complete notes and stats in pdf

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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (8-13, 4-6) vs. IDAHO STATE BENGALS (11-11, 6-4)
Thursday, February 11, 2016, 6 p.m. PT • Holt Arena (8,000), Pocatello, ID
Live Video and Audio: www.GoViks.com
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com

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THE OPENING TIP
Portland State meets Idaho State for the second time this season with an eye on avenging an earlier loss at the Stott Center. The Vikings and Bengals meet in a Thursday night game at Holt Arena in Pocatello as two teams going in different directions in recent days.
     
The host Bengals go into Thursday's game winners of five of their last six games, including a 90-57 rout of Northern Colorado in Greeley last Saturday. Overall, ISU is 11-11 on the season, 6-4 and in fifth place in the Big Sky Conference.
     
Portland State heads out on the road at 8-13 overall, 4-6 in the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings have lost five of seven games, including an 82-80 heart-breaker to first-place Montana last Saturday after holding an 11-point second-half lead.
     
PSU lost to the Bengals on Jan. 16 in the Stott Center, 73-70, after being out-shot from the field .517 to .357. Idaho State will go for the season sweep, while the Vikings will try to turn the tide on their recent weeks' play. The good news for PSU is it has had as much success in Pocatello as any Big Sky locale, winning nine of 19 games there during its Big Sky Conference history.
     
Idaho State brings a 7-2 home record into the game, while the Vikings are 3-8 on the road this season.
     
Thursday's game is a 6:05 p.m. PT contest. Live video, audio and stats are available at www.GoViks.com.
 
COMING UP
Portland State has three road games and four home games remaining in the regular season. The Vikings play at Weber State on Saturday night. They will host Idaho on Feb. 18, then Eastern Washington on Feb. 20.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. IDAHO STATE
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 29-19, and the Big Sky series, 25-15. Idaho State has won four of the last five meetings, including a 73-70 decision at the Stott Center on Jan. 16. Four of those games were decided by four points or less... PSU is 9-10 in Big Sky games in Pocatello, but has lost three in a row there.
• JAN. 16 IN PORTLAND, ISU 73, PSU 70: Portland State struggled through a poor shooting night, hitting at only .357 from the field. The Bengals were just the opposite, making .517 from the field. Idaho State led for nearly 37 minutes in the game. Point guard Ethan Telfair scored 25 points and had 11 assists in leading ISU to the win. Ben Wilson had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Vikings were led by 15 points each from Isaiah Pineiro and Armani Collins.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (92-112, 7th season) is 6-6 all-time against Idaho State. Bengals Head Coach Bill Evans (35-76, 4th year) is 4-2 against the Vikings.
 
IDAHO STATE BENGALS
• Idaho State is an original member of the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals have won two Big Sky Conference regular season championships, two Big Sky Tournament championships and made 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament in their history.
• ISU has already bettered last year's record (7-23/4-14) in both season and league play. The Bengals are 11-11 overall, 6-4 in league. They have won five of their last six games.
• Idaho State features strong guard play by a trio in the backcourt. Junior Ethan Telfair leads the team with 18.0 points per game, and has Big Sky-bests of 5.6 assists and 2.2 steals. He shoots .850 from the free throw line. Sophomore Geno Luzcando is averaging 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals while shooting .521 from the field. Sophomore Ali Faruq-Bey is averaging 13.1 points this season.
• Senior forward Ben Wilson averages 7.4 points and a team-leading 5.6 rebounds per game. He shoots .537 from the field.
• The Bengals lead the Big Sky Conference in free throw percentage (.730).
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 8-13 this season, 5-5 at home, 3-8 on the road.
• The Vikings are 4-6 in the Big Sky Conference, 2-3 at home, 2-3 on the road.
Stott Stuff
• PSU has gone 155-61 in 216 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 186-76 at home over 20 seasons.
• Portland State is 62-32 at home in seven seasons under Tyler Geving.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 99-35 at home, including 57-29 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
• Portland State has lost only eight non-conference home games in the last nine seasons (42-8). PSU is 24-8 against Division I schools, and 18-0 against lower division schools over that span.
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 162-171 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the Big Sky Tournament (9-10).
• PSU is 107-54 in home games, 52-111 in road games and 3-7 in neutral site games.
• PSU is 75-73 in Big Sky games since the start of the 2007-08 season, 82-76 including tournament games.
 
