Complete notes and stats in pdf

---

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (3-4) vs. SIUE COUGARS (1-7)
Saturday, December 12, 2 p.m. PT • Vadalabene Center (4,000), Edwardsville, IL
 
Television: Fox SportsNet Midwest (check your cable provider)
Live Video: www.OVCDigitalNetwork.com
Live Audio and Stats: www.GoViks.com

---

THE OPENING TIP
The Portland State Vikings will try to end a two-game losing streak when they travel this week to Southern Illinois Edwardsville. The Vikings have taken losses to Portland and Washington State over the past week, dropping to 3-4 on the season.
     
The Vikings and Cougars will meet this Saturday in a game at Vadalabene Center. It tips off at 4 p.m. CT/2 p.m. PT and is available on Fox Sports Midwest and OVCDigitalNetwork.com. Live audio and live stats can also be found at GoViks.com.
     
SIUE is 1-7 on the season and will play SIU Carbondale on Wednesday prior to facing the Vikings.
     
PSU will try to reestablish its offensive prowess when it plays SIUE. The Vikings had been averaging over 85 points and shooting .506 from the field before a pair of poor shooting games in its last two losses. PSU shot a mere .333 against Portland, then .410 against Washington State while averaging 69.5 points.
 
COMING UP
Portland State returns home for one of two games prior to the Christmas holiday. The Vikings will host Cal State Northridge on Dec. 17 at the Stott Center. PSU travels to CSU Bakersfield for a Dec. 22 game.
     
The final non-conference game of the season is a Dec. 29 home contest with Cal State Fullerton.
     
Big Sky Conference play begins on Jan. 2 when the Vikings host Sacramento State at the Stott Center.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. SIUE
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series with SIUE, 2-0, having won close games each of the last two seasons. The Vikings beat the Cougars, 77-74, on Nov. 23, 2013, and 90-87 in overtime on Nov. 24, 2014. Both games were at the Stott Center.
• LAST SEASON: PSU 90, SIUE 87 (OT): DaShaun Wiggins scored a career-high 32 points off the bench, hitting 12-18 shots, 3-4 three-pointers and 5-10 at the line, in leading the Vikings to the win. Braxton Tucker hit a tying basket with 8.8 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. Wiggins gave PSU the lead for good with a driving three-point play in overtime. PSU did not lead in the final four minutes of regulation or the first three-and-a-half minutes of overtime. The Vikings shot .500 from the field while the Cougars shot .541 in a well-played game.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (87-103, 7th season) is 2-0 all-time against the Cougars. SIUE Head Coach Jon Harris is in his first season with the Cougars.
• FACING HIS OLD MATES: Vikings GR G Donivine Stewart was a member of the SIUE team the last two seasons. He completed his degree in Business and transferred to PSU to enter graduate school. Stewart started 58 of 59 games at point guard for the Cougars, averaging 10.5 points, 4.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds. He led the team in assists both season while averaging nearly 32 minutes per game. Stewart had nine points and six assists in last year's game against the Vikings, and 16 points and five assists the year before.
 
SIUE COUGARS
• SIUE was 12-16 last season, 8-8 in the Ohio Valley Conference, placing seventh.
• In the off-season, Jon Harris was named the new head coach. He has six returning letterwinners on this year's squad.
• SIUE has opened the season 1-7, losing its last seven in a row. The Cougars are 1-3 at home. They face SIU Carbondale on Wednesday, prior to playing the Vikings.
• The Cougars have struggled in the game's most important area - shooting. They hit just .373 from the field and .272 from long distance. As a result, they average 66.1 points per game and have a -12.0 scoring margin.
• JR G Burak Eslik leads the team in scoring at 13.0 points per game and has made a team-high 12 three-point field goals.
• SR F Grant Fiorentinos averages 12.4 points while shooting .561 from the field.
• GR C Yemi Makanjuola leads the team with 6.1 rebounds per game.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
 
WHO IS HOT?
• JR G Calaen Robinson scored a career-high 19 points (7-14 FG, 2-6 3-pt, 3-4 FT) with five rebounds at Washington State.
• JR G Zach Gengler poured in a career-high 17 points (7-14 FG, 3-7 3-pt) in the Vikings loss to Portland.
• GR F Cameron Forte is averaging 19.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and shooting .524 from the field. Forte has three 20-point games and three double-doubles.
• The Vikings are outrebounding opponents by 3.2 per game.
 
WHO IS NOT?
• Portland State is shooting .649 from the free throw line this season.
• The Vikings have lost two in a row.
• Portland State has committed more turnovers than its opponents (101/98).
• JR G Bryce White missed the last two games due to a sprained ankle.
• PSU's top returning scorer from last season, JR F Braxton Tucker has missed the first five games of the season while recovering from injury.
 
FORTISSIMO: GR F Cameron Forte has been loud and strong with his performance in his first six games as a Viking. He has averaged 19.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and shot .524 from the field.
• Forte ranks third in the Big Sky in scoring and rebounding.
• Forte has three 20-point games and one 30-point game.
• He has three double-doubles on the season.
 
