PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (8-6, 2-2) vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (12-4, 3-0)
Thursday, January 15, 7:05 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: 6:45 p.m.
Live Stats: www.vikslive.com, www.viksmobile.com
 
THE OPENING TIP
On the heels of an important road win, the Portland State Vikings come home on Thursday night to face the Big Sky Conference's top team, Eastern Washington, and the nation's leading scorer, Tyler Harvey. The Vikings (8-6, 2-2) and Eagles (12-4, 3-0) meet in a 7:05 p.m. contest at the Peter W. Stott Center.
     
PSU figures to be on an upswing when it returns to the Stott hardwood. Although the Vikings split their road trip at Northern Colorado and North Dakota, they played well in both games, particularly with regard to their shooting. PSU shot .528 and .517 from the field respectively, and combined to shoot .548 from three-point range. Although the Vikings gave up a six-point lead late in a loss at UNC, they came back to take a wire-to-wire win at North Dakota in the conclusion of the Big Sky's most grueling travel weekend.
     
Portland State has a 5-1 home record that it takes into a matchup with the perhaps the most formidable Eastern Washington team it has ever seen. The Vikings have won the last three meetings with Eastern Washington, but that streak will definitely be put to the test this week.
     
The Eagles are 12-4 overall, have a four-game winning streak, a landmark pre-conference road win at Indiana, and remain the only team in the Big Sky Conference undefeated in league play (3-0). EWU is 4-4 on the road this season, having taken an 89-86 decision at Idaho last Saturday.
     
In addition, Eastern Washington features the nation's top scorer and three-point shooter in Tyler Harvey. The 6-4 guard is averaging an NCAA-best 23.4 points per game and makes 4.6 threes per game while shooting .490 from behind the arc.
     
Thursday's game is part of the Dam Cup series between Portland State and Eastern Washington (see The Dam Cup below) which PSU currently leads, 5-4. The 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.
 
COMING UP
The University of Idaho (7-7, 2-1) comes to town for the first-ever Big Sky Conference meeting between the Vandals and the Vikings on Saturday. Tip-off is 7:05 p.m.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE VS. EASTERN WASHINGTON
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 23-19, including 14-6 in Portland.
• BIG SKY CONFERENCE SERIES: Portland State leads the Big Sky series, 20-18, including 12-6 in Portland.
• STREAK: PSU has won three in a row in the series, averaging 89.3 points in those wins. PSU has also won 11 of the last 13 against the Eagles. The Vikings have won seven straight in the Stott Center.
• LAST SEASON: Jan. 27, 2014 at PSU: Portland State 92, Eastern Washington 83: The Vikings trailed by 10 points at halftime,  but shot 19-29 (.655) from the field in the second half, scoring 62 points to come from behind and win. PSU scored 35 points off 19 Eastern Washington turnovers. Andre Winston had a career-high 23 points and six assists for the Vikings. DaShaun Wiggins came off the bench to score 21 points with five assists. Ognjen Miljkovic scored a career-high 32 points for the Eagles. Feb. 24, 2014 at EWU: Portland State 87, Eastern Washington 76: Portland State parlayed another big second-half into a road win over the Eagles. The Vikings shot 17-28 (.607) from the field, hitting eight three-pointers in a 56-point half. Kyle Richardson's 22 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots led the Vikings. Tyler Harvey scored 23 points for the Eagles.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (77-91, 6th season) is 8-2 all-time against Eastern Washington - his best mark against any Big Sky Conference school. Eagles Coach Jim Hayford (52-58, 4th season/306-142, 16th season) is 1-5 all-time against Portland State.
• GAME NUMBER 200 AT STOTT SINCE JOINING THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE: Portland State will play its 200th all-time home game at the Stott Center on Thursday night since reinstating basketball for the 1996-97 season. PSU is currently in its 19th year since moving to Division I, reinstating the basketball program and joining the Big Sky Conference. PSU has gone 146-53 in 199 games at the Stott Center over that span. Including home games at Memorial Coliseum (12-6) and the Rose Garden/Moda Center (19-9), the Vikings are 177-68 at home over the past 19 seasons. 
 
EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES
• Eastern Washington was 15-16 last season, 10-10 in the Big Sky Conference to tie for seventh in league play.
• EWU joined the Big Sky in 1987. The Eagles have won one Big Sky regular season and tournament title (2004), appearing in the NCAA Tournament that season.
• The Eagles have been the hottest team in the Big Sky this season with a 12-4 record and a 3-0 Big Sky mark. They have won their last four games in a row.
• It is hard to find an area where Eastern Washington doesn't excel. The Eagles lead the Big Sky Conference in scoring (80.4), scoring margin (+8.9), field goal percentage (.490), blocked shots (6.0), three-pointers made (9.6), and are second in three-point percentage (.412), field goal percentage defense (.427) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3).
• The Eagles rank seventh in the nation in both three-point field goals and three-point percentage. They are 13th in blocked shots, 15th in scoring and 17th in field goal percentage.
• Junior guard Tyler Harvey leads the nation in scoring (23.4), three-point field goals (4.6 pg) and ranks fifth in three-point percentage (.490). He shoots .508 overall and .831 at the free throw line.
• Junior forward Venky Jois averages 18.9 points per game to rank second in the Big Sky Conference behind Harvey. He leads the Big Sky in blocked shots at 3.0 per game, also ranking 16th in the nation. Jois grabs 7.8 rebounds per game to rank fourth in the Big Sky. He shoots .601 from the field, which is third in the Big Sky and 15th in the nation.
• Sophomore forward Ognjen Miljkovic averages 10.1 points per game.
• Senior guard Drew Brandon leads the team with 4.8 assists per game, which is third-best in the Big Sky.
 
THE DAM CUP
The Portland State Vikings and Eastern Washington Eagles are in the fifth year of a five-sport rivalry cup called The Dam Cup. The Dam Cup celebrates the friendly rivalry between the states of Oregon and Washington within the Big Sky Conference. This week's basketball game is worth two points in the Dam Cup series. PSU's women and EWU's women will be playing a Dam Cup game in Cheney simultaneous to the men's game. Portland State currently leads the competition, 5-4.
     
The so-named rivalry refers to the four dams linking Oregon and Washington that one passes on the 339-mile drive from the Portland State campus to the Eastern Washington campus. Located along the Columbia River, they are Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Dam, The John Day Dam and the McNary Dam. 
     
The five sports competing for the cup are football, women's soccer, women's volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball. The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland and Spokane areas. Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions' student body. The winner of the Dam Cup will possess The Dam Trophy acknowledging the achievement for the following year.
     
The Dam Cup is based on a point system.  Each game played in the five sports between the two schools has a point value. Points are only rewarded for regular season contests. The annual football game is worth four points, the women's soccer match is worth three points, each women's volleyball match is worth two points for a total of four points possible, and each men's and women's basketball game is worth two points for a total of four points possible in each sport. New for the 2013-14 season a fan interaction platform at www.DamCup.com that will be worth 2 points.  The total points possible are 21 which means that to win the cup a school would need to win at least 11 points.
 
The 2014-15 Dam Cup Series
Soccer - Oct. 3 - @ PSU 3, EWU 1 - PSU leads 3-0
Volleyball - Oct. 11 - @ PSU 3, EWU 0 - PSU leads 5-0
Football - Nov. 21 - EWU 56, @ PSU 34 - PSU leads 5-4
Women's Basketball - Jan. 15 @ EWU
Men's Basketball - Jan. 15 @ PSU
Women's Basketball - Feb. 14 @ PSU
Men's Basketball - Feb. 14 @ EWU
 
