Skip To Main Content

Portland State University Athletics

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Robinson121715
Larry Lawson
Calaen Robinson hit a three-point field goal with two seconds left, giving the Vikings an 89-86 win at Northern Colorado.
89
Winner Portland State PSU 10-17(6-10 BSC)
86
Northern Colorado UNCO 9-19 (6-10 BSC)
Winner
Portland State PSU
10-17(6-10 BSC)
89
Final
86
Northern Colorado UNCO
9-19 (6-10 BSC)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Portland State PSU 46 43 89
Northern Colorado UNCO 39 47 86

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | by Mike Lund

Robinson's Three-Pointer Gives Vikings 89-86 Road Win Over Bears

Boxscore - HTM | PDF
 

Greeley, CO - History nearly repeated itself. And that would have been bad for Portland State. Instead, Viking guard Calaen Robinson prevented the bad memories from coming back, hitting a right-wing, three-pointer with two seconds left to lead PSU to an 89-86 win at Northern Colorado.

 

Last season in Greeley, the Vikings held a six-point lead late in the second half but were undone by a 20-4 Bears' run to close out the game. Saturday night's game at Butler-Hancock Pavilion was eerily similar. PSU led 77-63 with just over eight minutes to play. But the Bears went on a 20-5 run to take an 83-82 lead with just over three minutes remaining in the game.

 

Four lead changes later, the Vikings had possession in an 86-86 contest and 29 seconds to play. Following a timeout, Donivine Stewart drove and made a kick-out pass to Robinson, positioned just in front of the Viking bench. He calmly drained the three and the Vikings picked up the 89-86 win.

 

The Viking win was PSU's second in three games, and ended a five-game road-losing streak. It was also PSU's first "close-game" win. The Vikings had been 0-6 in games decided by six points or less prior the win.

 

Robinson scored 14 points off the bench as PSU got 33 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists from its reserves. Five Vikings scored in double-figures led by 17 points and five assists from Cameron Forte.

 

Donivine Stewart had 13 points and four assists. De'Sean Parsons came off the bench for 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Zach Gengler scored 10 for the Vikings.

 

Northern Colorado hit six of seven shots to open the game, building a 14-5 lead. Anthony Johnson had eight of the 14 points.

 

The key for the Bears was holding down Forte. The Viking star, who went into the game averaging 18.7 points and 9.4 rebounds, had one point, no rebounds and three turnovers through the first 10 minutes of the game.

 

But Viking Coach Tyler Geving inserted Parsons into the game, and the junior forward scored six quick points, pulling PSU within 16-13. Once Forte got going, the Vikings went on a 22-12 run over the last seven minutes of the half and led 46-39 at halftime. Forte had 11 points in second 10-minute stretch of the half. Parsons led a 23-point first-half bench effort with 11 points of his own and the Vikings were in control.

 

Johnson had 20 points at halftime, but his Bears' team committed 13 turnovers.

 

Portland State pulled away early in the second half. The Viking's biggest lead was 71-56 with 11:03 to play on a Forte fast break lay-in.

 

PSU still had a 14-point lead with 8:19 to play, but over the next five minutes the Bears went on a 20-5 run, to take the lead at 83-82.

 

There were four lead changes over the next two minutes. The Bears' Jordan Wilson made one of two free throws with 29.5 seconds to play tying the game at 86. His second shot was rebounded by Robinson and the Vikings were able to set up a play for the decisive shot.

 

Portland State deserved this win, shooting .571 from the field, including 7-16 three-pointers. The Vikings matched the Bears on the backboards at 32-32 and a big key was forcing 18 UNC turnovers while committing just nine.

 

Anthony Johnson scored 30 points to lead Northern Colorado in the losing effort.

 

With the win, Portland State is 10-17 on the season, 6-10 in the Big Sky Conference. Northern Colorado is now 9-19, 6-10.

 

GAME NOTES: Portland State and Northern Colorado are deadlocked in eighth place at 6-10 in the Big Sky Conference standings. If the Big Sky Tournament began today they would face one another in a first-round 8-9 game… PSU is 4-11 on the road this season… the Vikings are 6-4 all-time in Big Sky games played in Greeley… Portland State will wrap up the regular season at home next week, hosting Northern Arizona on Thursday and Southern Utah on Saturday. Live video, audio and stats are available at www.GoViks.com.



 
Print Friendly Version
Skip Ad