SWAT STATS: SR C Collin Spickerman set a PSU record for blocked shots per game (2.48) last season while leading the Big Sky Conference. Spickerman has 14 blocks this season and 86 blocks in 36 career games, ranking fourth in PSU history.
• Spickerman ranks second in the Big Sky in blocked shots (2.0).
• Spickerman blocked four shots and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in the season opener at Grand Canyon (11/13).
• Spickerman scored a career-high 13 points in the win at UTRGV (11/22).
• He has two games of four or more blocked shots.
 
MR. ROBINSON'S NEIGHBORHOOD: JR G Calaen Robinson is starting to hit his stride. Robinson scored a career-high 19 points at Washington State. He had 17 assists in the last two games prior to that.
• Robinson's 11 assists against Multnomah were the most by a Viking since Feb. 5, 2009.
• Robinson has four double-figure scoring games.
• He leads the team in three-point field goals (15), assists (4.1) and steals (9).
• Ranks sixth in the Big Sky Conference in assists.
• Scored a career-high 19 points with five rebounds at Washington State (12/6).
 
SIXTH MAN STATS: SO F Isaiah Pineiro has been the Vikings' key player off the bench. In 19.7 minutes per game, he averages 10.0 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting .580 from the field.
• Had back-to-back double-doubles on the road, getting 24 points and 14 rebounds at UTRGV (11/22) and 13 points and 11 rebounds at Nevada (11/25).
• Scored 14 points (5-8 FG, 4-6 FT) with two blocks and two steals at Washington State (12/6).
• Ranks ninth in the Big Sky Conference in rebounding.
 
PICKING UP HIS PLAY: Head Coach Tyler Geving has called for more offense from JR G Zach Gengler this year after he was the Vikings' top perimeter defender last year. After going scoreless in the season-opener, Gengler has 52 points in the last six games.
• Scored a career-high 17 points (7-14 FG, 3-7 3-pt) against Portland.
• Gengler is averaging a career-high 7.4 points per game.
 
BETTER OFF THE BENCH: Portland State's top performances by players coming off the bench:
• GR F Cameron Forte had 22 points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes against Pacific Lutheran.
• JR G Calaen Robinson scored 13 points with two assists in 13 minutes against Pacific Lutheran.
• The Viking bench scored 62 points and had 32 rebounds in 104 total minutes against PLU.
• SO F Isaiah Pineiro had game-highs of 24 points (11-14 FG) and 14 rebounds in 29 minutes at UTRGV.
• GR F Cameron Forte scored a game-high 23 points with nine rebounds at Nevada.
• JR F De'Sean Parson scored 14 points (6-8 FG, 2-2 FT) with three rebounds in 17 minutes against Multnomah.
• SO F Isaiah Pineiro scored 14 points (5-8 FG, 4-6 FT) with two blocks and two steals at Washington State.
 
2015-16 SEASON NOTES
• VIKINGS SIGN HENDERSON, RUMEL FOR '16-'17: Portland State men's basketball coach Tyler Geving has announced the signing of two high schoolers to National Letters of Intent for the 2016-17 academic year.
      The Vikings have signed Tyrell Henderson of Tempe, AZ and Brendan Rumel of Tucson, AZ during the early signing period.
      "We are excited about signing two kids who are outstanding students and who are both high character kids," said Geving. "They are both very disciplined on and off the court and these are traits we are looking for in our recruits. These are two players we expect to be big contributors over the next four years."
      Henderson is a 6-3 combo guard who attends Corona del Sol High School. He is part of a program that has routinely won state championships. It is also the former high school of current Viking guard Calaen Robinson.
      "Tyrell comes from Corona Del Sol program where they have won four consecutive Arizona State Championships," said Geving. "He brings a winning attitude to our program as well as being an outstanding student. Tyrell is a versatile player who takes pride in guarding the other teams top player. He has a high basketball IQ and I'm excited to coach him over the next four years."
      Rumel, a 6-10 forward, plays at Rincon High School. As a junior he averaged 17.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. He also has shooting range for a big man, hitting 25 three-pointers over the past two seasons.
      "Any time we can get a high school kid with height and skill, we feel very fortunate," Geving said. "Brendan has a high ceiling as a player and we feel he is going to make great strides over the next four years. He has the ability to score inside and can also step outside to shoot it. Brendan is another outstanding student with high character.  We are looking for him to make a big impact on our program."
• Portland State has had back-to-back winning seasons (17-15 in 2013-14, 15-14 in 2014-15) and will try to make it three straight winning seasons for the first time since 2006-09.
• Portland State begins its 20th season as a member of the Big Sky Conference in 2015-16. PSU won Big Sky regular season titles in 2004-05 and 2007-08. The Vikings won Big Sky tournament titles, advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
• The Vikings' non-conference schedule includes five home games and six road games. PSU will host its annual meeting with the University of Portland on Dec. 2. The Vikings will also host Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Northridge of the Big West. Small college foes include Pacific Lutheran and Multnomah at the Stott Center in the preseason... PSU's road schedule includes trips to Grand Canyon, CSU Bakersfield and Texas Rio Grande Valley of the Western Athletic Conference, Nevada of the Mountain West, Washington State of the Pac-12, and SIU Edwardsville of the Ohio Valley... the Vikings' 18-game Big Sky Conference schedule begins on Jan. 2, hosting travel partner Sacramento State. It continues through a final home game on Mar. 5 against Southern Utah. The regular season conference schedule is still unbalanced. As a result, PSU will not travel to Northern Arizona and Southern Utah this season, and will not host North Dakota and Northern Colorado.
 
