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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (8-2) vs. OREGON DUCKS (6-3)
Wednesday, December 13, 2017, 7 p.m. • Matthew Knight Arena (12,364), Eugene, OR
Television: Pac-12 Network • Play-by-Play: Chris Fisher • Analyst: Steve Lavin
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf

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THE OPENING TIP
The Vikings Traveling Road Show continues this Wednesday as they go to the home of a 2017 Final Four participant, the Oregon Ducks. 
           
So far, Head Coach Barret Peery's Big Top Basketball hasn't disappointed as Portland State has won the first two games of a seven-out-of-eight on the road stretch. The first came in trademark Viking style as PSU's defensive pressure befuddled Loyola Marymount into 33 turnovers last Wednesday on the way to a 94-85 win. Saturday's win was of a different sort as the Vikings had to come from 17 points down in the second half to beat Santa Clara, 87-84. PSU made 20-24 field goals in the half, including their last 16 in a row, not gaining the lead until the final minute.
           
Now 8-2, the Vikings can boast their best 10-game record ever in their 22-year history as a member of the Big Sky Conference. PSU has won four straight games and is 4-0 on the road (3-0 home, 1-2 neutral site). The Vikings also rank second in the nation in steals (12.8 per game) and lead the nation in turnover margin (+9.7).
           
Make no mistake though, PSU faces a formidable team in Oregon. The Ducks are 6-3 going into a Monday night game with Texas Southern, and stand to be the Vikings toughest matchup of the season this side of a Nov. 23 game against Duke. Oregon comes off a 33-6 season in which they reached the Final Four.
           
On the PSU side, size will be an issue as the Vikings expect to be without forwards Traylin Farris (6-8, ankle) and Brendan Rumel (6-10, hip) once again. Combine with that the Oregon Ducks dominant rebounding game that has them at a nightly +7.7 advantage. That should put all the more emphasis on the Vikings needing an effective full-court press once again.
           
Good shooting will also be a key for the Vikings to compete with the Ducks. Fortunately, they have gotten it from their guards in recent games. SR G Deontae North tied his career-high with 30 points at Santa Clara. North made 7-7 shots in the second half, scoring 25 of his 30. FR G Holland Woods hit 6-6 second half shots and 10-12 for the game on his way to a career-high 26 points. SR G Bryce Canda has also matched his career-high of 20 points three times this season, including 20 in the win at Loyola Marymount.
           
Wednesday's game will be televised on the Pac-12 Network. Live stats are available at www.ViksLive.com.
 
COMING UP
The Vikings are in the midst of playing seven of eight games on the road, leading into the first two weeks of Big Sky Conference play. PSU's game with Oregon is the third in that eight-game stretch and PSU is currently 2-0. Looking ahead is a Saturday home game against Linfield followed by a Dec. 21 game at California. Big Sky Conference play begins at Sacramento State (Dec. 30), followed by games at Eastern Washington (Jan. 4) and Idaho (Jan. 6).
           
Portland State does not play a Big Sky Conference home game until Jan. 11 (Montana State).
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. OREGON
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Oregon leads the all-time series, 11-2. The Ducks hold an 8-2 advantage in Eugene... Oregon has won five straight games in the series, the most recent being an 81-59 decision on Nov. 30, 2014... PSU's two wins in the series came at McArthur Court (1997 and 2005).
• PORTLAND STATE vs. THE PAC-12 CONFERENCE: Portland State is just 6-51 all-time against current members of the Pac-12 Conference. However, the Vikings are 1-0 this season with an 87-78 win over Stanford in the PK80 Invitational... PSU has wins over Oregon (2), Arizona State (2), USC (1) and Stanford (1) - all coming within the past 20 seasons... the Vikings will also play at Cal on Dec. 21.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Barret Peery is in his first season on the Park Blocks. His only other head coaching experience is at the junior college level where he was 178-30 in six seasons (2005-08, College of Southern Idaho;  2011-14, Indian Hills (IA) CC)... the Ducks are coached by Dana Altman who is in his seventh season at Oregon. He has a 160-67 record, including 2-0 against the Vikings. In 27 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Altman is 570-310.
 