Previous Dam Cup Champions
2010-11         PSU 9-8
2011-12         PSU 15-2
2012-13         EWU 10-7
2013-14         PSU 13-8
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 8-6 this season, 5-1 at home, 3-5 on the road.
• PSU had won seven straight home games before losing its last contest at Stott, 73-60, to Northern Arizona.
• The Vikings opened the season with a four-game winning streak, matching the best streak of last season accomplished on three occasions.
Stott Stuff
• PSU has gone 146-53 in 199 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 177-68 at home over the past 19 seasons.
• Portland State is 53-24 at home in six seasons under Tyler Geving.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 90-27 at home, including 51-23 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
• Portland State has lost only six non-conference home games in the last nine seasons (39-6). PSU is 23-6 against Division I schools, and 16-0 against lower division schools over that span.
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 151-157 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the Big Sky Tournament (9-9).
• PSU is 101-48 in home games, 46-104 in road games and 4-5 in neutral site games.
• PSU is 65-60 in Big Sky games since the start of the 2007-08 season, 72-63 including tournament games.
And The Trivial
• Portland State is 27-24 all-time in overtime. Coach Tyler Geving is 5-4 all-time in overtime, including 1-0 this season. PSU was 3-1 in overtime last season.
• PSU is 2-15 against nationally-ranked opponents since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97.
• Head Coach Tyler Geving is 1-2 all-time against ranked opponents.
• Portland State is 19-42 in games televised in the Portland area since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97. That includes a 9-7 home record and 10-35 road record... PSU is 2-1 in games televised in the Portland area this season.
 
HOT SHOTS
• SO F Braxton Tucker scored a season-high 20 points in the win at North Dakota. Tucker hit 10-15 shots from the field, including a key jump shot with 39.4 seconds left in the game, giving PSU an insurmountable 77-73 lead. Tucker is shooting .514 from the field this season.
• SR G Gary Winston is averaging 16.0 points per game in conference play, after averaging 9.6 in non-conference games.
• SR F Tiegba Bamba grabbed a Portland State season-best 14 rebounds in the win at North Dakota.
• SR G DaShaun Wiggins made 6-8 three-point field goals in last week's two games, scoring 37 points overall. He ranks fourth in the Big Sky Conference with a .491 three-point field goal percentage.
• Portland State shot .528 from the field against Northern Colorado - its best against a Division I opponent this season, making a season-high 12 three-point field goals. The Vikings followed that with a .517 shooting performance in the win at North Dakota.
• JR C Collin Spickerman has blocked 23 shots in the last 11 games. With 25 on the season, he now ranks second in the Big Sky Conference.
 
NOT SO HOT
• The Vikings allowed Northern Colorado to shoot .516 from the field. PSU led by six points with just over eight minutes to play in the game, but was outscored 28-17 down the stretch.
• PSU had 14 turnovers in each of last week's two games, well above its season average of 10.7 going into the week.
• JR C Dorian Cason (plantar fasciitis) has missed five straight games. He is expected to return this week.
 
HOME-ROAD DIFFERENTIAL: Portland State is 5-1 at home this season, 3-5 on the road.
• PSU averages 77.3 points at home, shooting .473 from the field, .396 from three-point range and .743 at the line.
• The Vikings average 67.2 points on the road, shooting .391/.369/731.
• PSU has out-rebounded opponents by 0.2 per game at home, but has been out-rebounded by 7.6 per game on the road.
• Opponents shoot .421 from the field, .364 from three-point range and .682 at the line in the Stott Center. They shoot .496/.371/.706 in their own arenas against the Vikings.
 
A SIGN OF GOOD THINGS TO COME?: Portland State finally found the mark last week with two strong shooting games in a row. Despite a loss at Northern Colorado, the Vikings hit 28-53 from the field (.528), 12-19 from three-point range (.632) and 17-22 at the line (.773). It was PSU's best shooting performance - and most three-pointers made - against a Division I opponent this season... the Viks followed that with a 30-58 (.517) shooting effort at North Dakota - for the second-best mark against a Division I opponents... the Vikings' shooting marks over the previous nine games were: .407, .258, .400, .438, .417, .200, .576, .373, .393. That averaged out to a .387 percentage from the field and .311 from three-point range... for the season, PSU shoots .426 from the field, .381 from three-point range and .736 at the free throw line.
 