VIKING ONE-LINERS (and sometimes two)
• PSU has three players that competed for other Division I schools: Calaen Robinson (Arizona State), Cameron Forte (Georgia) and Donivine Stewart (SIUE).
• SR F Collin Spickerman and JR G Bryce White have both returned home after earning NWAACC Region Player of the Year awards. Spickerman prepped less than 10 miles from the PSU campus at Portland's Jesuit High School. He spent one season at Alaska Anchorage and one season at Clark (WA) College. In 2013-14 he was the NWAACC West Region Player of the Year after averaging 17.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocked shots per game. White prepped less than five miles from the PSU campus at Portland's Benson Tech. He was named the NWAACC South Region Player of the Year in 2013-14 after averaging 27.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists at Chemeketa CC.
• JR G Zach Gengler was the Oregon 5A High School Player of the Year in 2012-13.
• JR C Namdi Okonkwo is the first 7-foot player in Portland State's Big Sky era (1996-2015) and perhaps ever. PSU previously has had five players that stood 6-11 since reinstating basketball for the 1996-97 season.
• Portland State is in its 20th season as a member of the Big Sky Conference and Division I. PSU played basketball from 1946-1981 before discontinuing the program. Basketball was reinstated for the 1996-97 season.
• Construction of the new The Viking Pavilion will begin in January 2016. The Pavilion will consist of an upgraded Stott Center facility, including a new arena for Viking basketball, as well as athletic training enhancements, academic upgrades and overall facility enhancements. The Viking Pavilion will more than double the capacity of PSU's home court (to be situated on the east side of the building) to somewhere between 3,000-4,000 seats. The arena is expected to be available for play beginning in January 2018.
• Portland State received public recognition from the NCAA in 2014 for being among the top 10 percent of teams in multiyear Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores for the four-year period ending in 2012-13. PSU basketball, which received APR sanctions six years ago, is now among the top programs in the nation in APR scores. Head Coach Tyler Geving has led the program to that accomplishment. PSU had the only men's basketball program in the Big Sky Conference and among the state of Oregon's four Division I programs to be among the top 10 percent recognized by the NCAA.
• Head Coach Tyler Geving and Associate Head Coach Jeff Hironaka were both assistant coaches on the 2000-01 Seattle Pacific basketball staff.
• Special Advisor Barry Adams, a high school coaching legend in the state of Oregon, was elected to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame on March 10, 2014. Adams spent more than four decades as a prep coach in the state.
• Assistant Coach Michael Plank spent a portion of his summer working with the Costa Rican National Team.
• Former Viking Ime Udoka played seven seasons in the NBA. He started 75 games for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2006-07. Udoka is now an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, and won an NBA title with the team in 2013-14.
• Julius Thomas, who holds Portland State records for games played (121), field goal percentage in a season and career (.671/.663), and career wins (78) was a two-time Pro Bowler for the Denver Broncos. Thomas played on two Big Sky Conference Championship/NCAA Tournament teams (2007-08, 2008-09) at PSU. He competed in Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. Thomas signed a free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL
• With a 105-60 win over Pacific Lutheran (11/13), Portland State had its first 100-point performance in a counting game since a 102-47 win over Walla Walla on Dec. 3, 2011. It was the most points by a Viking team since a 108-56 win at Montana on Mar. 1, 2008. GR F Cameron Forte had 22 points and eight rebounds and JR G Bryce White scored 20 points with four assists.
• SO F Isaiah Pineiro posted 24 points and 14 rebounds in a 79-61 win at UT Rio Grande Valley (11/22). GR F Cameron Forte had a double-double as well with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
• The Vikings had their second 100-point game of the season with a 100-82 win over Multnomah (11/28). GR F Cameron Forte had 31 points on 15-26 shots while grabbing 10 rebounds. JR G Calaen Robinson scored 13 points and handed out 11 assists - the most by a Viking since Feb. 5, 2009 - in the win.
• JR G Zach Gengler scored a career-high 17 points in the Vikings' 78-72 loss to Portland (12/2).
• JR G Calaen Robinson had a career-high 19 points in the Vikings' 91-67 loss at Washington State (12/6).