Complete notes and stats pdf
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-2) vs. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT (1-2)
Friday, November 25, 2016, 7 p.m. • Gersten Pavilion (4,156), Los Angeles, CA
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-2) vs. PEPPERDINE (3-0)
Sunday, November 27, 2016, 2:30 p.m. • Firestone Fieldhouse (3,104), Malibu, CA
 
(Both games)
Television: None
Live Streaming Video and Audio: www.TheW.tv
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
 
THE OPENING TIP
Portland State takes a post-Thanksgiving trip to southern California to take on a pair of West Coast Conference opponents as the non-conference season rolls on for the Vikings. The games continue a challenging stretch of four out of five on the road to open the 2016-17 season.
     
PSU is looking for its first road win of the season, and to end a three-game road losing streak dating to last year, when it plays Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine. Those schools are two of four non-conference road games at West Coast Conference schools (also San Francisco, Dec. 16, and Portland, Dec. 20).
     
The 1-2 Vikings will head south knowing one thing: they can put points on the board. Through three games, the Vikings are averaging 94.3 points and shooting .515 from the field. The up-tempo approach is working for Coach Tyler Geving's squad as six players are averaging 9.0 points or better, led by 21.7 per game from JR F Braxton Tucker. Tucker is shooting .565 from the field and scoring from all over the floor as attested by his 3-7 three-point shooting (.429).
     
On the other side of the ledger, the Vikings are giving up 91.7 points. They must also shore up their rebounding as they were "out-glassed" on boards by 12.0 per game in two opening losses to Arizona State and Cal State Fullerton.
     
The Vikings will play at Loyola Marymount on Friday evening. The Lions go into that game at 1-2 with a win over Vanguard University and losses to Nevada and UConn. Tip-off is 7 p.m. at Gersten Pavilion.
     
Sunday's game at Pepperdine will tip at 2:30 p.m. The Waves have gotten off to a fast start at 3-0 with wins over Cal Poly, Weber State and Life Pacific. Pepperdine will play three games this week prior to facing the Vikings. The Waves play at the Lone Star Showcase in Cedar Park, TX, Monday through Wednesday with games against Central Michigan, Little Rock and St. Bonaventure.
     
A live video stream is available for both of Portland State's road games at www.TheW.tv. Live stats can be found at www.ViksLive.com.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 3-2. The Vikings are 1-2 at LMU, winning a game on Dec. 16, 2000, 66-62... the last meeting between the schools was a 66-56 Lions' win in Los Angeles, on Dec. 1, 2012.
• PORTLAND STATE VS. THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE: The Vikings will play four West Coast Conference opponents this season, all on the road. Portland State is 33-70 all-time against current members of the WCC... Head Coach Tyler Geving is 4-9 against the WCC, 1-1 against Loyola Marymount.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (98-119/8th season) is 1-1 all-time against Loyola Marymount... Lions Head Coach Mike Dunlap (23-42/3rd year) has never faced the Vikings.
 
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS
• Loyola Marymount University is a member of the West Coast Conference. The Lions were 14-17 last season, 6-12 and tied for seventh in the WCC.
• The Lions have three starters and seven letterwinners returning this season.
• Off to a 1-2 start, the Lions are averaging 75.0 points and giving up 65.0. They have held opponents to .386 field goal shooting and .222 three-point shooting. 
• Senior forward Buay Tuach leads the Lions with 14.3 points per game. He has made 7-13 three-pointers (.538) through three games. Also scoring in double figures is senior guard Kelvin Amayo at 11.7 points per game.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. PEPPERDINE
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Pepperdine leads the all-time series, 3-2. The Waves won the first three times in the series, all coming between 1967 and 1979. The Vikings have won the last two meetings, Dec. 13, 2009 in Malibu (93-81) and Nov. 12, 2010 in Portland (83-81).
• PORTLAND STATE VS. THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE: The Vikings will play four West Coast Conference opponents this season, all on the road. Portland State is 33-70 all-time against current members of the WCC... Head Coach Tyler Geving is 4-9 against the WCC, 2-0 against Pepperdine.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (98-119/8th season) is 2-0 all-time against Pepperdine... Waves Head Coach Marty Wilson (79-91/7th year) is 0-1 against the Vikings.
 
PEPPERDINE WAVES
• Pepperdine University is a member of the West Coast Conference. The Waves were 18-14 last season, 10-8 and in fourth place in the WCC.
• The Waves have three starters and six letterwinners returning this season.
• Pepperdine has started the season 3-0 with all three games at home. This week, the Waves play three games at the Lone Star Showcase before playing the Vikings.
• The Waves have outshot opponents .481 to .422,  but shoot only .263 from three-point range and .609 at the free throw line.
• Lamond Murray was a second team All-WCC selection in 2015-16. He has started the 2016-17 season like a first teamer averaging 28.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Murray is shooting .548 from the field and has made 6-8 three-pointers.
• Senior forward Chris Reyes is averaging 16.7 points, a team-best 8.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and has eight blocked shots. He has made 20-27 field goals for a remarkable .741 percentage.
• Senior guard Amadi Udenyi averages 9.7 points and has team-leading marks of 6.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
 
COMING UP
Portland State will have a light schedule over the next two weeks. The Vikings return home to host Texas Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 3 at the Stott Center. The game tips off at 4:35 p.m. as the second half of a doubleheader with the Viking women (vs. UC Irvine). On Dec. 10, Portland State travels to face CSU Bakersfield.
 
