complete notes and stats in pdf

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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (2-3) vs. UTRGV VAQUEROS (2-5)
Saturday, December 3, 2016, 4:35 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR

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Television: None
Live Streaming Video and Audio: www.GoViks.com/Live • Pregame Show: 4:15 p.m. • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
 
THE OPENING TIP
With a quality road win behind them, the Portland State Vikings return home looking to create a winning streak at the Stott Center. The Vikings beat Pepperdine on Sunday afternoon in Malibu, CA, 91-85, and now look ahead to a matchup with Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV).
     
The Vikings and Vaqueros will meet in a 4:35 p.m. game this Saturday at the Stott Center. It will part of a doubleheader with the Portland State women. The Viking women face UC Irvine at 2 p.m.
     
Portland State is now 2-3 in the early season. The Vikings won their only home game so far, a 113-81 decision over George Fox on Nov. 17. UTRGV is 2-5 this season with a game at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday prior to facing the Vikings.
     
Saturday's game with UTRGV will be a return game for last year's contest in Edinburg, TX. The Vikings won that game, 79-61.
     
PSU will try to keep the offense flowing against the Vaqueros. The Vikings are averaging a Big Sky Conference-best 87.2 points per game and shooting .492 as a team. They have scored 90+ in three of five games this season.
     
Meanwhile, UTRGV has been giving up 86.9 points per game. With the Vikings allowing just over 87 points per game as well, it figures to be an offensive showcase when the teams meet.
     
The game will be available via live video and audio stream at www.GoViks.com/Live. Live statistics are available at www.ViksLive.com.
 
GAME WEEK ACTIVITIES
THE TYLER GEVING BASKETBALL SHOW: Live every Wednesday night from 10:30-11 p.m. you can hear Tyler Geving talk Viking Basketball and other subjects at www.blogtalkradio.com/tylergevingshow. The show is hosted by Greg Crawford.
 
TICKETS: Season tickets begin at $150 for general admission. Tickets for all home games can be purchased at GoViks.com. Prices are $14 for general admission and $19 for reserved seats. Fans can also call the box office to purchase tickets at (503) 725-3307.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. UTRGV
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 2-0. The Vikings won last season at UTRGV, 79-61. The only previous meeting came on Feb. 1, 1977, a 78-72 PSU win at Edinburg.
• PORTLAND STATE vs. THE WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE: The Vikings will play two Western Athletic Conference opponents this season. PSU plays at CSU Bakersfield on Dec. 10. Portland State is 16-12 all-time against current members of the WAC... Head Coach Tyler Geving is 3-6 against members of the WAC, 1-0 against UTRGV.
• LAST SEASON, Nov. 22, 2015 in Edinburg, TX: PSU 79, UTRGV 61: Portland State opened an early double-digit lead on the Vaqueros and never gave it back. The Vikings held UTRGV to just 24-74 from the field (.324) while shooting .493 as a team. PSU also outrebounded the Vaqueros, 54-36. Isaiah Pineiro scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Vikings. Cameron Forte went for 16 points and 10 boards. Shaquille Hines scored 18 points to lead UTRGV. Dan Kimasa added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (99-120/8th season) is 1-0 all-time against UTRGV... Vaqueros Head Coach Lew Hill is in his first season at UTRGV.
 
UTRGV VAQUEROS
• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The athletic program goes by the acronym UTRGV. The school was formerly Texas Pan American and combined its athletic program with Texas Brownsville in 2015.
• The Vaqueros were 8-22 last season, 4-10 and tied for seventh in the WAC.
• The Vaqueros have two starters and four letterwinners returning this season.
• UTRGV is currently 2-5 on the season,  winning their last two games over Grambling State and St. Francis (NY). The Vaqueros play on Tuesday at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. 
• UTRGV is scoring 76.9 points per game, but allowing 86.9 per game. The Vaqueros are getting outrebounded by 6.8 per game, and outshot .482 to .424 from the field.
• Sophomore guard Antonio Green leads the team in scoring at 17.1 points per game. He has made 30-69 three-point field goals (.435).
• Junior guard Nick Dixon averages 16.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game while shooting .549 from the field.
 
GEVING GOING AFTER 100
This Saturday, Portland State Head Coach Tyler Geving will try to do something only one other coach in Viking history has done: win 100 career games. Geving is currently 99-120 in his eighth season at Portland State.
     
The only other 100-win coach is Sharkey Nelson (162-156 in 12 seasons, 1953-65). Marion Pericin (1965-72) actually won 100 games as Viking Head Coach, however 15 of those wins are not recognized by the NCAA as they came against Canadian universities.
     
Here is a list of Portland State's winningest coaches throughout its 56-year history of men's basketball:
 
1. Sharkey Nelson, 162-156, 1953-65
2. Tyler Geving, 99-120, 2009-17
3. Ken Edwards, 93-64, 1972-78 (96-64 overall, 3-0 in games against Canadian universities not recognized by NCAA)
4. Marion Pericin, 85-82, 1965-72 (100-86, 15-4 in games against Canadian universities not recognized by NCAA)
5. Arba Ager, 85-52, 1948-53
6. Ken Bone, 77-49, 2005-09
 
COMING UP
Portland State has a light schedule over the next two weeks. After the game with UTRGV, Portland State does not play again until Dec. 10 due to finals. PSU travels to face CSU Bakersfield on that day, then returns home to host New Hope Christian on Dec. 13.
 