STRONG INDICATORS: A few numbers coming out of the first 14 games are strong indicators of winning and losing:
• PSU is 8-0 when leading at halftime, 0-6 when trailing.
• The Vikings are 5-0 when they out-rebound opponents.
• The Vikings are 5-1 when shooting a higher percentage than opponents. PSU lost its first game when out-shooting an opponent at Northern Colorado.
• Portland State is 6-1 in games decided by eight points or less.
 
THE EVER-CHANGING LINEUP: Head Coach Tyler Geving has gone with seven different starting lineups in 14 games this season. The constant change early in the season was the result of numerous nagging injuries to different players and certainly affected team continuity. But the relative good health of the team has settled the starting lineup and rotation for the Vikings the past two weeks.
• In last week's two games, Geving started the unit of SR G Gary Winston, SR G DaShaun Wiggins, SO G Bryce White, SO F Braxton Tucker and SR F Tiegbe Bamba. That has been his most common starting unit this season with six starts and a 4-2 record when that group has started.
• Nine different players have started games this season, none have started all 14 games and only three players have competed in all 13 games.
 
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 240-326 this year (.736).
• PSU has made almost as many charity shots (240) as its opponents have attempted (250).
• The Vikings average 23.3 free throw attempts per game. Opponents average only 17.9.
 
5x10: Portland State has five players averaging double figures this season: SR G DaShaun Wiggins (15.7), SO F Braxton Tucker (11.6), SR G Gary Winston (11.5), SR F Tiegbe Bamba (11.0) and SO G Bryce White (10.0).
 
X-FACTOR: When SO F Braxton Tucker was signed in the off-season, it was expected he may play a backup role in his first year as a Viking. But Tucker went out and earned a starting job in preseason practice and has fluorished in his role. He averages 11.6 points and leads the team in rebounding (5.8).
• Tucker has averaged 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, shooting .581 in Big Sky games.
• Tucker had 18 points (7-10 FG, 4-6 FT), with four rebounds and two blocks against CSU Bakersfield (12/13).
• Against Southern Utah (1/1) he posted 16 points (6-9 FG, 4-4 FT) and six rebounds in a win.
• Posted a career-high 20 points (10-15 FG) in a win at North Dakota (1/10). Hit a key shot with 39.4 seconds left to seal the win.
• Tucker ranks 10th in the Big Sky in rebounding (5.8) and field goal percentage (.514).
• Has led the team in scoring twice and rebounding four times this year.
• Tucker shoots .514 from the field and .750 at the line.
 
GARY IS GETTING HOT: SR G Gary Winston started the season slow offensively, but has turned it on over the last eight games, scoring in double figures six times and raising his scoring average to 11.5. Winston also leads the Vikings with 3.6 assists and 32.8 minutes per game.
• In Big Sky Conference play, Winston averages 16.0 points and 4.3 assists as compared to 9.6 points and 3.2 assists in non-conference games.
• Winston scored 18 points with five rebounds and four assists in a win over Southern Utah (1/1).
• He had a season-high 19 points and career-high eight assists at Northern Colorado (1/8).
• Winston has led the team in scoring three times and assists nine times this season.
 