COMING SOON: AN ALL NEW VIKING PAVILION
The Peter W. Stott Center will remain the home court for the Vikings in 2016-17 while major construction is underway on the eastern portion of the building. That development will become the new Viking Pavilion, a venue that will seat 3000+ for basketball. A completion date is scheduled for winter 2018. PSU will find an alternate home court for 2017-18 until the new Pavilion is opened.
    
So, enjoy the current Stott Center while you can. With construction underway on the new Viking Pavilion, the Stott's main gym is in its final season of use. In fact, the gym, the academic center, the training room, and the new weight room are almost all that is left of the current facility.
     
This season, the Stott Center will be using makeshift ticketing, concessions and restroom facilities. At the end of this season, the gym will be taken off-line and transformed with the remainder of the building into the new Viking Pavilion.
     
Meanwhile, Pardon Our Dust.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 1-2 this season, 1-0 at home, 0-2 on the road.
• Dating to last season, PSU has won four straight home games.
• Dating to last season, PSU has lost three straight road games.
• The Vikings were 13-18 last season, 8-10 in the Big Sky Conference. Portland State's longest winning streak was four games (Feb. 27-Mar. 8).
 
WHO IS HOT?
• PSU posted the most points in 38 years with a 113-81 win over George Fox (11/17). The Vikings shot .655 from the field. The last time PSU scored more was a 133-110 win over Rocky Mountain on Feb. 5, 1978 - a game in which Freeman Williams scored a PSU-record 81 points.
• The Vikings are shooting .515 from the field and averaging 94.3 points per game.
• JR F Braxton Tucker has scored career-highs in consecutive games: 22 points at Cal State Fullerton (10-19 FG, 2-3 3-pt FG), then 24 points vs. George Fox (8-10 FG, 8-11 FT).
• SR G Calaen Robinson scored a career-high 23 points in the win over George Fox (8-14 FG, 3-8 3-pt FG, 4-7 FT).
• JR F Brandon Hollins scored 18 points (7-7 FG, 4-6 FT) in the win over George Fox, matching a Portland State record for most field goals made in a game without a miss (also Anthony Washington, 2006, and Aaron Moore, 2012).
 
WHO IS NOT?
• The Vikings are giving up 91.7 points per game.
• PSU is being out-rebounded by 3.0 per game (12.0 in the two losses).
 
BRAXTON IS BACK!: Head Coach Tyler Geving is happy to have Braxton Tucker back healthy and playing for the Vikings. PSU was 14-11 back in 2014-15 when Tucker went down with a knee injury. The Vikings finished the season 1-3, then went 13-18 last year as he redshirted the season. Upon his return this year, Tucker looks better than ever:
• He is averaging 21.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, shooting .565 from the field and .714 at the line.
• Ranks fifth in scoring in the Big Sky Conference.
• Tucker has posted career-scoring highs in back-to-back games: 22 points at Cal State Fullerton (10-19 FG, 2-3 3-pt FG), then 24 points vs. George Fox (8-10 FG, 8-11 FT).
• Tucker has led the team in scoring three times and rebounding twice.
• He has scored in double figures in all three games and has two 20-point games.
 
MR. ROBINSON'S NEIGHBORHOOD: SR G Calaen Robinson posted a career-high 23 points (8-14 FG, 3-8 3-pt, 4-7 FT) in the Vikings win over George Fox (11/17). Robinson is averaging 14.3 points per game to rank second on the team.
 
THE DE'SEAN PARSONS PROJECT: SR F De'Sean Parsons has moved into the starting lineup this season after finishing 2015-16 strong. Through three games Parsons is averaging 12.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, up from 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds last year.
• Parsons is shooting .609 from the field.
 
CANDA CAN-DO: Newcomer JR G Bryce Canda has taken over as the Vikings starting point guard. So far, so good. Canda is averaging 11.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He is shooting .500 from the field and .438 from three-point range.
• Ranks sixth in the Big Sky in assists and fifth in steals (1.3).
 
GENGLER'S GAMES: SR G Zach Gengler is the most experienced player on the Viking team, having played in 86 career games. He is on pace to finish in the top five in career games played at PSU.
• Gengler is averaging 9.0 points and 2.3 assists per game. He is shooting .611 from the field.
• Ranks sixth in field goal percentage in the Big Sky Conference.
• In his 86 career games, Gengler has only 62 turnovers.
 
