Complete notes and stats in pdf

---

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (8-4, 1-0) vs.
NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS (5-7, 1-0)
Saturday, December 31, 2016, 2:05 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR

---

Live Streaming Video and Audio: www.GoViks.com/Live • Pregame Show: 1:45 p.m. • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
 
THE OPENING TIP
It will be tough to match the show that Portland State put on in a 99-62 Big Sky Conference-opening win over North Dakota on Thursday. But the Vikings are sure going to try. PSU plays a rare Saturday afternoon game when it hosts Northern Colorado in the Stott Center and tries to get to 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2009.
     
The 8-4 Vikings are off to their best start since opening 10-3 in the 2008-09 season. They have won five straight games and seven of their last eight. PSU's five-game winning streak is the longest since a six-gamer late in that 2008-09 season. And, the Vikings have won eight straight at home dating to late last season.
     
Thursday's win was perhaps Portland State's best performance of the season. PSU shot .565 from the field, made 19 steals and scored a remarkable 51 points off turnovers in the blowout victory over UND. The Vikings led by as many as 28 in the first half and 40 in the second half, ripping off runs of 26-2 and 22-1 during the game. Seven players scored in double figures making for a great start to the Big Sky season for Portland State.
     
Also off to a strong start is Northern Colorado. The Bears pulled off a convincing 69-53 road win at Sacramento State on Thursday to get to 5-7, 1-0 on the season. UNC has won two games in a row.
     
The Bears will have to contend with one of the most dynamic offenses in the nation in Portland State. The Vikings rank seventh in scoring (90.7), seventh in assists (18.7) and seventh in field goal percentage (.513), as well as fifth in steals (10.6).
     
Portland State will be playing the third game in a four-game home stand. Saturday's game tips off at 2:05 p.m. The game is available via live video and audio stream at www.GoViks.com/Live. Live statistics can be found at www.ViksLive.com.
 
COMING UP
Portland State will conclude its four-game home stand next Saturday when it takes on Sacramento State. The 7:05 p.m. start will be the only game of the week for the Vikings.
     
PSU will play five of seven on the road after that, starting with a trip to Northern Arizona (Jan. 12) and Southern Utah (Jan. 14).
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. NORTHERN COLORADO
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series with Northern Colorado, 18-6, and the Big Sky series, 14-6... the Vikings won both meetings last year, 89-86, in Greeley, and 74-67, in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament in Reno... PSU has won five of the last six games in the series... the Vikings are 7-2 against the Bears in Big Sky Conference games played in Portland.
• LAST SEASON, Feb. 27, 2016 in Greeley: PSU 89, UNC 86: Calaen Robinson hit a three-point field goal with two seconds left to beat the Bears, 89-86. The lead had changed hands four times in the last two minutes of the game. Five Vikings scored in double figures, led by 17 points from Cameron Forte. The Vikings shot .571 for the game, compared to .545 for the Bears. Anthony Johnson scored 30 points to lead five in double figures for UNC. Mar. 8, 2016 in Reno (Big Sky Tournament first round): PSU 74, UNC 67: The Vikings led for 36 minutes of the game, and by as many as 16, then held off two late charges by the Bears. The Vikings had an edge at the free throw line (23-31 to 9-13) that made a difference. Cameron Forte scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebouinds, while De'Sean Parsons scored a career-high 21 off the bench. Jordan Wilson scored 20 points and Anthony Johnson had 17 for the Bears.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (105-121/8th season) is 8-6 all-time against Northern Colorado... Bears Head Coach Jeff Linder is in his first season at Northern Colorado. He is a former assistant at Boise State.
 
NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS
• Northern Colorado, located in Greeley, has been a member of the Big Sky Conference since 2006-07.
• The Bears program won the Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament titles in 2011.
• UND was 10-21 last season, 7-9 in the Big Sky Conference, placing ninth.
• Northern Colorado has placed a self-imposed post-season ban on its program for 2017.
• The Bears are 5-7 this season, 1-0 in Big Sky play after a Thursday win at Sacramento State. UNC is 1-6 on the road, and 1-1 in neutral site games.
• Sophomore guard Jordan Davis is averaging 20.0 points per game and had 21 against the Hornets. He ranks fourth in the Big Sky in scoring, and leads the league in assists (5.7).
• Sophomore guard Chaz Glotta averages 12.2 points and has a team-leading 32 three-point field goals.
• The Bears rank last in the Big Sky in free throw percentage (.626) and turnover margin (-2.3).
 