WHO IS HOT?
• Portland State shot .604 from the field in the win over Montana State (32-53), then .617 in the loss to Montana (29-47). It was the Vikings' second- and third-best shooting performances of the season.
• GR F Cameron Forte has made 64-98 shots in the last seven games (.653).
• SR C Collin Spickerman made 12-15 field goals (.800) in last week's two games, and has made 19-25 in the last four games (.760).
• SR C Collin Spickerman had eight blocked shots in last week's two games and now leads the Big Sky Conference with 2.1 blocks per game.
• In the last seven games, GR G Donivine Stewart has 37 assists (5.3). Stewart also tied his season-high with 17 points against Montana.
• JR G Zach Gengler has made 24-26 free throws this year (.923), while JR G Khari Holloway is 9-9 (1.000).
 
WHO IS NOT?
• Portland State is shooting .320 from three-point range and .651 from the free throw line, both of which rank last in the Big Sky Conference.
• The Vikings have lost three of their last four home games, and five of seven 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 (17.6).
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in steals per game (8.2).
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3).
• SR C Collin Spickerman leads the Big Sky in blocked shots (2.1)
• GR G Donivine Stewart leads the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8).
In Big Sky Conference games...
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in blocked shots (4.6).
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in assists (17.6).
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in steals (8.6).
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5)
• SR C Collin Spickerman leads the Big Sky in blocked shots in conference games (2.5).
 
AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS (top 30):
• The Vikings rank 13th in the nation in assists per game (17.6).
• The Vikings rank 22nd in the nation in steals per game (8.2).
• GR F Cameron Forte ranks 17th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (3.67).
 
TRENDING:
• Portland State is 5-2 when scoring over 80 points this season. The Vikings are winless when scoring less than 70 (0-6).
• PSU is 8-3 when leading at halftime, but 0-10 when trailing at halftime.
• The Vikings are 7-4 when out-shooting opponents, 1-9 when being out-shot.
• PSU is 5-3 when out-rebounding an opponent, 3-10 when being out-rebounded or rebounding is even.
• The Vikings are 0-6 in games decided by six points or less.
 
20-10: GR F Cameron Forte has had four 20-10 games in the Vikings' last four road contests (including a 20-20 game).
• Forte scored 20 points (7-9 FG, 6-9 FT) and hauled down 20 rebounds at Idaho (1/30).
• Forte went for 37 points (13-24 FG, 11-20 FT) and 13 rebounds at Eastern Washington (1/28).
• Forte scored 26 points (12-15 FG) with 12 rebounds in an 81-63 win at Sacramento State (1/23).
• In PSU's 77-70 win at Montana State (1/9), Forte went for 26 points (12-18 FG) and 11 rebounds.
• For the season, Forte has seven double-doubles.
 
FORTISSIMO: GR F Cameron Forte has been loud and strong with his performance as a new Viking. He has played most of the season as the sixth man to provide a spark off the bench, but still leads the Vikings in scoring (17.2) and rebounding (8.9). His 37-point performance at Eastern Washington (1/28) was the most by a Viking in four years. His 20-rebound game at Idaho (1/30) was the most ever by a Viking in 20 seasons in the Big Sky Conference.
• Forte ranks eighth in scoring, third in rebounding and fifth in field goal percentage (.555) in the Big Sky.
• Forte has 17 double-figure games, seven 20-point games and two 30-point games.
• Has seven double-doubles on the season, and five 20-10 games, and one 20-20 game.
• Posted 23 points (8-14 FG, 7-8 FT) and nine rebounds at Nevada (11/25).
• Had 31 points (15-26 FG) with 10 rebounds in a win over Multnomah (11/28).
• Scored 26 points (12-18 FG, 2-4 FT) with 11 rebounds in a win at Montana State (1/9).
• Went for 26 points (12-15 FG, 2-6 FT) with 12 rebounds in a win at Sacramento State (1/23).
• Scored a season-high 37 points (13-24 FG, 11-20 FT) with 13 rebounds at Eastern Washington (1/28).
• Recorded 20 points (7-9 FG, 6-9 FT) and hauled down 20 rebounds at Idaho (1/30).
 
