Complete notes and stats in pdf

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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (11-6, 4-2) vs.
MONTANA STATE BOBCATS (8-12, 3-4)
Saturday, January 21, 2017, 7:05 p.m. • Peter W. Stott Center (1,500), Portland, OR

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Live Streaming Video and Audio: www.GoViks.com/Live • Pregame Show: 6:45 p.m. • Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
 
THE OPENING TIP
The top of the Big Sky Conference is tighter than skinny jeans after a holiday feast. Portland State hopes to remain in that close company as it takes on Montana State in a league game on Saturday night.
     
The Vikings are 4-2 in the Big Sky after beating Montana on Thursday, 88-79. Based on that result and other league games, the top five Big Sky teams are all within one-half game of each other in the standings: Weber State (4-1), Montana (5-2), North Dakota (5-2), Portland State (4-2) and Eastern Washington (4-2).       
     
Winners of eight of their last 10 games, the Portland State Vikings are trending in the right direction, and the win over second-place Montana kept things going. The Vikings are now 11-6 overall this season. They are 7-1 at home as they welcome the Bobcats to the friendly (and soon-remodeled) confines of the Stott Center.
     
Montana State comes to town in good stead as well. Winners of their last two games, the Bobcats have improved to 8-12 on the season. They picked up a 74-65 victory at Sacramento State for their first road win of the season (1-7). MSU is 3-4 in Big Sky games, good for seventh in the 12-team league.
     
PSU will have to contend with MSU sophomore guard Tyler Hall. The Big Sky Freshman of the Year last season, Hall is averaging 23.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and has made a league-high 73 three-point field goals this season. Meanwhile, seven Vikings average 9.9 points per game or better in a very balanced attack.
     
The Bobcats can score points as a team, ranking second (79.6) in the Big Sky behind the Vikings (87.2). Both teams also give up over 78 points per game. It all adds up to what should be an exciting, high-scoring affair.
     
Saturday's game will tip off at 7:05 p.m. It will be live streamed at www.GoViks.com/Live. Live stats are available at www.ViksLive.com.
 
COMING UP
The Vikings go back on the road next week to play at Sacramento State (Jan. 28). The following week PSU travels to Idaho (Feb. 2) and Eastern Washington (Feb. 4). After Saturday's game with Montana State, Portland State will not play at home again until Feb. 9 against Idaho State.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. MONTANA STATE
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Montana State leads the all-time series, 31-22, and the Big Sky series, 24-19... Portland State has a 14-8 advantage in Big Sky games played in Portland... the Vikings swept the season series last year and have won three straight overall against the Bobcats.
• LAST SEASON: Jan. 9, 2016 in Bozeman, PSU 77, MSU 70: Portland State won for the first time in six years in Bozeman. The Vikings out-shot (.484 to .371) and out-rebounded the Bobcats (43-40). PSU jumped to an early 21-6 lead and never trailed. Cameron Forte had a big game with 26 points and 11 rebounds off the bench the Vikings. Bryce White added 20 points. Tyler Hall scored 24 to lead MSU. Feb. 4, 2016 in Portland, PSU 83, MSU 68: Once again the Vikings out-shot the Bobcats (.604 to .391). This time De'Sean Parsons came off the bench for 13 points, 13 rebounds and four steals. Isaiah Pineiro had 22 points off the bench and Collin Spickerman blocked six shots. Zach Green scored 17 points to pace Montana State.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Tyler Geving (108-123/8th season) is 6-9 all-time against Montana State... Bobcats Head Coach Brian Fish (29-52/3rd year) is 0-3 against the Vikings.
 
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
• Montana State, located in Bozeman, is an original member of the Big Sky Conference.
• The Bobcats were 14-17 last season, 9-9 in the Big Sky, placing seventh.
• Montana State has won four Big Sky regular season titles and two tournament titles. The Bobcats have made three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Montana State most recently won the league in 2002 and most recently won the Big Sky Tournament in 1996.
• Montana State returns three starters and eight letterwinners to this year's team, including Freshman of the Year and second team All-Big Sky Conference guard Tyler Hall.
• The Bobcats rank second in the Big Sky in scoring at 79.6 points per game, while leading the league in three-point field goals at 10.2 made per game.
• Hall ranks second in the league in scoring at 23.2 points per game. He also averages 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, has a league-high 73 three-pointers on .422 shooting, and converts at an .867 rate at the free throw line.
• Freshman guard Harald Frey comes off a season-high 22-point game at Sacramento State and averages 12.3 points per game. He leads the team with 3.7 assists per game.
• Junior forward Zach Green is averaging 10.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 11-6 this season, 7-1 at home, 4-5 on the road.
• The Vikings have won eight of their last 10 games.
• Portland State won five straight earlier this season (Dec. 13-29). It was the longest winning streak since winning six in a row late in the 2008-09 season.
Stott Stuff
• PSU has gone 165-63 in 228 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 196-78 at home over 21 seasons.
• Portland State is 72-34 at home in eight seasons under Tyler Geving.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 109-37 at home, including 62-30 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 171-178 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the Big Sky Tournament (10-11).
• PSU is 113-56 in home games, 54-115 in road games and 4-8 in neutral-site games.
 
