Portland State University Athletics

Boxscore – HTM | PDF

Portland, OR – The improbable became reality in the final two minutes on the Bluff.
 
The Portland State Vikings trailed 75-68 with just over two minutes to play, but scored the final 12 points of the game to defeat the University of Portland, 80-75.
 
No points were bigger than a go-ahead three-point field goal by Bryce Canda with 34 seconds left. Canda had scored a breakaway layin just a moment earlier as part of the Vikings comeback.
 
The game had the intensity of an NCAA Tournament contest. But it was only the season-opener as the crosstown rivalry between Portland State and Portland was renewed at the Chiles Center. For Portland State it was the second year in a row they came away with a narrow win over Portland. Last year's victory, 77-75, came in similar fashion.
 
It was a landmark win for the Vikings in another way as the first official game for first-year Head Coach Barret Peery.
 
"Our guys really stepped up and made plays when they had to make plays," Peery said. "Obviously this is an emotional game for both sides because of the crosstown thing and they see each other so much and you want to win the game and have bragging rights."
 
Neither team held a double figure lead in the closely-played contest. Portland was up 43-39 at halftime, and the Vikings and Pilots traded the lead down the stretch in the second half.
 
A Traylin Farris free throw at the 5:55 mark had the Vikings ahead 66-63. But they struggled to score from there. Portland went on a 12-2 run over the next three minutes and led 75-68 with 2:33 left.
 
That's when the Vikings showed they had something left in the tank. Over the next 1:11 Deontae North made three of four free throws. Then PSU's pressure forced back-to-back Pilot turnovers. The first turned into a Canda layup, and the second was a Holland Woods fast break lay-up tying it at 75-75 with 1:22 to play. They came off steals by Deante Strickland and then North.
 
Portland State got back-to-back defensive stops. Following a timeout, Canda got open for a right-wing three-pointer with 34.3 seconds left. He buried the shot and the Chiles Center crowd was stunned.
 
After another Pilot miss, Viking center Ryan Edwards rebounded and was fouled. His two free throws put the finishing touches on the win.
 
Canda led five Vikings in double figures with 18 points. North added 14, Edwards scored 12, Farris had 11 and Woods came off the bench to get 10 points. Farris led the Vikings with 12 rebounds and four assists as well.
 
PSU's shooting was subpar at .400 from the field and .452 at the free throw line. However, the Vikings gathered in 26 offensive rebounds for 26 second-chance points. They also forced 17 Pilots turnovers for 19 points.
 
"We're never going to win pretty," said Peery. "The offensive glass, the loose balls, the deflections, all those things… when we do a good job in those columns, we have a chance to win."
 
Portland shot .426 from the field and .613 at the free throw line. Phillip Hartwich had 10 points, 18 rebounds and six blocked shots in the game. Josh McSwiggan and Marcus Shaver Jr. each scored 15 points for the Pilots.
 
Portland State hosts Willamette on Tuesday night at Lewis and Clark College. Tip-off is 8 p.m.