FILLING THE ROLE: Whether it be as a starter or sixth man, SO F Isaiah Pineiro has filled the role admirably this season, ranking as the Vikings' second-leading scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker.
• Pineiro shoots .533 from the field, and ranks second in scoring (12.4), rebounding (5.9) and blocks (12).
• Has 14 double-figure scoring games and four 20-point games.
• Ranks eighth in the Big Sky Conference in field goal percentage and 10th in rebounding.
• Had back-to-back double-doubles on the road, getting 24 points and 14 rebounds at UTRGV (11/22) and 13 points and 11 rebounds at Nevada (11/25).
• Posted 17 points (6-9 FG, 1-3 3-pt, 4-5 FT) with five rebounds and three steals against CSUN (12/17).
• Totaled 21 points (9-14 FG, 3-3 FT) with five rebounds, three assists and a block in a win over Cal State Fullerton (12/29).
• Had 20 points (6-12 FG, 1-1 3-pt, 7-7 FT) and six rebounds at Montana (1/7).
• Scored 22 points (7-12 FG, 8-9) with three rebounds and two assists in win over Montana State (2/4).
 
DONIVINE IS DIVINE: GR G Donivine Stewart has a good handle on things. The SIUE transfer has committed only 26 turnovers all season as the Vikings' chief ball-handler. He leads the Big Sky Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8).
• Stewart has moved into the starting lineup the past 13 games, totaling 58 assists (4.5).
• He has a 72/26 assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8) that leads the Big Sky Conference.
• Averaging 5.6 points and 3.6 assists overall.
• Scored a season-high 17 points (6-8 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 2-6 FT) with five assists and two steals in the win over Cal State Fullerton (12/29).
• Had seven assists against Weber State (1/14). Matched that against Sacramento State (1/23).
• Handed out a season-high eight assists at Eastern Washington (1/28) and eight in a win over Montana State (2/4).
• Matched his season-high with 17 points (5-8 FG, 1-3 3-pt, 6-8 FT) and five assists against Montana (2/6).
 
MR. ROBINSON'S NEIGHBORHOOD: JR G Calaen Robinson has proven to be the Vikings' top three-point shooter this season. Robinson ranks fourth on the team in scoring (9.9), first in steals (34) and three-point field goals (44), and second in assists (3.5). He shoots .344 in his neighborhood - the three-point arc.
• Robinson's 11 assists against Multnomah were the most by a Viking since Feb. 5, 2009.
• Robinson has 11 double-figure scoring games.
• Ranks ninth in the Big Sky Conference in assists and three-pointers made.
• Scored 19 points with five rebounds at Washington State (12/6).
• Posted a career-high 21 points (7-11 3-pt FG) with four assists against CSUN (12/17).
• Had 17 points (4-9 3-pt FG) with three assists and three steals in the win over Sacramento State (1/2).
 
SWAT STATS: SR C Collin Spickerman set a PSU record for blocked shots per game (2.48) last season while leading the Big Sky Conference. Spickerman has 44 blocks this season and 116 blocks in 50 career games.
• Ranks third all-time in blocks at Portland State in only two seasons.
• Spickerman leads the Big Sky in blocked shots for the season (2.1) and in Big Sky games (2.5).
• Ranks seventh in the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.545). Has shot .760 over the last four games (19-25).
• Spickerman blocked four shots and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in the season opener at Grand Canyon (11/13).
• Spickerman scored a career-high 15 points at SIUE (12/12).
• Posted 13 points (6-9 FG, 1-2 FT) and a season-high six blocked shots in a win over Montana State (2/4).
• Shot a perfect 6-6 from the field for 12 points with two blocks against Montana (2/6).
• He has four games of four or more blocked shots.
 
ZACH IS BACK: JR G Zach Gengler has returned to the starting lineup for the past five games averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 assists and committing only two turnovers.
• Gengler is averaging career-highs of 6.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 20 minutes per game.
• Scored a career-high 17 points with three assists against Portland (12/2).
• Posted 13 points (4-5 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 2-2) with a career-high eight assists and two steals in a win at Sacramento State (1/23).
• In Big Sky games, Gengler has a 28/5 assist-to-turnover ratio (5.60).
 
NOW AT THE LINE...: JR G Khari Holloway shot .931 from the free throw line last year at Mesa Community College to lead the nation at the JC level. He had consecutive free throws made streaks of 41, 28 and 19. So far this season, he is 9-9 for the Vikings.
• JR G Zach Gengler is shooting .923 for the season (24-26) and earlier this season had a string of 18 made in a row.
  
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).