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Portland State University Athletics

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Troy Wayrynen
Brandon Cataldo will be one of eight seniors playing in their final home game this Saturday at the Stott Center.

Men's Basketball by Mike Lund

First-Place Hornets Come Calling On Viking Senior Night

complete notes and stats in pdf

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
(14-11, 8-7) vs. SACRAMENTO STATE HORNETS (18-8, 12-3)
Saturday, February 28, 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
With three wins in a row, the Portland State Vikings are getting hot at the right time of the season. They will need that momentum as they head into the final home game of the year Saturday night against first-place Sacramento State.
     
PSU (14-11, 8-7) moved into fifth place in the Big Sky Conference with a pair of home wins last week over North Dakota (80-70) and Northern Colorado (91-75). The Vikings still have a mathematical chance of moving up to fourth before the end of the Big Sky season if they can win their final three.
     
That late-season push begins with the Hornets on Saturday. Sacramento State (18-8, 12-3) stands at the top of the conference and has motivation of its own, seeking a first-ever Big Sky regular season title. The Hornets are tied for first place with Montana. The Griz play at Idaho on Thursday night. Also, Eastern Washington (11-3) is one-half game back and hosts Montana State on Thursday.
     
The Hornets have won two in a row, seven of nine and 11 of their last 14. They too swept North Dakota and Northern Colorado at home in last week's games.
     
Portland State will try to match its longest winning streak of the season - a four-gamer that came in November - when it hosts Sacramento State. PSU has won three in a row and holds a 9-3 home record this season. The Vikings lost a close contest at Sacramento State on Feb. 7, 64-60. Although the Hornets won last year's game in Portland, 72-65, the Vikings hold a 16-2 advantage in Big Sky games at the Stott Center.
     
Sacramento State has a 5-7 road record this season, 3-3 in Big Sky games. The Hornets lost their last two Big Sky road games at Eastern Washington and Idaho by a combined four points.
           
Saturday's game tips off at 7:05 p.m. at the Stott Center. A live video stream is available at www.WatchBigSky.com. Links to live video, audio and statistics can be found at GoViks.com by clicking on the Game Day box.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE VS. SACRAMENTO STATE
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series 26-13. The Vikings lead 17-2 in Portland.
• BIG SKY CONFERENCE SERIES: Portland State leads the Big Sky series 25-12. The Vikings have a 16-2 advantage in Portland.
• STREAK: The Hornets have won the last two games in the series, including last year's contest in Portland.
• LAST MEETING: Feb. 7 at SAC: Sacramento State 64, Portland State 60: Portland State came back from a 14-point deficit in the second half, but couldn't quite finish the job. PSU committed 17 turnovers, including 10 in the second half and one in the final 30 seconds when trailing by two. Mikh McKinney scored 17 points with four assists and four steals for the Hornets. Dylan Garrity had 16 points and five assists. Braxton Tucker scored 18 points to lead the Vikings.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (83-96, 6th season) is 7-5 all-time against Sacramento State. Hornets Coach Brian Katz (74-126, 7th season) is 4-9 all-time against the Vikings.
 
SCOUTING SACRAMENTO STATE
• Sacramento State joined the Big Sky Conference along with Portland State for the 1996-97 season. The Hornets are still looking for their first Big Sky title and Division I post-season appearance.
• The Hornets were 14-16 last season, 10-10 in the Big Sky and tied for seventh place. All five starters and eight of the top nine players on the squad return.
• Sacramento State is 18-8 this season, 12-3 and tied for first place in the Big Sky Conference. The Hornets are 13-1 at home, 5-7 on the road.
• Sacramento State's season win total is its best since moving to Division I in 1991-92. At 12-3, the Hornets have their best Big Sky Conference record as well.
• The Hornets lead the Big Sky Conference in field goal percentage (.485), assists (14.8) and steals (7.2), while ranking second in three-point percentage (.410). The Hornets are fourth in the nation in three-point shooting and 12th in field goal percentage.
•  Senior guard Mikh McKinney is a Big Sky Conference Player of the Year candidate. He leads the Hornets in scoring (18.9), assists (5.2) and steals (2.7). He shoots .521 from the field, .417 from three-point range and .769 at the line. McKinney ranks second in the Big Sky in scoring, assists and minutes played, and leads in steals.
• Senior guard Dylan Garrity averages 13.6 points, 2.9 assists and has made a team-best 67 three-point field goals. He shoots .432 from three-point distance.
• Junior guard Cody Demps averages 9.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
 
SENIOR NIGHT THIS SATURDAY
Prior to Saturday night's game, Portland State will recognize seven players competing in their final home game at Portland State: DaShaun Wiggins, Gary Winston, Tiegbe Bamba, Tim Douglas, Sebastian Suarez, Brandon Cataldo and Joel King.
     
