complete notes and stats in pdf

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS vs. MONTANA GRIZZLIES
Thursday, February 6, 2014, 6:05 p.m. PT • Dahlberg Arena (7,321), Missoula, MT
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Record/Big Sky: 11-8, 6-4
Head Coach: Tyler Geving (63-78/5th year)
 
MONTANA GRIZZLIES
Record/Big Sky: 10-9, 5-5
Head Coach: Wayne Tinkle (150-87/8th year)
 
Live Video Stream: www.WatchBigSky.com
Live Audio Stream: www.GoViks.com • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt • Pregame Show: 5:45 p.m.
Live Stats: http://www.gogriz.com/ot/mont-gametracker.html
 
THE OPENING TIP
With a successful home stand now behind them, the Portland State Vikings must take on a rugged month of February that includes six of eight games on the road. The Vikings won four straight at home to improve to 11-8 on the season and 6-4 in the Big Sky Conference and are presently tied for third place.
     
The most challenging road trip of them all takes place this week as PSU plays at Montana (10-9, 5-5) on Thursday, then Montana State (10-11, 5-5) on Saturday. Portland State's annual journey through the state of Montana has not produced good results. In fact, on the traditional travel-partner weekends, none have been more challenging to find a win than Montana and Montana State. PSU is 3-15 in Big Sky games (including a tourney game) at Montana State, 3-14 at Montana. That makes 6-29 overall.
     
The Vikings will have a chance to reverse that trend and build on their four-game winning streak. In fact, PSU has won six of seven with the first win during that stretch an 81-78 triple-overtime victory over the Grizzlies on Jan. 11 in Portland.
     
Portland State will face Montana in a rematch on Thursday night at Dahlberg Arena. Game time is 6:05 p.m. PT. Live video, audio and stats can be found be going to GoViks.com and clicking on the Game Day box.
     
PSU is 1-5 on the road this season. Montana has gone 5-3 at home, including 2-2 in Big Sky games.
 
A CLOSE RACE AT THE MID-POINT        
Portland State won four games in eight days in the friendly confines of the Stott Center. That vaulted the Vikings from a tie for seventh into a tie for third in the Big Sky Conference standings. Now 6-4 in league play, PSU is tied with North Dakota and Northern Arizona, and just two games behind first-place Weber State (8-2). Northern Colorado is in second at 7-3.
     
Defining just how close the Big Sky Conference race is (and will be), the teams tied for 8th/9th/10th are Eastern Washington, Sacramento State and Idaho State at 4-6 - just two games behind the Vikings.
     
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.
 
THE SERIES: PORTLAND STATE VS. MONTANA
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Montana leads 31-21. The Grizzlies lead in Missoula, 20-5.
• BIG SKY SERIES: Montana leads 23-12. The Grizzlies lead in Missoula, 14-3
• STREAK: Montana had won nine in a row before the Vikings' victory on Jan. 11. The Griz have won five straight in Missoula against the Vikings.
• LAST MEETING, JAN. 11 IN PORTLAND - PSU 81, UM 78 (3OT): Gary Winston hit a three-point field goal with 2.6 seconds remaining in the third overtime to defeat Montana, 81-78.  Winston scored all nine Viking points in the third OT on his way to a career-high 21... it was a close game all the way but Montana led by nine with less than four minutes remaining in regulation. The Vikings rallied to tie and send it to extra sessions... Jordan Gregory scored 25 for Montana while Kareem Jamar added 19...  Marcus Hall tallied 21 for PSU, hitting 5-6 three-pointers.
• Viking Coach Tyler Geving is 1-8 all-time against Montana. UM's Wayne Tinkle is 10-5 against the Vikings.
 
MONTANA GRIZZLIES: The University of Montana is the two-time defending Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament champion. The Griz, an original member of the Big Sky, have won seven regular season titles, nine tournament titles and made 10 all-time appearances in the NCAA Tournament... Montana is 10-9 this season, 5-5 in the Big Sky and in seventh place... the Grizzlies are a strong offensive team, leading the Big Sky in three-point percentage (.388) and free throw percentage (.730) and ranking second in field goal percentage (.476) and three-pointers made (7.8 pg). The team weakness this year has been rebounding as Montana has -7.3 rebounding margin... last year's Big Sky Conference MVP, forward Kareem Jamar leads the Grizzlies in scoring (19.4), rebounding (5.2) and assists (4.8)... guard Jordan Gregory averages 14.8 points and has made a team-high 42 three-pointers... guard Keron DeShields averages 13.2 points and shoots 53% from the field.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 11-8 this season, 10-3 at home, 1-5 on the road.
• PSU has won four games in a row and six of the last seven overall.
• The Vikings are 6-4 in the Big Sky Conference, 5-1 at home and 1-3 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 6-2 in close games (decided by four points or less).
• 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.
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 143-149 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the tournament (8-8).
• PSU is 98-45 in home games, 42-100 in road games and 3-4 in neutral site games.
• PSU is 58-52 in Big Sky games since the start of the 2007-08 season, 64-54 including tournament games.
 