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 8-4 this season, 5-0 at home, 3-4 on the road.
• The Vikings have won five in a row and seven of their last eight games.
• Dating to last season, PSU has won eight straight home games.
• Portland State has its longest winning streak since winning six in a row late in the 2008-09 season.
Stott Stuff
• PSU has gone 163-62 in 225 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 194-77 at home over 21 seasons.
• Portland State is 70-33 at home in eight seasons under Tyler Geving.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 107-36 at home, including 61-29 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
• Portland State has lost only eight non-conference home games in the last 10 seasons (45-8). PSU is 25-8 against Division I schools, and 20-0 against lower division schools over that span.
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 168-176 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the Big Sky Tournament (10-11).
• PSU is 111-55 in home games, 53-114 in road games and 4-8 in neutral-site games.
• PSU is 81-78 in Big Sky games since the start of the 2007-08 season, 88-81 including tournament games.
 
WHO IS HOT?
• The Vikings are shooting .513 from the field and averaging 90.7 points per game - both of which are best in the Big Sky Conference.
• PSU ranks first in the Big Sky in assists (18.7), steals (10.6), scoring margin (+11.8), turnover margin (+5.25) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6).
• PSU had 19 steals against North Dakota - the second most in school history - and scored 51 points off 26 turnovers.
• SR G Calaen Robinson tied his career high with 23 points (7-11 FG, 5-7 3-pt, 4-4 FT) in the win at San Francisco. He followed that with the go-ahead three-point field goal (75-72) with 19 seconds left in a 77-75 win at Portland. Robinson scored 15 points (6-9 FG, 3-6 3-pt) in 14 minutes against Walla Walla. He had 18 points (7-12 FG, 4-8 3-pt), seven assists and a career-high six steals against North Dakota.
• Although he is the Vikings' sixth man, JR G Deontae North is averaging 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in the last seven games. He has made 40-75 from the field (.533) and 19-25 at the line (.760).
• De'Sean Parsons has made 16 of his last 23 field goals (.696).
• JR F Brandon Hollins (.628), JR C Traylin Farris (.616), SR G Zach Gengler (.557) and SR F De'Sean Parsons (.522) are all shooting above the team average.
 
STREAKING: Portland State has a five-game winning streak heading into Saturday's game. It is the longest winning streak of Head Coach Tyler Geving's career. His teams had seven four-game winning streaks prior to that. The previous longest winning streak was a six-gamer Feb. 19-Mar. 11, 2009. PSU's longest winning streak since joining the Big Sky Conference 21 seasons ago is nine (Jan. 13-Feb. 20, 2007). The school record is 12 (1954-55).
 
HOT SHOTS: Portland State is averaging 90.7 points per game - the most of any team in the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings have 99 or more points in five games this season. The scoring can be attributed to good shooting, an up-tempo pace, and an ability to force opponent turnovers.
• The Vikings shot .530 or better in six of their wins. They shot .435 and .484 in wins at San Francisco and Portland.
• Portland State shoots .513 from the field overall and has failed to score at least 70 points only once this season.
• PSU is forcing 16.6 turnovers per game while making 10.6 steals per game.
• PSU posted the most points in 38 years with a 118-59 win over Walla Walla (12/22). 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 shot .655 from the field in a 113-81 win over George Fox (11/17) and .571 in a win over UTRGV (12/3), including 13-22 from three-point range.
• 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.
 
BURN POINTS: Portland State had an amazing 51 points off turnovers (or burn points) against North Dakota. That continued a season-long trend of burning the opponents for their mistakes. The Vikings have scored 271 burn points this season (22.6 per game) to 149 for the opponents (12.4). Ironically, that +10.2 margin of difference is pretty close to PSU's scoring margin for the season (+11.8).
 
