complete notes and stats in pdf

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (11-10, 5-6) vs. IDAHO VANDALS (9-12, 4-6)
Thursday, February 12, 7 p.m. • Cowan Spectrum (5,000), Moscow, ID
 
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
The middle of Portland State's Big Sky Conference schedule has been challenging to say the least. The Vikings are in the midst of a five-out-of-seven on the road stretch that includes games at the top two teams (Sacramento State, 10-1; Eastern Washington, 9-1) and a home game against the number-three team (Montana, 8-3). So far, the Vikings have played five of those games, going 2-3. This week wraps up the run through that gauntlet with games at Idaho and Eastern Washington.
     
Ironically, Thursday's game at eighth-place Idaho (9-12, 4-6) may be the most important contest of all for the Vikings (11-10, 5-6). PSU currently stands in a sixth place-tie in the Big Sky with Weber State. The Wildcats (5-6) get a home game against Southern Utah (2-8) on Thursday, while eighth-place Idaho (4-6) hosts the Vikings and ninth-place North Dakota (4-7) is at home against Montana (8-3). Eight teams get bids to the Big Sky Conference Tournament... well, you get the idea.
     
A Portland State win over the Vandals would be doubly valuable as PSU would maintain its position in the Big Sky standings and also hold a tie-breaker over Idaho. The Vikings previously beat the Vandals, 85-73, in Portland on Jan. 17.
     
Another reason Thursday's game means so much? Because the Vikings move on to play at juggernaut Eastern Washington (18-5) on Saturday. By then, the Eagles may hold first place alone. They host Sacramento State on Thursday.
     
Last Saturday, Portland State played well but dropped a close game at Sacramento State, 64-60. They will host the first-place Hornets on Feb. 28.
     
Portland State and Idaho meet this Thursday in a 7 p.m. game at Cowan Spectrum in Moscow. The Vandals are 7-3 in home games, while the Vikings are 4-7 on the road.
     
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. IDAHO
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 11-10. Idaho leads 7-3 in Moscow. The Vikings last played at Idaho on Feb. 18, 2012 - 77-68 Vandal victory.
• BIG SKY CONFERENCE SERIES: The Vikings lead the Big Sky series, 1-0, after winning the first-ever conference meeting on Jan. 17, 85-73, in Portland.
• STREAK: None
• LAST MEETING: Jan. 17 at PSU: Portland State 85, Idaho 73: A 21-8 first-half run by the Vikings grabbed control of the game. PSU led for the final 30 minutes of the contest... the Vikings did not commit a turnover until the final minute of the first half and only six in the game... stats were evenly matched except the Vikings had the advantage at the line (23-29 to 10-18). DaShaun Wiggins and Braxton Tucker shared scoring honors with 19 points each. Gary Winston added 14 points and seven assists... Idaho's Mike Scott hasd a big game with 15 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and two steals. The Vikings held three-point marksman Connor Hill to eight points.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (80-95, 6th season) is 1-2 all-time against Idaho. Vandals Coach Don Verlin (106-108/7th season) is 2-1 all-time against Portland State.
 
SCOUTING THE IDAHO VANDALS
• Idaho was 16-18 last season, 7-9 and tied for fifth in the Western Athletic Conference. The Vandals reached the WAC Tournament Championship game.  Three starters and seven letterwinners return from that team.
• The Vandals were previously members of the Big Sky Conference (1963-96) and have rejoined in 2014-15. Idaho won four Big Sky regular season and tournament titles, and made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament in their previous stint in the Big Sky.
• Idaho ranks second in the Big Sky Conference in scoring at 77.1 points per game while leading the league in three-point shooting at .423. That is also the second-best mark in the nation.
• The star of that three-point shooting barrage is Connor Hill. The senior guard shoots .456 from long distance (eighth in the nation) and makes 3.4 three-pointers per game (fifth in the nation). Hill leads the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game.
• Senior guard Mike Scott averages 14.3 points and a Big Sky-best 5.6 assists per game. Scott shoots .417 from behind the arc.
• Sophomore guard Sekou Wiggs (12.3 ppg) and senior forward Bira Seck (7.3 rpg, third in the Big Sky) are also key contributors.
• By virtue of its up-tempo style, Idaho ranks last in scoring defense, allowing 75.8 points per game.
 
THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE
Portland State has seven games remaining in its 18-game Big Sky Conference schedule. The Vikings play three home games and four on the road. At 5-6 and tied for sixth place, the Vikings would face third-place Montana (12-10, 8-3) if the eight-team Big Sky Tournament started today.
     
PSU is two games behind fifth-place Northern Colorado (12-10, 7-4) and a two-and-a-half behind fourth-place Northern Arizona (12-11, 7-3). The Vikings host UNC on Feb. 21, and play at NAU on Mar. 5.
     
The Vikings are just one game ahead of ninth-place North Dakota (8-14, 4-7).
     
Since eight of 12 teams get into the Big Sky Tourney - hosted by the regular season champion, Mar. 12-14 - it appears eight wins (8-10) would be needed to make the post-season. Nine wins (9-9) would seem to be a sure thing.
     
Sacramento State (10-1) and Eastern Washington (9-1) are battling to win the Big Sky Conference and the right to host the post-season tournament, Mar. 12-14. Thursday night's game between the two in Cheney will go a long way toward deciding that. The Hornets have won seven in a row while the Eagles have won five straight.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 11-10 this season, 7-3 at home, 4-7 on the road.
• The Vikings are 5-6 in the Big Sky Conference, 3-3 at home, 2-3 on the road.
• The Vikings opened the season with a four-game winning streak, matching the best streak of last season accomplished on three occasions.
• PSU has not won or lost more than two games in a row since Dec. 6.
 
HOT SHOTS
• SR F Tiegbe Bamba was a perfect 5-5 from the field, scoring 13 points and grabbing a game-high seven rebounds at Sacramento State.
• SR G Douglas is shooting .854 at the line this season currently ranking 10th-best in school history.
• JR C Collin Spickerman has blocked at least one shot in 12 straight games, and 18 of 21 overall. He ranks second in the Big Sky Conference (1.9), and first in league games (1.7). Spickerman has 39 blocks on the season, which ranks fifth all-time in a season at Portland State - 10th all-time for a career.
• SR G Gary Winston is averaging 13.4 points and 4.5 assists per game in conference play, after averaging 9.6  points and 3.2 assists in non-conference games.
• SR G DaShaun Wiggins has scored in double figures in 19 of 21 games this season.
 
NOT SO HOT
• The Vikings have lost three of their last four games.
• SO G Bryce White will miss the remainder of the season due to low back problems.
• Portland State has allowed opponents to shoot .389 from three-point range, ranking 333rd in the nation (of 355).
• Portland State's -3.6 rebounding margin ranks 11th in the Big Sky Conference.
 
NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS: Where Portland State stands in the NCAA statistical rankings through games of Feb. 8 (top 30 rankings):
• PSU ranks 22nd in the nation in free throw percentage (.742).
 
HOME-ROAD DIFFERENTIAL: Portland State is 7-3 at home this season, 4-7 on the road.
• PSU averages 76.8 points at home, shooting .468 from the field, .406 from three-point range and .750 at the line.
• The Vikings average 67.5 points on the road, shooting .414/.358/.735.
• PSU has been out-rebounded opponents at home (-1.0), and by 4.9 per game on the road.
• Opponents shoot .451 from the field, .387 from three-point range and .704 at the line in the Stott Center. They shoot .479/.392/.694 in their own arenas against the Vikings.
 
A HALFTIME LEAD SEEMS TO BE THE KEY: Portland State is 11-0 when leading at halftime, 0-10 when trailing at halftime.
 
CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT: Portland State opened the season with four straight wins, followed by three straight losses. Since that time, PSU has gone 14 games without winning or losing more than two in a row. The string looks like this: W, L, W, W, L, L, W, L, W, W, L, L, W, L (7-7)... if the Vikings follow that pattern, they stand to win their next two games.
 
OTHER STRONG INDICATORS: Strong indicators of winning and losing through 21 games:
• The Vikings are 6-1 when they out-rebound opponents (losing their first when out-rebounding Sacramento State).
• The Vikings are 7-2 when shooting a higher percentage than opponents.
• Portland State is 7-4 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.
• 10 different players have started games this season, none have started every game and only three players have competed in every game.
 
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 343-462 this year (.742).
• PSU has made almost as many charity shots (343) as its opponents have attempted (352).
• The Vikings average 22.0 free throw attempts per game. Opponents average only 16.9.
• SR G Tim Douglas ranks sixth in career free throw percentage at Portland State (.806). He is shooting .854 this year.
 
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).
 
MORE 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 ranks 10th-best in school history for a season in free throw percentage (.854).
• SO G Zach Gengler saw little playing time earlier in the season, but has averaged 25.7 minutes, 7.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals and made only five turnovers over the last six games.
• SR G DaShaun Wiggins' .451 three-point percentage currently ranks third-best for a season in school history.
 
GARY HAS WARMED UP: SR G Gary Winston started the season slow offensively, but has turned it on, raising his scoring average to 11.7. Winston also leads the Vikings with 3.8 assists and 32.3 minutes per game.
• In Big Sky Conference play, Winston averages 13.4 points and 4.5 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).
• 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).
• Winston has led the team in scoring four times and assists 13 times this season.
 
WINSTON HITS 100, AND SOON WILL HIT 1,000: SR G Gary Winston is a fourth-year player in the Viking program and is a rare player to compete in 100 career games... with 964 career points, Winston needs to average only 5.2 points over the next seven conference games to reach 1,000. He would be only the 18th Viking in history to reach that mark... here is where Gary stands on some of PSU's all-time lists.
Games Played: 105, 9th
Career Points: 964 (17 players have 1,000 career points and Winston is on pace to reach that total)
Assists: 272, 8th
Steals: 66
3-pt FGs: 156, 4th
3-pt FGAs: 366, 7th
3-pt FG%: .426, 5th
 
SPICKERMAN PROVES REJECTION CAN BE A GOOD THING: JR F Collin Spickerman has provided a defensive presence for the Vikings this season. He has 39 blocked shots through 21 games, already ranking fifth all-time for a season in PSU history.
• Though he is averaging only 18.7 minutes per game, Spickerman ranks second in the Big Sky Conference in blocks (1.9) for the season, and first in conference games (1.7).
• 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).
• Spickerman has blocked at least one shot in 12 straight games and 18 of 21 overall.
 
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 12.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
• Tucker has averaged 13.7 points and 5.5 rebounds, shooting .529 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).
• 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 field goal percentage (.508).
• Has led the team in scoring five times and rebounding five times this year.
 
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 15.3 per game which ninth in the Big Sky Conference.
• He shoots .451 from three-point range to lead the team and rank seventh in the Big Sky.
• Leads the team with 36 steals, ranking third 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 19 games this season and led the team in scoring 11 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 8.0 rebounds over the last eight games.
• Bamba is averaging 10.3 points, a team-high 6.1 rebounds and shoots a team-high .560 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).
• Has led the team in scoring three times and rebounding 10 times this season.
• Bamba ranks sixth in the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.560) and 11th in rebounding (6.1).
 
WHITE LIKELY TO MISS REMAINDER OF THE SEASON: SO G Bryce White is expected to sit out the remainder of the 2014-15 season due to back issues. White has played in 13 games, starting 10 for the Vikings, since transferring in from Chemeketa CC. He is averaging 9.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in 26 minutes per game... White had missed five games during the season due to the problems with his back before team doctors recommend he rest the remainder of the year.
 
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.