WHERE GARY STANDS: SR G Gary Winston is a fourth-year player in the Viking program and is a rare player to approach the 100 career games mark. Winston will play in his 99th game against Eastern Washington. Here is where Gary stands on some of PSU's all-time lists.
Games Played: 98
Career Points: 881 (17 players have 1,000 career points and Winston is on pace to reach that total)
Assists: 240, 10th
Steals: 63
3-pt FGs: 141, 6th
3-pt FGAs: 333, 9th
3-pt FG%: .424, 5th
 
SIXTH-MAN SENSATION NO MORE: SR G DaShaun Wiggins was Portland State's leading scorer last season despite not being a starter. He averaged 12.9 points per game in 22.9 minutes per night, earning Big Sky Conference co-6th Man of the Year honors... in 2014-15, Wiggins has moved into the starting lineup and improved on that scoring average.
• Wiggins leads the team in scoring at 15.7 per game, and ranks seventh in the Big Sky Conference.
• He shoots .491 (26-53) from three-point range to lead the team and rank fourth in the Big Sky.
• Leads the team with 22 steals, ranking fourth in the Big Sky.
• Wiggins posted a career-high 32 points (12-18 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 5-10 FT) in a 90-87 overtime win against SIUE (11/24).
• Wiggins had 23 points (8-15 FG, 1-4 3-pt, 6-8 FT), five steals, four rebounds and three assists in a win over Walla Walla (12/22).
• Wiggins has scored in double figures in 13 games this season and led the team in scoring seven times.
 
HE'S THE BAMBA: Portland State had to wait a year for SR F Tiegbe Bamba to recover from a junior college achilles injury, but the native of Sarcelles, France has been worth the wait. Starting 11 of 12 games, Bamba is averaging 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and shoots .541 from the field.
• Bamba was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week following a 19-point, six-rebound, four-steal, two-assist performance in a win at USC on Nov. 15. Bamba made 8-11 FGs and 3-3 3-pt FGs in the game.
• Grabbed a team season-best 14 rebounds in a win at North Dakota (1/10).
• Has led the team in scoring three times and rebounding five times this season.
• Bamba ranks sixth in the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.541) and also shoots .417 from three-point range.
 
A BIG HAND FOR COLLIN: JR F Collin Spickerman had a big hand in the faces of CSU Bakersfield on Dec. 13, blocking six shots and tying a school record set three times previously (Scott Morrison twice, Seth Scott once). Spickerman had a slow start to the season due to an ankle injury in preseason camp. However, he is seeing his minutes and impact grow.
• Spickerman had his best game of the season with eight points, six rebounds, two blocks and two assists in the win over North Dakota (1/1).
• Spickerman has 23 blocks in the last 11 games.
• Though he is averaging only 18.5 minutes per game, Spickerman ranks second in the Big Sky Conference in blocks (1.8).
 
FILLING THE STAT SHEET: SO G Bryce White is another new addition making a big impact on the team this season. White ranks fifth on the team in scoring (10.0) and third in rebounding (4.3)... White missed three games earlier in the season with a left hip injury... had 12 points with three rebounds, two blocks and two assists in the win over North Dakota.
• White has scored in double figures six times this season.
 
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).
• Portland State broke out of a shooting slump, hitting 38-66 shots (a season-best .576) on the way to a 94-52 rout of Walla Walla. The Vikings were led once again by SR G DaShaun Wiggins who had a complete game with 23 points (8-15 FG, 1-4 3-pt, 6-8 FT), five steals, four rebounds and three assists. SR C Brandon Cataldo had career-highs of 16 points (8-9 FG) and 13 rebounds off the bench.
• SR G Gary Winston scored 18 points with five rebounds and four assists as the Vikings won their Big Sky Conference opener, 71-68, over Southern Utah (1/1). Winston made two free throws with 11 seconds left to help ice the win.
• SR G Gary Winston passed out a career-high eight assists and scored a season-high 19 points (7-14 FG, 3-6 3-pt, 2-2 FT) in a 90-85 loss at Northern Colorado (1/8).
• Portland State led wire-to-wire in an 82-75 win at North Dakota (1/10) snapping a five-game road losing streak. The Vikings never trailed and led by as many as 17 in the game, shooting .517 from the field overall. SO F Braxton Tucker scored a season-high 20 points (10-15 FG), including a key 18-foot jumper with 39.4 seconds left to seal the win. SR F Tiegbe Bamba grabbed a Viking season-high 14 rebounds as well.