DOUBLE-DIGIT DYNAMICS: Portland State currently has five players averaging in double figures this season, with two more averaging 9.6 and 9.7 points: JR F Braxton Tucker (16.8), SR G Calaen Robinson (15.1), SR F De'Sean Parsons (12.4), JR G Bryce Canda (11.2) and JR G Deontae North (11.4).
• JR C Traylin Farris (9.7) and SR G Zach Gengler (9.6) have averaged double figures at various times this season.
• PSU has had at least five players score in double figures in nine of 12 games this season.
• Portland State has had 60 double-figure scoring games this season, an average of 5.0 players per game.
 
BIG SKY CONFERENCE LEADERS: Portland State leads the Big Sky Conference in:
• Scoring, 90.7 points per game
• Field Goal Percentage, .513
• Assists, 18.7 per game
• Steals, 10.6 per game
• Scoring margin, +11.8
• Turnover margin, +5.25
• Assist-to-turnover ratio, 1.6 (224/136)
• SR G Zach Gengler leads in assist-to-turnover ratio, 3.4 (37/11)
 
VIKINGS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS (top 30):
• Portland State ranks 5th in steals per game, 10.6
• Portland State ranks 7th in scoring, 90.7 per game
• Portland State ranks 7th in field goal percentage, .513
• Portland State ranks 7th in assists per game, 18.7
• Portland State ranks 8th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 1.7
• Portland State ranks 10th in turnover margin, +5.25
• SR G Zach Gengler ranks 18th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 3.4 (37/11)
• SR G Calaen Robinson ranks 11th in steals, 2.58 per game
 
MR. ROBINSON'S NEIGHBORHOOD: SR G Calaen Robinson has upped his play this season. He ranks second on the team in scoring at 15.1 points and first in assists (3.9) and steals (2.6).
• Robinson ranks second in the Big Sky with 2.6 steals per game and ranks 11th in the nation.
• He ranks 10th in scoring, eight in three-pointers made (2.6) and sixth in assists in the Big Sky Conference.
• Scored in double figures in 10 games with four 20-point games.
 
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 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists and has a team-leading 11 blocked shots. Those numbers are up from 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists last year.
• Parsons has scored in double figures in eight games with one 20-point game.
• He ranks 17th in scoring, ninth in field goal percentage and eighth in steals in the Big Sky Conference.
 
THE FARRIS WHEEL: JR C Traylin Farris has moved into the starting lineup in the past seven games due to JR F Braxton Tucker being unable to play.
• He averages 9.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game.
• Shooting .616 from the field to rank fourth in the Big Sky Conference.
 
NORTH-ERN EXPOSURE: JR G Deontae North is picking up the pace as the season progresses. After a slow start, North has averaged 16.3 points, 5.7 rebounds in the last seven games. He has made 40-75 from the field (.533) and 19-25 at the line (.760).
• He is the leading scorer off the bench with 11.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
 
CANDA CAN-DO: Newcomer JR G Bryce Canda has stepped into the starting lineup as a combo guard and been very productive. Canda is averaging 11.2 points, a team-high 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He is shooting .500 from the field and .400 from three-point range.
• He ranks 24th in the Big Sky in scoring, 10th in field goal percentage and sixth in steals (1.5).
• Has scored in double figures in nine games.
 
GENGLER'S GAMES: SR G Zach Gengler is the most experienced player on the Viking team, having played in 95 career games. He is on pace to finish in the top five in career games played at PSU.
• Gengler is averaging career-highs of 9.6 points and 3.1 assists per game. He is shooting .557 from the field, .500 from three-point range and .867 at the line.
• Ranks seventh in field goal percentage, fourth in three-point percentage in the Big Sky Conference.
• Scored in double figures eight times this season.
• In his 95 career games, Gengler has only 72 turnovers.
 
BRAXTON STILL BATTLING KNEE ISSUES: Head Coach Tyler Geving was happy to have Braxton Tucker back at the start of this season. 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. After being the Vikings' leading scorer throught the first five games of this season, Tucker has not played the last seven games due to knee soreness.
• He is averaging 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, shooting .493 from the field and .688 at the line.
• 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.
 
