complete notes and stats in pdf

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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (8-16, 4-9) vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (16-10, 10-4)
Saturday, February 20, 2016, 7:05 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR
Live Video and Audio: www.GoViks.com • Pre-game Show: 6:45 p.m. • Play-by-Play: Tom Hewitt
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com

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THE OPENING TIP
Portland State faces a tall task on Saturday night when it hosts Eastern Washington in a Big Sky Conference game. The Eagles come to the Stott Center as the hottest team in the Big Sky, having won seven games in a row and averaging 90.9 points in those contests. Meanwhile, the Vikings have hit a rough stretch of four straight losses - their longest losing streak of the season.
     
PSU comes off an 80-74 Thursday night loss at home to Idaho. That has the Vikings at 8-16 on the season, 4-9 in the Big Sky Conference. PSU is in ninth place in the 12-team Big Sky, one game behind Northern Colorado (5-8) and one game ahead of Sacramento State (3-10).
     
Eastern Washington defeated Sacramento State 93-88 on Thursday, improving to 16-10 overall, 10-4 in the Big Sky Conference. The Eagles, who are currently in third place, still hold an outside shot at winning the Big Sky regular season title. They are a game-and-a-half behind Montana and Weber State (both 11-2).
     
The Eagles bring the Big Sky's top offense to the Stott Center on Saturday (83.5 ppg, top field goal percentage, three-point percentage and most three-pointers made).
     
Portland State features the hot hand of Cameron Forte, who had 23 points and 16 rebounds on Thursday. Forte has five double-doubles in his last eight games and leads the team with 17.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
     
Eastern Washington has the league's leading scorer in guard Austin McBroom (21.3 ppg, 3.7 3-pt FG made per game) and top shooter in forward Venky Jois (.692 FG%, 16.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg).
     
The Vikings are 5-6 at home this season while Eastern Washington is 6-10 on the road.
     
Saturday's game tips off at 7:05 p.m. Live video, audio and stats are available at www.GoViks.com.
 
COMING UP
After this Saturday's game, Portland State goes out on its final road trip. PSU plays at North Dakota (7-6) on Feb. 25 and Northern Colorado (5-8) on Feb. 27. The regular season wraps up with home games against Northern Arizona (3-11, Mar. 3) and Southern Utah (2-12, Mar. 5).
     
The Big Sky Conference Tournament runs Mar. 8-12 in Reno, NV. The Vikings are currently in ninth place in the Big Sky. If the tournament were to start today, PSU would face eighth-place Northern Colorado.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 24-21, and the Big Sky Conference series, 21-20. However, the Eagles won the most recent meeting, Jan. 28 in Cheney, and won in last year's game at the Stott Center. Still, the Vikings have won 12 of 16 dating back to 2008.
• JAN. 28 IN CHENEY, EWU 112, PSU 83: Eastern Washington made a school-record 20-31 three-point field goals in a wire-to-wire win. The Eagles shot .638 from the field and .645 from three-point range. Austin McBroom scored 25 points with five assists. Venky Jois had 23 points and nine rebounds. The Vikings gave up the most points ever and most three-point field goals ever in a Big Sky game. Cameron Forte scored 37 points for PSU - the most by a Viking in four years - making 13-24 field goals and 11-20 free throws. The 20 free throw attempts were a school record.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (92-115, 7th season) is 9-4 all-time against Eastern Washington. Eagles Head Coach Jim Hayford (82-73, 5th season) is 3-6 all-time against Portland State.
 
EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES
• The Eagles joined the Big Sky Conference in 1987-88. They have won two Big Sky regular season titles, two Big Sky Tournament titles and made two trips to the NCAA Tournament. The most recent was last season, when the Eagles were 26-9 overall.
• Eastern Washington is 16-10 this season, 10-4 in the Big Sky Conference and is currently the hottest team in the league winning seven games in a row.
• The Eagles lead the Big Sky Conference in scoring (83.5), field goal percentage (.501), three-point percentage (.396) and three-point field goals made (10.6).
• Guard Austin McBroom leads the Big Sky Conference in scoring at 21.3 points per game. He has made a league-high 92 three-point field goals. McBroom also leads the Eagles in assists at 3.8 per game.
• Forward Venky Jois averages 16.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots per game. He also shoots a league-leading .692 from the field.
• Also performing well for the Eagles are guard Felix Von Hofe (13.2 ppg, 77 3-pt FG) and forward Bogdan Bliznyuk (12.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.0 apg).
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
 
WHO IS HOT?
• GR F Cameron Forte led the Vikings in every statistical category against Idaho, scoring 23 points (8-11 FG, 1-1 3-pt FG, 6-6 FT) with 16 rebounds, five assists, four steals, two blocked shots and four turnovers.
• GR F Cameron Forte has made 90-139 shots in the last 11 games (.647). Forte has five double-doubles in his last eight games.
• JR G Zach Gengler has a 38/11 assist-to-turnover ratio in Big Sky play to lead the Big Sky Conference (4.1).
• JR G Zach Gengler has made 32-36 free throws this year (.889), while JR G Khari Holloway is 9-9 (1.000).
 
WHO IS NOT?
• Portland State is shooting .317 from three-point range and .648 from the free throw line, both of which rank last in the Big Sky Conference.
• The Vikings have lost four in a row, six of their last seven, and eight of 10 games overall.
• PSU ranks last in the Big Sky in three-point field goals made per game (5.6).
 
BIG SKY CONFERENCE LEADERS
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in assists per game (17.0).
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in steals per game (8.1).
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3).
• GR G Donivine Stewart leads the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7).
In Big Sky Conference games...
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in assists (16.5).
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in steals (8.3).
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4)
• SR C Collin Spickerman leads the Big Sky in blocked shots in conference games (2.1).
 