HOT SHOTS:
• Portland State shot a season-high .614 in the win over North Dakota (27-44). In the last three games, the Vikings have shot .526 or better and are 86-154 (.558) overall.
• JR G Gary Winston has averaged 15.6 points in his last seven games, making 37-66 shots (.561). Winston had  a game-high 19 points and tied his career high with six assists while grabbing five rebounds against Northern Colorado (1/30). He followed that with 19 points (7-8 FG, 3-3 3-pt FG, 2-2 FT) in the win over North Dakota (2/1)... Winston is leading the Big Sky in three-point percentage for the second year in a row (24-48, .500).
• PSU's 23-point victory margin over Northern Colorado was the largest over a Big Sky opponent since a 98-63 win over Idaho State on Feb. 26, 2010.
• SR F Kyle Richardson scored in double figures in last week's three games, averaging 13.0 points and 5.7 rebounds. He made 18-24 shots (.750).
• JR C Brandon Cataldo had 18 points and 14 rebounds in 25 minutes over the last two games. He made 8-11 shots from the field (.727).
 
NOT SO HOT:
• Portland State is second to last in scoring defense in Big Sky Conference games (73.6 ppg allowed).
• The Vikings are 1-5 on the road this season.
 
HOME/ROAD DIFFERENTIAL:
• Portland State is 10-3 at home this season, 1-5 on the road.
• PSU has shot .404 from the field, .307 from distance and .650 at the line on the road this year, averaging 12.2 turnovers.
• At home, PSU shoots .496/.407/.752 and averages 11.8 turnovers.
• The Vikings average 61.7 points on the road and 78.2 at home.
 
SHOOT IT WELL, WIN A GAME: Portland State has shot .526, .547 and a season-high .614 from the field in its last three games, out-shooting all three opponents and getting three victories. That comes as no surprise as the Vikings are 8-0 this season when they shoot a higher percentage than their opponents.
 
THE GUARDS ARE GOOD, BUT THE POSTS CAN PLAY TOO: Portland State's two wins against Southern Utah and Eastern Washington were inspired when Head Coach Tyler Geving went with five-guard lineups in both contests. Geving didn't resort to five guards in either of the last two wins though. Why? Because he got outstanding performances from his two posts in both games. SR F Kyle Richardson (16 pts, 8 reb) and JR C Brandon Cataldo (9 pts, 9 reb) combined to score 25 points (11-15 FG, 3-5 FT), grab 16 rebounds and block two shots in 39 minutes of play against Northern Colorado. Then Richardson and Cataldo combined for 20 points (9-13 FG, 2-3 FT) and 11 rebounds in 40 minutes against North Dakota.
 
THE LITTLE GUYS: The Vikings went with five guards down the stretch in the 67-64 win over Southern Utah (1/25). PSU trailed 56-52 with 6:03 to play when Coach Geving inserted a five-guard lineup. The Vikings outscored the Thunderbirds, 15-8, the rest of the way for the victory... Geving went to five guards again in the second half of the Vikings' win over Eastern Washington (1/27). In a 12-minute span, PSU outscored Eastern Washington, 34-18. Including a five-guard stint late in the first half, PSU outscored EWU, 43-26, with that lineup... in the five-guard lineup, the tallest Viking on the court has been either SR G Marcus Hall (6-4) or SR G Alyx Foster (6-3) with no other player taller than 6-2.
 
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, 3.2 assists and shooting 56% from the field in the last seven games. Over that span, he has posted a career-high 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 (.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 (.456).
• 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).
 
POST PRESENCE: SR F Kyle Richardson is playing his best basketball of the season. Over the last three games, he has averaged 13.0 points and 5.7 rebounds, while making 18-24 shots from the field (.750)... Richardson saw limited action in three seasons at Long Beach State. 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 24 minutes per night, Richardson averages 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds - both career highs.
• Richardson scored a career-high 16 points (7-9 FG) with eight rebounds against Northern Colorado (1/30).
• In the last six games, he has averaged 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and shot .667 from the field.
• Richardson has led the Vikings in rebounding five times this season.
 
THE LEADER: JR G Tim Douglas is making a big impact for the Vikings this season. He is averaging team-highs of 13.7 points and 3.7 assists.
• Douglas has led the Vikings in scoring in five games and assists in 11 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 11th in scoring and fourth in assists in the Big Sky Conference.
 
WINSTON HITTING THE MARK: JR G Andre Winston Jr. has been very efficient on offense this season, averaging 9.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He shoots .530 from the field and .788 at the line. He also has an excellent 44/28 assist-to-turnover ratio. Those are nice improvements over his numbers last year of 7.0, .391 and .705.
• Winston had a career-game in the win over Eastern Washington (1/27), scoring a career-high 23 points (7-13, 8-10 FT) with six rebounds, and career-highs of six assists and three steals.
 
HALL MONITOR: Although he had an off shooting night against North Dakota, SR G Marcus Hall continues to be a dangerous shooter for the Vikings. He leads the team with 33 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 33 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.
 
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 5.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 12.3 minutes per night. Those work out to 17.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per 40 minutes... Cataldo had 18 points (8-11 FG) and 14 rebounds in 25 minutes of the last two Viking games.
• Cataldo leads the team with a .610 field goal percentage. He shoots .575 from the field for his career.
• Cataldo has led the Vikings in rebounding three times this season.
 
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 14 of 19 games this season and is second on the team in scoring (12.6) and steals (19), and fourth in three-pointers (22) in just 22.4 minutes per night. He is also the easy leader in free throw attempts, making 79-104 already 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.
 
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 10 shots, scoring 10 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 13.6 minutes per game over the last six 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. 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.