BEST OFF THE BENCH: Here are the Vikings top performances from players coming off the bench this season:
• SR G Khari Holloway scored 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).
• JR G Deontae North scored 18 points (6-10 FG, 4-6 3-pt, 2-2 FT) with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in a win over UTRGV (12/3).
• JR G Deontae North posted a team season-high 25 points (9-13 FG, 2-4 3-pt, 5-7 FT) with seven rebounds and four steals in 27 minutes at CSU Bakersfield (12/10).
• JR G Deontae North recorded 16 points (7-13 FG, 2-2 FT) with nine rebounds and two steals in a win over New Hope Christian (12/13).
• JR F Brandon Hollins scored 15 points (7-9 FG, 1-2 FT) with six rebounds, two steals and a block in the win over New Hope Christian (12/13).
• JR G Deontae North scored 11 points with seven rebounds in the win at San Francisco (12/16).
• JR G Deontae North had 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots in the win at Portland (12/20).
• SR G Khari Holloway had career-highs of 14 points (5-9 FG, 2-4 3-pt, 2-4 FT) and six assists in the win over Walla Walla (12/22).
• JR G Deontae North scored 18 points (7-9 FG, 4-6 3-pt) in 14 minutes against Walla Walla (12/22).
• JR G Deontae North had 14 points (5-10 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 1-3 FT), five rebounds and three assists in the win over North Dakota (12/29).
 
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). 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.
• The Vikings won their second game in a row in an 87-74 decision over UTRGV (12/3). PSU shot .571 from the field and .591 from three-point range (13-22). It was Head Coach Tyler Geving's 100th career win at Portland State. Five players were in double figures led by 20 points each from SR F De'Sean Parsons and SR G Calaen Robinson. Parsons added six rebounds, six assists, five steals and a blocked shot.
• SR F De'Sean Parsons was named College Sports Madness Big Sky Conference Player of the Week following the win over UTRGV (12/3). Parsons scored 20 points (8-14 FG, 1-1 3-pt 3-5 FT) with six rebounds, six assists, five steals and a block in the 87-74 win.
• JR G Deontae North posted a team season-high 25 points (9-13 FG, 2-4 3-pt, 5-7 FT) with seven rebounds and four steals in 27 minutes at CSU Bakersfield (12/10).
• Portland State scored 100 points for the third time this season with a 110-79 victory over New Hope Christian (12/13). The Vikings shot .570 from the field and were led by the 26 points and 11 rebounds from JR C Traylin Farris, who established a new PSU record for field goal percentage in a game (12-13, .923) with at least 10 shot attempts.
• The Vikings picked up an 82-78 road win at San Francisco (12/16) to improve to 5-4 on the season. Although they shot only .435 from the field, a season-best 22-26 (.846) from the free throw line made the difference. SR G Calaen Robinson tied his career high with 23 points (7-11 FG, 5-7 3-pt, 4-4 FT). JR C Traylin Farris scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half as the Vikings came back from a 13-point deficit with 16:45 to play.
• SR G Calaen Robinson was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 19 by College Sports Madness.
• The Vikings stretched their winning streak to three with a 77-75 win at Portland (12/20), ending a five-game losing streak to the Pilots. Six Vikings scored in double figures. SR G Calaen Robinson hit a go-ahead three-point field goal with 19 seconds left (75-72) on an assist from SR G Zach Gengler. Gengler then made a steal and hit two free throws in the closing seconds to ice the game.
• Portland State set a school-record, hitting 21-39 three-pointers in a 118-59 win over Walla Walla (12/22). The Vikings shot 45-77 (.584) for the game. They reached 100 points with over 10 minutes remaining in the game and scored the most points in 38 years. JR G Bryce Canda led the Vikings with 19 points (7-8 FG, 5-6 3-pt) in 15 minutes.
• PSU extended its winning streak to five games - the longest in eight years - with a 99-62 victory over North Dakota (12/29). The Vikings shot .565 from the field, had 19 steals, and scored 51 points off 26 UND turnovers. Seven players scored in double figures, led by SR G Calaen Robinson with 18 points (7-12 FG, 4-8 3-pt), seven assists and a career-high six steals.