The Vikings go into the game with a 1-7 road record this season.
 
COMING UP
Portland State has Saturday off, but continues its road competition next Monday at Eastern Washington (12-13, 7-7). The Vikings then play at North Dakota (11-13, 8-6) on Feb. 27 and Northern Colorado (15-8, 9-5) on Mar. 1.
     
The Vikings will wrap up the regular season at home in what may be two crucial games to their Big Sky Conference Tournament hopes. They play Weber State on Mar. 6 and Idaho State on Mar. 8.
     
The 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.
 
YOU LIKE CLOSE GAMES? TRY THE BIG SKY
In Thursday's loss to Northern Arizona, the difference was a layin with 0.4 seconds left on the clock. It was the culmination of a game that had 14 lead changes in the second half, and the largest lead by either team was just six points (NAU). Portland State's largest lead in the game was five points (twice). That makes the seventh conference game for PSU (out of 14) in which neither team has led by more than 10 points. In addition, PSU has played three overtime games in Big Sky play.
     
The Vikings' seven-point loss to Sacramento State on Saturday gave them a four-game losing streak. All four losses have been by single digits (or in OT) and by a combined 20 points.
 
THE SERIES: PORTLAND STATE VS. SOUTHERN UTAH
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads 3-1. SUU leads 1-0 in Cedar City.
• BIG SKY SERIES: Portland State leads 2-1. SUU leads 1-0 in Cedar City.
• STREAK: Portland State has won two in a row.
• LAST MEETING, JAN. 25 IN PORTLAND, PSU 67, SUU 64: Portland State erased a four-point deficit in the final six minutes to win. Marcus Hall's three-pointer with 28.9 seconds left gave the Vikings a 66-64 lead... neither team led by more than eight points in the game... DaShaun Wiggins led four Vikings in double figures with 15 points. McKay Anderson and Jaren Jeffery each had 12 for the Thunderbirds.
• COACHES:  Viking Coach Tyler Geving is 2-1 all-time against Southern Utah. SUU's Nick Robinson is 1-2 against the Vikings.
 
SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS: Southern Utah joined the Big Sky Conference in 2012-13. The Thunderbirds were former members of the Summit League... SUU was 11-20 last season, 8-12 in the Big Sky... after a season-opening win, the Thunderbirds have fallen on hard times, losing 22 games in a row. They rank at or near the bottom in most major offensive categories in Big Sky Conference statistics, most significantly a 56.6 scoring average - some 11 points worse than the next lowest scoring team... freshman guard Trey Kennedy leads the team with a 9.3 scoring average and 58 assists... sophomore forward AJ Hess averages 9.1 points, has a team-leading 36 three-point field goals and shoots .891 at the free throw line... Jaren Jeffery (6.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Casey Oliverson (5.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg), both 6-foot-8, have been the key inside players for the T-Birds.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 11-12 this season, 10-5 at home, 1-7 on the road.
• PSU has lost four games in a row - the longest losing streak of the season.
• The Vikings are 6-8 in the Big Sky Conference, 5-3 at home and 1-5 on the road.
• With 11 wins this season, PSU has bettered last year's win total (8-20) and conference win total (5).
• PSU is 6-6 in close games (seven points or less).
• The Vikings have come back to win five games this season when trailing at halftime.
• Portland State is 46-23 at home in five seasons under Tyler Geving.
 
HOT SHOTS:
• JR G Andre Winston scored 18 points on 8-10 field goals against Sacramento State.
• JR G DaShaun Wiggins scored a game-high 19 points (6-8 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 4-9 FT) against Northern Arizona and has averaged 14.8 points over his last six games.
• JR G Gary Winston leads the Big Sky Conference in three-point percentage (.492).
• The Vikings shot 29-54 from the field against Sacramento State (.537).
 
NOT SO HOT:
• The Vikings were only 18-32 (.563) at the free throw line in the last two games.
• PSU allowed Sacramento State to shoot a season-high .617 from the field in Saturday's loss (29-47).
• JR G DaShaun Wiggins missed Saturday's game with an ankle sprain.
• The Vikings have lost four games in a row.
 
HOME/ROAD DIFFERENTIAL:
• Portland State is 10-5 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 .494/.403/.735.
• The Vikings average 63.8 points on the road and 76.3 at home.
 
SHOOT IT WELL, WIN A GAME: In the last four games, the Vikings were out-shot by Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State, losing all four games. Prior to that, Portland State shot .526, .547 and a season-high .614 from the field, out-shooting Eastern Washington, Northern Colorado and North Dakota, and winning three games. That comes as no surprise as the Vikings are 8-0 this season when they shoot a higher percentage than their opponents, 3-12 when they don't.