complete notes and stats in pdf

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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (11-17, 7-10) vs. SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS (5-22, 3-14)
Saturday, March 5, 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 • Play-by-Play: Tom Hewitt
Live Stats: www.Vikslive.com

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THE OPENING TIP
Winners of three of their last four, the Portland State Vikings will try to wrap up the regular season with yet another victory when they host Southern Utah on Saturday night.
     
The Vikings (11-17, 7-10) seem to have hit their stride and it could not have come at a better time as the Big Sky Conference looms next week in Reno. PSU currently sits in the number-eight seed in the Big Sky and will have a first-round game on Tuesday against either Northern Colorado or Sacramento State. That will be determined following Saturday's games as the order of 7-8-9-10 (Montana State, Portland State, Northern Colorado, Sacramento State) has yet to be established. PSU can move up to number seven with a Saturday win and a Montana State loss. All other scenarios have the Vikings as an eight-seed.
     
PSU picked up another win on Thursday, 89-81, over Northern Arizona. It was big night as SO F Isaiah Pineiro recorded a career-high 31 points, and GR F Cameron Forte posted the first triple-double in Portland State history (20 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists).
     
That victory was the second in a row and third in four outings for the Vikings. PSU has averaged 90.5 points per game and shot .551 from the field in those games.
     
Southern Utah comes off a 69-63 overtime loss at Sacramento State on Thursday night. The Thunderbirds are currently 5-22 on the season, 3-14 in the Big Sky Conference. They have a 3-12 road record.
     
Due to the Big Sky's unbalanced schedule, PSU is meeting Southern Utah for the first time this season.
     
Saturday's game at the Stott Center will feature Senior Night as the Viking team will recognize Forte, GR G Donivine Stewart and SR C Collin Spickerman playing in their final home game. Tip-off is 7:05 p.m. Live video, audio and stats for the game are available at www.GoViks.com.
     
The Big Sky Conference Tournament runs Mar. 8-12 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, NV.            
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. SOUTHERN UTAH
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series with Southern Utah, 6-1, and the Big Sky Conference series, 5-1. The Vikings have won five in a row and are 3-0 in Portland.
• LAST SEASON: Portland State swept the season series for the second year in a row. IN PORTLAND, PSU 71, SUU 68: Portland State shot poorly (.373), but had only nine turnovers and got to the free throw line often enough to make up for it (28-39). Gary Winston scored 18 points and had four assists, leading four Vikings in double figures. Trey Kennedy scored 16 to lead Southern Utah. IN CEDAR CITY, PSU 86, SUU 73: Portland State shot 16-26 from the field in the second half, scoring 54 points and pulling away for the win. Tiegbe Bamba had season-highs of 21 points and 15 rebounds. DaShaun Wiggins scored 23 and Gary Winston had 19. AJ Hess and Travon Langston scored 14 points apiece for the Thunderbirds.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (95-116, 7th season) is 5-1 all-time against Southern Utah. Thunderbirds Head Coach Nick Robinson (28-89, 4th season) is 1-5 all-time against Portland State.
 
SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS
• Southern Utah joined the Big Sky Conference in 2012-13 and is now in its fourth season as a member.
• The Thunderbirds are 5-22 this season, 3-14 in the Big Sky Conference. They are 3-12 on the road.
• Southern Utah ranks second to last in scoring (69.3) and scoring defense (82.0) in the Big Sky. The T-Birds are last in field goal percentage defense (.503), three-point defense (.419) and rebounding margin (-6.6).
• Sophomore guard James McGee leads the T-Birds in scoring (11.9). He shoots .411 from three-point range and leads the Big Sky Conference in free throw percentage (.881).
• Junior guard Trey Kennedy averages 11.7 points and has a team-leading 61 assists.
• Senior guard Travon Langston averages 11.1 points and a team-leading 4.9 rebounds per game.
 
THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
RENO, NV | Reno Events Center
 
Tuesday, March 8, 2016 • First Round | Session 1
Game 1 - No. 8 Seed vs. No. 9 Seed - 12:05 p.m.
Game 2 - No. 5 Seed vs. No. 12 Seed - 2:35 p.m.
 
Tuesday, March 8, 2016 • First Round | Session 2
Game 3 - No. 7 Seed vs. No. 10 Seed - 5:35 p.m.
Game 4 - No. 6 Seed vs. No. 11 Seed - 8:05 p.m.
 
Thursday, March 10, 2016 • Quarterfinal Round | Session 1
Game 5 - No. 1 Seed vs. Winner of Game 1 - 12:05 p.m.
Game 6 - No. 4 Seed vs. Winner of Game 2 - 2:35 p.m.
 
Thursday, March 10, 2016 • Quarterfinal Round | Session 2
Game 7 - No. 2 Seed vs. Winner of Game 3 - 5:35 p.m.
Game 8 - No. 3 Seed vs. Winner of Game 4 - 8:05 p.m.
 
Friday, March 11, 2016 • Semifinal Round
Game 9 - Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 - 5:35 p.m.
Game 10 - Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8 - 8:05 p.m.
 
Saturday, March 12, 2016 • Championship Game
Game 11 - Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10 - 5:45 p.m.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 11-17 this season, 7-6 at home, 4-11 on the road.
• The Vikings are 7-10 in the Big Sky Conference, 4-4 at home, 3-6 on the road.
• PSU has won two in a row and three of its last four games.
Stott Stuff
• PSU has gone 157-62 in 219 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 188-77 at home over 20 seasons.
• Portland State is 64-33 at home in seven seasons under Tyler Geving.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 101-36 at home, including 59-29 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.
 
WHO IS HOT?
• Portland State is averaging 90.5 points in its last four games while shooting .551 from the field.
• SO F Isaiah Pineiro scored a career-high 31 points (12-19 FG, 6-9 FT) with 12 rebounds in the win over Northern Arizona. It was his third double-double of the season.
• GR F Cameron Forte posted the first triple-double in Portland State history with 20 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists against Northern Arizona. He has seven double-doubles in his last 12 games and 11 on the season.
• JR G Calaen Robinson has 30 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals in the last two games.
• JR G Zach Gengler has scored in double figures in his last five games, averaging 11.6 points and shooting .524 from the field.
 
BIG SKY CONFERENCE LEADERS
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in assists per game (17.4).
• Portland State leads the Big Sky in steals per game (8.4).
• 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 (2.9).
 
3x2: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
GR F Cameron Forte has not been short on highlights this season, and he may have had his biggest on Thursday night against Northern Arizona. Forte became the first Viking in history to record a triple-double with 20 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists... Forte has also posted a 37-point game this season (the most by a Viking in four seasons), and a 20-rebound game this season (the first by a Viking in 20 years as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
 
GAME WINNERS
JR G Calaen Robinson's game-winning three-pointer at Northern Colorado (2/27) was the first game-winning shot inside the final five seconds of a game by a Viking in two seasons. The last was by Gary Winston on Jan. 11, 2014 against Montana. Prior to that, you have to go back two more seasons (2011-12) when the Vikings had three late game-winners (one by Chehales Tapscott and two by Charles Odum).