WHO IS HOT?
• The Vikings are shooting .500 from the field and averaging 87.2 points per game - both of which are best in the Big Sky Conference.
• SR F De'Sean Parsons has double-doubles in each of his last three games. Parsons had 13 points and 13 rebounds at Southern Utah, then 19 points and 10 rebounds at Northern Arizona, and 12 points with 11 rebounds against Montana.
• JR C Traylin Farris has shot 50% or better in each of his last 10 games. He shoots .617 from the field.
• JR C Traylin Farris has only nine turnovers in 16 games and 330 minutes of play for the season.
• Despite coming off the bench, JR G Deontae North has scored in double figures in 12 of the last 13 games. His only non-double-digit game was nine points.
• SR G Zach Gengler is shooting .554 from the field, and team-bests of .512 from three-point range and .880 at the line.
• SR G Calaen Robinson has made at least one three-pointer in every game this season.
 
WHO IS NOT?
• PSU has made just 79-145 free throws over the last six games (.545), dropping its season percentage to .625.
• The Vikings are giving up 78.5 points per game and opponents are shooting .471 from the field.
• PSU has been outrebounded by 10.3 per game in its six losses.
• JR F Braxton Tucker has played in only five games due to knee issues. He had arthroscopy on his left knee on Jan. 5.
 
BURN POINTS: Portland State had an amazing 51 points off turnovers (or burn points) against North Dakota (12/29). That continued a season-long trend of burning opponents for their mistakes. The Vikings have scored 362 burn points this season (21.3 per game) to 208 for the opponents (12.2). That is a margin of +9.1 per game which is coincidently very close to the Vikings' scoring margin (+8.7).
 
IT TAKES A THIEF: Portland State set a school record for steals last season with 263 in 31 games (8.48). With 177 steals already this year (10.4), the Vikings are on pace to break that mark again.
• The Vikings currently rank third in the nation in steals.
• PSU has had nine or more steals in 13 games this season.
• Five Vikings rank in the top 11 in steals in the Big Sky: SR G Calaen Robinson, JR G Bryce Canda, SR F De'Sean Parsons, SR G Zach Gengler and JR G Deontae North.
• SR G Calaen Robinson leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks eighth in the nation in steals (2.62) and set a career- high with six against North Dakota (12/29).
• PSU had a season-high 19 steals in a win over North Dakota (12/29).
 
100 WATCH: Portland State has had a number of meetings with the number 100 this season. Here are the highlights:
• Coach Tyler Geving won his 100th career game on Dec. 3 against UTRGV. Geving has the second most career wins by a coach in PSU history.
• The Vikings have scored 100 or more points four times.
• SR G Zach Gengler played in his 100th career game on Jan. 19 against Montana. Gengler is on pace to finish his career among the top five in games played all-time at PSU.
• SR G Calaen Robinson has 99 career steals (but 100 is on the way!).
 
DOUBLE-DIGIT DYNAMICS: Portland State currently has six players averaging in double figures this season: JR F Braxton Tucker (16.8), SR G Calaen Robinson (14.0), SR F De'Sean Parsons (12.4), JR G Deontae North (11.9), JR G Bryce Canda (11.2) and JR C Traylin Farris (10.4).
• SR G Zach Gengler (9.9) has also spent a portion of the season averaging double figures.
• PSU has had at least five players score in double figures in 12 of 17 games this season.
• Portland State has had 81 double-figure scoring games this season, an average of 4.8 players per game.
 
BIG SKY CONFERENCE LEADERS: Portland State leads the Big Sky Conference in:
• Scoring, 87.2 points per game
• Field Goal Percentage, .500
• Assists, 17.4 per game
• Steals, 10.4 per game
• Turnover margin, +5.1
• Assist-to-turnover ratio, 1.5 (296/197)
• SR G Calaen Robinson leads in steals, 2.59
• SR G Zach Gengler leads in assist-to-turnover ratio, 3.2
 
VIKINGS IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS (top 30):
• Portland State ranks 3rd in steals per game, 10.4
• Portland State ranks 8th in turnover margin, +5.1
• Portland State ranks 10th in scoring, 87.2 per game
• Portland State ranks 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 1.50
• Portland State ranks 13th in field goal percentage, .500
• Portland State ranks 17th in turnovers forced, 16.7
• Portland State ranks 18th in assists per game, 17.4
• SR G Calaen Robinson ranks 9th in steals, 2.59 per game
• SR G Zach Gengler ranks 19th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 3.2
 
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.