Winston, Cataldo and King are all four-year letterwinners in the Viking program. Winston recently passed 1,000 career points and ranks on several top-10 career lists at PSU. He was second-team All-Big Sky Conference as a junior.  Cataldo has competed in 81 career games, shooting over 57% from the field. King, a walk-on, has provided depth and a scout team presence throughout his career.
     
Two-year letterwinners include Wiggins and Douglas. Wiggins has been the Vikings' leading scorer each of the his two seasons and averages 15.7 points this season. Douglas has averaged 10 points and three assists per game over two seasons.      
     
Bamba and Suarez each have lettered one season for the Vikings. Transfer status gave Bamba and Suarez only one year of eligibility each. Bamba has been the Vikings leading rebounder this season at 6.4 per game while averaging 11 points. Suarez has played in 10 games, with one start, averaging 3.0 points. 
 
THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE RACE
Portland State moved into fifth-place alone with a pair of wins last week. The Vikings have a 2.5 game lead over ninth-place Southern Utah (5-9) with three games to play. Southern Utah is the only team that could catch PSU to potentially knock it out of Big Sky Tournament contention.
     
The Vikings could still reach fourth place in the Big Sky by winning out if Northern Arizona (10-4) were to lose its final four games. PSU is one game ahead of sixth-place Northern Colorado (7-8), 1.5 games ahead of seventh-place Idaho (6-8) and two games up on eighth-place Weber State (6-9). Eight teams in the 12-team Big Sky reach the post-season tournament.
     
Battling out it for the Big Sky title are Sacramento State (12-3), Montana (12-3), Eastern Washington (11-3) and Northern Arizona (10-4). Montana and Eastern Washington will meet in a game on Saturday in Cheney. The Big Sky Conference Tournament takes place Mar. 12-14 at the home of the regular season champion.
     
PSU's remaining schedule includes: Feb. 28 vs. SAC (12-3), Mar. 5 at NAU (10-4), Mar. 7 at SUU (5-9).
     
If the tournament started today, the Vikings would take the fifth seed and play Northern Arizona in a quarterfinal round game.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 14-11 this season, 9-3 at home, 5-8 on the road.
• The Vikings are 8-7 in the Big Sky Conference, 5-3 at home, 3-4 on the road.
• The Vikings are on a three-game winning streak and have also won three straight home games.
• PSU 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 150-55 in 205 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 181-70 at home over the past 19 seasons.
• Portland State is 57-26 at home in six seasons under Tyler Geving.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 94-29 at home, including 55-25 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.
 
HOT SHOTS
• SR G Gary Winston had a game-high 19 points in the win over Northern Colorado and passed 1,000 career points for his career.
• Portland State's bench had 36 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and only one turnover, making 13-20 shots (.650) in the win over Northern Colorado.
• SR F Sebastian Suarez (11 points) and JR C Collin Spickerman (10 points) each had career-high scoring nights against Northern Colorado.
• In the last six games SR F Tiegbe Bamba has scored 81 points (13.5), grabbed 44 rebounds (7.3) and had nine steals. He has made 30-45 (.667) from the field and 20-26 at the line (.769). Ironically, his surge has come since he moved from the starting lineup to a sixth-man role. Bamba has averaged more than 30 minutes per game in those six contests.
• SR G DaShaun Wiggins had 27 points in the win over North Dakota. It was the second-highest scoring output of his career. Wiggins has scored in double figures in 23 of 25 games this season.
• SR G Tim Douglas has 16 assists and just two turnovers in 69 minutes off the bench in the last three games.
• JR C Collin Spickerman blocked four shots against Northern Colorado and has 12 blocks in the last four games. He has blocked at least one shot in 16 straight games, and 22 of 25 overall. He ranks second in the Big Sky Conference (2.0) for the season and first (2.1) in Big Sky games. His 51 blocks ranks fourth all-time in a season at Portland State - seventh all-time for a career.
• PSU is on a school-record pace at the free throw line (.750) and ranks 18th in the nation overall.
 