BEST OFF THE BENCH: Here are the Vikings top performances from players coming off the bench this season:
• SR G Khari Holloway scored a career-high 13 points against Cal State Fullerton (11/13).
• JR C Traylin Farris had seven points, a team-high nine rebounds and two blocked shots at Cal State Fullerton (11/13).
• JR F Brandon Hollins scored 18 points and tied a PSU record by making 7-7 field goals. He added four rebounds and three steals.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL
• Despite the 106-100 double-overtime loss to Cal State Fullerton (11/13), the Vikings got career-high scoring performances from JR F Braxton Tucker (22 pts) and SR G Khari Holloway (13 pts).
• The Vikings won their first game of the season, a 113-81 decision over George Fox (11/17). It was the most points scored by a Viking team in 38 years as the Vikings shot .655 from the field. JR F Braxton Tucker posted a career-high 24 points (8-10 FG, 8-11 FT) with 10 rebounds. SR G Calaen Robinson also had a career-high with 23 points (8-14 FG, 3-8 3-pt, 4-7 FT).
• JR F Brandon Hollins tied a PSU record by making 7-7 field goals in a game, scoring 18 points in the win over George Fox (11/17).
 
2016-17 SEASON NOTES
• Portland State begins its 21st season as a member of the Big Sky Conference in 2016-17. 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... PSU's trip to the CollegeInsider.com post-season tournament in 2013-14 was its first Division I post-season tournament other than its previous NCAA trips.
•     The Vikings' non-conference schedule includes four home games and seven road games. PSU will host Texas-Rio Grande Valley of the Western Athletic Conference. The Vikings also play at WAC opponent CSU Bakersfield. Portland State plays on the road at four West Coast Conference opponents; Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, San Francisco and Portland. The other road games are at Arizona State and Cal State Fullerton. PSU will also host home games with George Fox, Walla Walla and New Hope Christian.
• Media outlet College Sports Madness has made JR F Braxton Tucker a Preseason 3rd Team All-Big Sky Conference selection. CSM has also picked FR F Brendan Rumel as the Big Sky's Preseason Freshman of the Year.
 
PORTLAND STATE IN THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE
• Portland State is in its 21st season of Big Sky Conference play. PSU won the 2004-05 and 2007-08 Big Sky Conference regular season titles. The Vikings have had eight winning records in conference play and earned 13 Big Sky Tournament berths in 17 seasons eligible, winning the 2008 and 2009 Big Sky Conference Tournament titles.
• Portland State was picked to place eighth in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, ninth in the Big Sky Media Poll (polls listed on page 7 of this release).
• The 18-game Big Sky Conference schedule is unbalanced due to the 12-team membership. Due to the unbalanced schedule Portland State will not host Idaho or Eastern Washington, and will not travel to Idaho State and Weber State.
• This marks the second year in Big Sky history in which all 12 teams will qualify for the post-season tournament. It also marks the second time that the tournament will be hosted at a neutral site; Reno, NV. The tournament takes place on Mar. 7-11 with the top four teams earning first-round byes into the quarterfinals.
• This season Northern Colorado will not participate in the Big Sky Tournament due to a self-imposed ban. That will give the top five teams byes into the quarterfinals.
• The Vikings are 10-11 all-time in the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
 
VIKING BASKETBALL SIGNS FOUR TO NLIs
Portland State Head Coach Tyler Geving announced the signing of four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2017-18 academic year during the November signing period. It is the largest early signing class for Geving in his eight seasons as a head coach at PSU.
     
The Vikings have added local high school star Elijah Gonzales from Clackamas, another prep star out of Phoenix, AZ, Holland Woods, and two junior college transfers, Aaron Ray and Narcisse Kalamba.
     
Ray and Kalamba are coached by brothers at their respective colleges. Brady Trenkle coaches Ray at Garden City (KS) CC, and Swede Trenkle coaches Kalamba at Hill (TX) JC.
     
"Our staff did a great job of identifying talent across the country and we are enthusiastic about the four players we signed," said Geving. "We feel like we signed two outstanding high school guards who will have a big impact on our program for the next four years. Our two junior college players are very talented and we feel fortunate to sign them both early. We feel both will have a big impact on our program next year. I know all four recruits are excited about playing in the new Viking Pavilion as well. This new arena project on campus helped in the recruitment of all four players."
     
Here is the early signing class for Portland State basketball for 2017-18:
 
Elijah Gonzalez, G, 5-8, 150, FR, HS, Clackamas, OR (Clackamas HS)
Named Oregonian first team All-State as a junior at Clackamas High School… named second team All-State by USA Today… named Player of the Year and first team All-Mt. Hood Conference… his team advanced to the quarterfinals of the Oregon 6A state tournament before being knocked out by South Salem… scored 40 points in a playoff win over Franklin High School.
 
Holland Woods, G, 6-0, 170, FR, HS, Phoenix AZ (Apollo HS)
Averaged 22.1 points, 7.5 assists and 2.9 steals per game as a junior… his sophomore season averaged 14.3 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
 
Aaron Ray, G, 6-2, 210, JR, JC, Middletown, NY (Garden City (KS) CC)
Averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds as a freshman at Garden City CC… shot .490 from the field, .447 from three-point range and .766 at the line… brother of Allan Ray, who played at Villanova and in the NBA.
 
Narcisse Kalamba, G/F, 6-6, Montreal, Quebec (Hill (TX) JC)
Averaged 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game as a freshman at Clarendon Junior College… shot .442 from the field, .330 from three-point range and .538 at the line.