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 2-3 this season, 1-0 at home, 1-3 on the road.
• Dating to last season, PSU has won four straight home 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).
Stott Stuff
• PSU has gone 159-62 in 221 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 190-77 at home over 21 seasons.
• Portland State is 66-33 at home in seven seasons under Tyler Geving.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 103-36 at home, including 60-29 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
• Portland State has lost only eight non-conference home games in the last 10 seasons (42-8). PSU is 24-8 against Division I schools, and 18-0 against lower division schools over that span.
 
WHO IS HOT?
• The Vikings are shooting .492 from the field and averaging 87.2 points per game - the most in the Big Sky Conference.
• PSU had 15 steals against Pepperdine, the most since getting 15 against Idaho State on Feb. 26, 2010. The last time they had more in a game was 17 against Warner Pacific on Dec. 21, 2004.
• The Vikings are forcing 16.8 turnovers per game.
• SR G Calaen Robinson scored 22 points (8-14 FG, 4-8 3-pt, 2-2 FT) with five rebounds, five assists and five steals in the win over Pepperdine.
• JR C Traylin Farris scored 23 points in 43 minutes of last week's two road games, making 11-15 shots from field (.733).
• SR F De'Sean Parsons had career highs of nine assists and four steals to go with 12 points and five rebounds in the win at Pepperdine.
• JR F Brandon Hollins (.727), JR C Traylin Farris (.636) and SR G Zach Gengler (.613) are all red-hot from the field this season.
 
WHO IS NOT?
• The Vikings are giving up 87.6 points per game.
• PSU is being outrebounded by 4.6 per game (10.3 per game in the three losses).
• JR G Deontae North is shooting .321 from the field, .125 from three-point range.
 
HOT SHOTS: It's early, but Portland State is averaging 87.2 points per game - the most of any team in the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings have eclipsed 100 points twice this season, and passed 90 three times. The scoring can be attributed to good shooting, an up-tempo pace, and an ability to force opponent turnovers.
• Last year, PSU averaged 77.7 points. The last time PSU averaged over 82 points was 1976-77 when the Vikings averaged 91.0 points per game.
• PSU forced 20 Pepperdine (11/27) turnovers on 15 steals, scoring 29 points off turnovers and 21 points on the fast break.
• 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.
 
BIG SKY CONFERENCE LEADERS: Portland State leads the Big Sky Conference in:
• Scoring, 87.2 points per game
• Assists, 18.8 per game
• Steals, 9.4 per game
• Assist-to-turnover ratio, 1.5 (94/63)
Portland State players lead the Big Sky Conference in:
• Calaen Robinson, steals, 2.6 pg
• Zach Gengler, assist-to-turnover ratio, 4.0 (16/4)
 
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. Despite an off game at Pepperdine, Tucker looks better than ever:
• He is averaging 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, shooting .493 from the field and .688 at the line.
• Ranks eighth 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 four times and rebounding three times.
• He has scored in double figures in four games and has two 20-point games.
 
MR. ROBINSON'S NEIGHBORHOOD: SR G Calaen Robinson ranks second on the team in scoring at 14.0 points and second in assists at 3.6 per game... Robinson leads the Big Sky with 2.6 steals per game.
• Ranks 11th in scoring and eighth in assists in the Big Sky Conference.
• 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).
• Had one of the best games of his career at Pepperdine (11/27) with 22 points (8-14 FG, 4-8 3-pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, five assists and five steals.
 
CANDA CAN-DO: Newcomer JR G Bryce Canda has taken over as the Vikings starting point guard. So far, so good. Canda is averaging 11.4 points, a team-leading 6.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He is shooting .528 from the field and .455 from three-point range.
• Ranks sixth in the Big Sky in assists and fifth in steals (1.3).
• Posted 16 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 3-pt, 4-4 FT) with five rebounds and three steals in a win at Pepperdine (11/27).
 
THE DE'SEAN PARSONS PROJECT: SR F De'Sean Parsons has moved into the starting lineup this season after finishing 2015-16 strong. He is averaging 10.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and a team-leading 3.8 assists. Those numbers are up from 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists last year.
• Parsons is shooting .526 from the field.
• Had one of the best games of his career with 12 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals in a win at Pepperdine (11/27).
 
GENGLER'S GAMES: SR G Zach Gengler is the most experienced player on the Viking team, having played in 88 career games. He is on pace to finish in the top five in career games played at PSU.
• Gengler is averaging career-highs of 9.8 points and 2.6 assists per game. He is shooting .613 from the field and .444 from three-point range.
• Leads the Big Sky Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.0), and ranks fifth in field goal percentage.
• In his 88 career games, Gengler has only 65 turnovers.
 
THE FARRIS WHEEL: JR C Traylin Farris is quickly becoming the Vikings' key player off the bench. He is averaging 8.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game.
• Shooting .636 from the field to rank third in the Big Sky Conference.
• Averaging 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and shooting .737 in his last three games.
 
FREE IS A GOOD PRICE: SR G Khari Holloway came to PSU with a reputation as a great free throw shooter. He led the nation at the junior college level with a .931 percentage in 2014-15. Last year for the Vikings, Holloway was 16-19 (.842) at the line. This year, he is shooting a team-leading 15-16 (.938) to rank third in the Big Sky Conference.
 
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.
• JR C Traylin Farris scored 13 points (6-9 FG, 1-2 FT) with four rebounds in a win at Pepperdine (11/27).
 
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).
• Portland State forced 20 turnovers with 15 steals and shot .530 from the field in a 91-85 win at Pepperdine (11/27). SR G Calaen Robinson led the way with 22 points (8-14 FG, 4-8 3-pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, five assists and five steals. For the second time this season, six Vikings scored in double figures.