SHOOTING MATTERS
Portland State leads the Big Sky Conference in assists, steals, assist-to-turnover ratio and shoots a respectable .461 from the field (4th in the Big Sky). So, why have the Vikings struggled in recent weeks? They rank last in the Big Sky in free throw shooting (.648) and three-point shooting (.317) and have made the fewest three-pointers in the league (5.6 per game). The last two seasons PSU went 17-15 and 15-14 producing similar field goal shooting numbers (.460 and .440). However, they shot far better from three-point range and the free throw line: .361/.731 and .381/.742, respectively.
 
FEATS OF FORTE
GR F Cameron Forte has had an excellent season, particularly in recent weeks. Here are a few of the feats of Forte in recent days:
• Forte scored 37 points at Eastern Washington (1/28), the most by a Viking in four seasons.
• Forte scored 20 points (7-9 FG, 6-9 FT) and hauled down 20 rebounds at Idaho (1/30). The 20 rebounds were the most by a Vikings in 20 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
• Forte had a string of five consecutive 20-10 games on the road (including a 20-20 game). He averaged 27.0 points and 13.8 rebounds in those games.
• Forte leads the Vikings in scoring (17.8), rebounds (9.3) and field goal percentage (.566).
• For the season, Forte has nine double-doubles, including five in the last eight games.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL
• With a 105-60 win over Pacific Lutheran (11/13), Portland State had its first 100-point performance in a counting game since a 102-47 win over Walla Walla on Dec. 3, 2011. It was the most points by a Viking team since a 108-56 win at Montana on Mar. 1, 2008. GR F Cameron Forte had 22 points and eight rebounds and JR G Bryce White scored 20 points with four assists.
• SO F Isaiah Pineiro posted 24 points and 14 rebounds in a 79-61 win at UT Rio Grande Valley (11/22). GR F Cameron Forte had a double-double as well with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
• The Vikings had their second 100-point game of the season with a 100-82 win over Multnomah (11/28). GR F Cameron Forte had 31 points on 15-26 shots while grabbing 10 rebounds. JR G Calaen Robinson scored 13 points and handed out 11 assists - the most by a Viking since Feb. 5, 2009 - in the win.
• JR G Zach Gengler scored a career-high 17 points in the Vikings' 78-72 loss to Portland (12/2).
• SR C Collin Spickerman scored a career-high 15 points in the Vikings' 74-64 loss at SIUE (12/12).
• JR G Calaen Robinson had a career-high 21 points (7-11 3-pt FG) in the Vikings' 77-71 loss to CSUN (12/17).
• SO F Isaiah Pineiro had his second 20-point game of the season, posting 21 points (9-14 FG, 3-3 FT) with five rebounds and three assists as the Vikings beat Cal State Fullerton, 89-82 (12/29). GR G Donivine Stewart added a season-high 17 points (6-8 FG, 3-4 3-pt FG, 2-6 FT) with five assists and two steals in the game. Five Vikings scored in double figures as PSU washing away a five-game losing streak.
• Portland State opened Big Sky Conference play with a 76-68 win over Sacramento State (1/2). The Vikings held the Hornets to 40% shooting and forced 16 turnovers. JR G Bryce White's 19 points led four Vikings in double figures as PSU won its second game in a row. The Vikings also ended four-game losing streak to the Hornets.
• The Vikings won for the third time in four games with a 77-70 victory at Montana State (1/9). It was PSU's first win in Bozeman in six years. GR F Cameron Forte scored 26 points (12-18 FG, 2-4 FT) and grabbed 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. JR G Bryce White matched his career-high with 20 points and four rebounds.
• Portland State had its best shooting night of the season, hitting 34-53 shots (.642) in an 81-63 win at Sacramento State (1/23). PSU also had a season-high 26 assists. GR F Cameron Forte posted his fifth double-double of the season with 26 points (12-15 FG) and 12 rebounds. JR G Zach Gengler handed out a career-high eight assists.
• GR F Cameron Forte scored 37 points (13-24 FG, 11-20 FT) and grabbed 13 rebounds at Eastern Washington (1/28). His 37 points were the most by a Viking in four seasons and the most by any player in the Big Sky in 2015-16.
• GR F Cameron Forte recorded the first 20-rebound game by a Viking in its Big Sky Conference history (20 seasons). He had 20 boards to go with 20 points (7-9 FG, 6-9 FT) in the Vikings loss at Idaho (1/30).
• SO F Isaiah Pineiro and JR F De'Sean Parsons came off the bench to combined for 35 points, 16 rebounds, five steals and three assists in an 83-68 win over Montana State (2/4). Pineiro scored 22 points (7-12 FG, 8-9 FT), while Parsons had 13 points (5-6 FG, 1-1 3-pt, 2-3 FG) and season-highs of 13 rebounds and four steals. SR C Collin Spickerman added 13 points (6-9 FG, 1-2 FT) and a season-high six blocked shots. The Vikings shot .604 for the game.
• Despite the loss, Portland State shot over 60% for the second game in a row against Montana (2/6). PSU was 29-47 from the field (.617).
• GR F Cameron Forte posted his fifth straight 20-10 road game at Idaho State (2/11), with 26 points (11-15 FG, 4-6 FT) and 13 rebounds. He has averaged 27.0 points and 13.8 rebounds over that span.
• GR F Cameron Forte led the Vikings in every statistical category, scoring 23 points (8-11 FG, 1-1 3-pt FG, 6-6 FT) with 16 rebounds, five assists, four steals, two blocked shots and four turnovers in a loss to Idaho (2/18).