NOT SO HOT
• SO F Braxton Tucker played only four minutes against Northern Colorado, going down with a knee contusion.
• SO G Bryce White will miss the remainder of the season due to low back problems.
• JR C Dorian Cason will miss the remainder of the season due to plantar fasciitis.
• Portland State has allowed opponents to shoot .392 from three-point range, ranking 337th in the nation (of 355).
• Portland State's -3.2 rebounding margin ranks 11th in the Big Sky Conference.
 
FAST FINISHES: Are the Vikings headed for another fast finish this season? The closing stretch of every season during Head Coach Tyler Geving's tenure has included a fast finish (i.e. a better record over a closing stretch than the record leading up to it).
 
Season Start Pct. Finish Pct. Final
2009-10 10-17      .370  3-2  .600  13-19
2010-11 11-14      .440  3-2  .600  14-16
2011-12 10-12      .454  7-3  .700  17-15
2012-13   5-16      .238  3-4  .429    8-20
2013-14 11-12      .478  6-3  .667  17-15
2014-15 11-11      .500  3-0 1.000            ?
 
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 also hitting at a school-record pace.
• PSU is shooting .750 at the line (401-535). The school record is .743 set in 2001-02 and matched in 2012-13.
• The Vikings have made almost as many free throws (401) than their opponents have attempted (422). The Vikings make 16 free throws per game while their opponents make only 12.
 
1,000 WATCH: SR G Gary Winston became only the 18th player in Portland State basketball history to score 1,000 points when he passed that number in a win over Northern Colorado (2/21). He is the eighth player  during the Big Sky Conference era (1996-present) to reach that milestone... here is where Gary stands on some of PSU's all-time lists:
 
Games Played: 109, t5th
Career Points: 1,013, 18th
Assists: 281, 8th
3-pt FGs: 165, 4th
3-pt FGAs: 386, 6th
3-pt FG%: .427, 5th
 
• Winston is second on the team in scoring (11.8), second in three-pointers (45) and first in assists (3.6).
• Winston scored 18 points with five rebounds and four assists in a win over Southern Utah (1/1).
• He had 19 points and career-high eight assists at Northern Colorado (1/8).
• Posted a season-high 25 points (9-16 FG, 5-9 3-pt, 2-2 FT) with five assists and four rebounds against Eastern Washington (1/15).
• Scored 23 points (9-19 FG, 4-11 3-pt, 1-2 FT) with four assists and three rebounds at Idaho (2/12).
• Totalled 19 points (6-12 FG, 5-8 3-pt, 2-2 FT) with two assists in a win over Northern Colorado (2/21).
• Winston has led the team in scoring six times and assists 14 times this season.
 
BEST OFF THE BENCH: Here are Portland State's top performances by players off the bench this season:
• SR G DaShaun Wiggins scored a career-high 32 points (12-18 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 5-10 FT) in 36 minutes off the bench in an overtime win against Southern Illinois Edwardsville (11/24).
• FR G Iziahiah Sweeney was 5-5 from the field for 10 points in 14 minutes at Portland (12/3).
• SR C Brandon Cataldo had career-highs of 16 points (8-9 FG) and 13 rebounds in a win over Walla Walla (12/22).
• SR G Tim Douglas posted 20 points (9-12 FG, 2-3 3-pt), seven assists and three steals in 31 minutes off the bench against Eastern Washington (1/15).
• SO G Zach Gengler had nine points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 25 minutes off the bench in a win over Idaho (1/17).
• Douglas tallied 17 points (5-8 FG, 3-3 3-pt, 4-4 FT) with a game-high five assists in 29 minutes off the bench in a win over Montana State (1/31).
• SR F Tiegbe Bamba was a perfect 5-5 from the field, scoring 13 points and grabbing a game-high seven rebounds in 27 minutes at Sacramento State (2/7).
• Bamba had 18 points (7-11 FG, 4-6 FT), seven rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes against Idaho (2/12).
• Bamba scored 12 points (5-8 FG, 2-2 FT) with nine rebounds and two steals in 30 minutes of a win over Eastern Washington (2/14).
• Bamba had 17 points (6-9 FG, 5-7 FT), nine rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist in 31 minutes in a win over North Dakota (2/19).
• Portland State's bench had 36 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and only one turnover, making 13-20 shots (.650) in the win over Northern Colorado.
 
GUARD STUFF: Portland State has excellent depth at guard. Although SR G Tim Douglas no longer starts for the Vikings, he has had his moments. And, SO G Zach Gengler has moved into the starting lineup due to the injury to SO G Bryce White. Here is some more guard stuff:
• SR G Tim Douglas has 16 assists and just two turnovers in 69 minutes off the bench in the last three games. He leads the Big Sky Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (49/17, 2.9) in league games.
• SO G Zach Gengler saw little playing time earlier in the season, but has averaged 25 minutes, 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals and made only eight turnovers over the last 10 games.
• SR G DaShaun Wiggins' .434 three-point percentage currently ranks sixth-best for a season in school history.
• FR G Iziahiah Sweeney has only six turnovers in 249 minutes of playing time this season.
 
SPICKERMAN PROVES REJECTION CAN BE A GOOD THING: JR C Collin Spickerman has provided a defensive presence for the Vikings this season. Spickerman has 51 blocks, already ranking fourth for a season in PSU history and seventh for a career.
• Though he is averaging only 19 minutes per game, Spickerman ranks second in the Big Sky Conference in blocks (2.0), first in league games (2.1).
• Spickerman tied a school record with six blocked shots in a win over CSU Bakersfield (12/23) set three times previously (Scott Morrison twice, Seth Scott once).
• He swatted four shots in a win at Weber State (1/22) and four in a win at Eastern Washington (2/14).
• Spickerman scored a career-high 10 points with five rebounds, four blocks and three assists in a win over Northern Colorado (2/21).
• Spickerman has blocked at least one shot in 16 straight games and 22 of 25 overall.
 
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 which is ninth in the Big Sky Conference.
• He shoots .434 from three-point range to lead the team and rank eighth in the Big Sky.
• Leads the team with 41 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).
• Posted 27 points (7-16 FG, 3-9 3-pt, 10-10 FT) with six rebounds and three assists in a win over North Dakota (2/19).
• Wiggins has scored in double figures in 23 games this season and led the team in scoring 13 times.
 
BAMBA's BOARDS: SR F Tiegbe Bamba has become the Vikings top rebounder with a stretch of excellent play in recent games. Bamba had back-to-back double-doubles on the road (1/22 and 1/24) and has averaged eight rebounds over the last 10 games.
• Bamba is averaging 11.0 points, a team-high 6.4 rebounds and shoots a team-high .576 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).
• Posted double-doubles at Weber State (1/22) and at Idaho State (1/24).
• Scored 18 points with seven rebounds and two steals at Idaho (2/12).
• Bamba had 17 points (6-9 FG, 5-7 FT), nine rebounds and two steals in a win over North Dakota (2/19).
• Has led the team in scoring three times and rebounding 13 times this season.
• Bamba ranks sixth in the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.576) and 11th in rebounding (6.4).
 
X-FACTOR: The extent of SO F Braxton Tucker's contributions this season may be a bit of a surprise. Tucker earned a starting job in preseason practice and has fluorished as a Viking post with a deadly mid-range jump shot. Tucker averages 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
• Tucker had 18 points (7-10 FG, 4-6 FT), with four rebounds and two blocks against CSU Bakersfield (12/13).
• Posted 20 points (10-15 FG) in a win at North Dakota (1/10). Hit key shot with 39.4 seconds left to seal win.
• Scored 19 points (9-16 FG, 1-1 FT) with seven rebounds and a block in a win over Idaho (1/17).
• Tallied season-high 21 points (9-12 FG, 3-5 FT) with six rebounds in win at Weber State (1/22).
• Had 18 points (8-18 FG, 2-2 FT), five rebounds and two blocks at Sacramento State (2/7).
• Tucker ranks 12th in the Big Sky in rebounding (5.5) and 11th in field goal percentage (.502).
• Has led the team in scoring five times and rebounding six times this year.
 
HOME-ROAD DIFFERENTIAL: Portland State is 9-3 at home this season, 5-8 on the road.
• PSU averages 78.2 points at home, shooting .470 from the field, .411 from three-point range and .767 at the line.
• The Vikings average 68.2 points on the road, shooting .419/.362/.731.
• PSU has been out-rebounded opponents at home (-2.0), and by 4.3 per game on the road.
• Opponents shoot .445 from the field, .387 from three-point range and .708 at the line in the Stott Center. They shoot .479/.398/.726 in their own arenas against the Vikings.
 
STRONG INDICATORS: Strong indicators of winning and losing through 25 games:
• The Vikings are 13-1 when leading at halftime, 1-10 when trailing at halftime.
• The Vikings are 6-2 when they out-rebound opponents.
• The Vikings are 10-2 when shooting a higher percentage than opponents.
• Portland State is 8-4 in games decided by eight points or less.
 
LINEUP ROULETTE: Head Coach Tyler Geving has used nine different starting lineups this season. The constant change was the result of numerous nagging injuries to different players and certainly affected team continuity.
• The most common starting unit has been SR G Gary Winston, SR G DaShaun Wiggins, SO G Bryce White, SO F Braxton Tucker and SR F Tiegbe Bamba. That group has eight starts and a 5-3 record. However, White is out for the season with low back problems.
• The current starting unit of SR G Gary Winston, SR G DaShaun Wiggins, SO G Zach Gengler, SO F Braxton Tucker and JR C Collin Spickerman has started six times and is 4-2.
• 10 different players have started games this season, none have started every game and only three players have competed in every game.
 
THE TYLER GEVING BASKETBALL SHOW: The Tyler Geving Basketball Show is available on Blog Talk Radio. The show takes place each Wednesday night, 10:30-11:00 pm, PDT. The link to listen changes each week, but the weekly link can be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tylergevingshow. Geving, a 10-year veteran of the Viking basketball program, is in his sixth season as head coach. He will talk Viking basketball, Big Sky basketball and review and preview games. Greg Crawford hosts the show.
 
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Players Mentioned

Tiegbe Bamba

#13 Tiegbe Bamba

F
6' 6"
Senior
JC
Brandon Cataldo

#44 Brandon Cataldo

C
6' 10"
Senior
3V
Tim Douglas

#11 Tim Douglas

G
5' 10"
Senior
1V
Zach Gengler

#1 Zach Gengler

G
6' 2"
Sophomore
1V
Joel  King

#34 Joel King

G
6' 3"
Senior
3V
Kyler Shula

#12 Kyler Shula

G
5' 10"
Junior
JC
Sebastian Suarez

#30 Sebastian Suarez

G
6' 4"
Senior
JC
DaShaun Wiggins

#23 DaShaun Wiggins

G
6' 2"
Senior
1V
Gary Winston

#0 Gary Winston

G
6' 0"
Senior
3V
Collin Spickerman

#2 Collin Spickerman

C
6' 8"
Junior
JC

Players Mentioned

Tiegbe Bamba

#13 Tiegbe Bamba

6' 6"
Senior
JC
F
Brandon Cataldo

#44 Brandon Cataldo

6' 10"
Senior
3V
C
Tim Douglas

#11 Tim Douglas

5' 10"
Senior
1V
G
Zach Gengler

#1 Zach Gengler

6' 2"
Sophomore
1V
G
Joel  King

#34 Joel King

6' 3"
Senior
3V
G
Kyler Shula

#12 Kyler Shula

5' 10"
Junior
JC
G
Sebastian Suarez

#30 Sebastian Suarez

6' 4"
Senior
JC
G
DaShaun Wiggins

#23 DaShaun Wiggins

6' 2"
Senior
1V
G
Gary Winston

#0 Gary Winston

6' 0"
Senior
3V
G
Collin Spickerman

#2 Collin Spickerman

6' 8"
Junior
JC
C
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