OREGON DUCKS
• Oregon is a member of the Pac-12 Conference. The Ducks were 33-6 last season, 16-2 and first place in the Pac-12. They reached the Final Four. 
• The Ducks are 6-3 this season, 5-1 at home, prior to a Monday night game with Texas Southern.
• Oregon averages 86.2 points per game while allowing only 69.6. Opponents have shot only .376 from the field and .280 from three-point range. The Ducks also hold a huge advantage on the glass, out-rebounding opponents an average of 7.7 per game.
• Sophomore guard Payton Pritchard averages a team-best 15.8 points and 4.4 assists per game. He shoots .485 from the field, .426 from three-point range and .826 at the line.
• Senior guard Elijah Brown averages 13.7 points and 3.6 assists per game.
• Forwards Paul White and Troy Brown each average 11.8 points per game. Brown leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game.
• Freshman forward Kenny Wooten has 22 blocked shots in nine games.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES 
• Portland State is 8-2 this season, 3-0 at home, 4-0 on the road, 1-2 at neutral sites.
• PSU's 10-game mark of 8-2 is its best in 22 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference. The best previous 11-game record is 8-3 (twice).
• The Vikings have won four straight games, four straight on the road and five straight at home dating to last season. 
• The Vikings were 15-16 in 2016-17, 10-3 at home, 4-12 on the road, 1-1 at neutral sites. 
Home Court(s)
• With the addition of Lewis and Clark's Pamplin Sports Center as a home court in 2017-18, Portland State has now had four home courts in its 22-season existence in the Big Sky Conference and at Division I. Here is the breakdown: 
  - Peter W. Stott Center - 233 games, 168-65
  - Rose Garden (Moda Center) - 28 games, 19-9
  - Memorial Coliseum - 19 games, 13-6
  - Lewis and Clark - 2 games, 2-0
  - 22 seasons - 282 games, 202-80 at home overall 
• Portland State has lost only eight non-conference home games in the last 11 seasons (48-8). PSU is 26-8 against Division I schools, and 22-0 against lower division schools over that span.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 115-39 at home, including 65-32 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
And The Trivial
• Portland State is 27-29 all-time in overtime. 
• PSU is 2-16 against nationally-ranked opponents since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97.
• The Vikings are 2-2 on television in 2017-18 (0-0 home, 1-0 road, 1-2 neutral). Portland State is 21-49 in games televised in the Portland area since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97. That includes a 9-7 home record and 11-38 road record and 1-4 neutral site record. 
• Portland State has won 31 straight games against lower division schools dating back to 2002. The Vikings are 43-1 against lower division schools in 22 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference and Division I (1996-2017).
 
WHO IS HOT
• The Viking defense: PSU makes 12.8 steals per game, which ranks second in the nation. PSU made 20 steals in the win at Loyola Marymount and has 18 or more in four games this season... the +9.7 turnover margin leads the nation.
• The Viking offense. Portland State averages 91.1 points per game, best in the Big Sky and seventh in the nation... in the most recent game, the Vikings hit 20-24 second-half field goals (.833) against Santa Clara, including the last 16 in a row... PSU also had a season-low five turnovers at Santa Clara.
• FR G Holland Woods played his two best games of the season last week on the road. At Loyola Marymount, he scored a season-high 20 points, with four assists, three steals and three rebounds. Woods made 6-9 field goals and 8-9 free throws. He followed that with another career-high of 26 points (10-12 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 3-3 FT), seven assists and four rebounds at Santa Clara. For the week, he averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals. He shot 16-21 from the field (.761) and 11-12 at the line (.917)... Woods leads the Big Sky Conference in assists (5.1).
• SR G Deontae North matched his career high with 30 points at Santa Clara. North scored 25 in the second half, making 7-7 field goals and 11-16 free throws after halftime as the Vikings came from 17 points down to win.
• SR F Brandon Hollins started last week's games in place of SR F Traylin Farris. Hollins produced with 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He made 9-11 field goals (.818) and 8-8 at the free throw line (1.000).
 
WHO IS NOT
• The Vikings training room. SR F Traylin Farris missed his fourth game of the season at Santa Clara due to an ankle sprain. SO F Brendan Rumel missed the game at Santa Clara (hip). SR F Braxton Tucker has yet to play this season (knee). None are expected to play this week.
• PSU has been out-rebounded in six of the last seven games (but still gone 5-2). 
• SR C Ryan Edwards was 0-10 from the field in last week's two games.
 
BEST RECORDS: Portland State is off to its best 10-game start in 22 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference and Division I. PSU did not have a program from 1981-1996. Prior to that, the Vikings played as a Division I independent during the 1970s. A look at PSU's best 10-game marks in the Big Sky.
 
Season         W-L     Next Game
2017-18         8-2      ?
2008-09         7-3      W, 8-3
1998-99         7-3      W, 8-3
2006-07         7-3      L, 7-4
 
GRAND LARCENY: Portland State has broken the school record in steals in each of the last two seasons (2015-16 - 263/8.5 pg; 2016-17 - 307/9.9 pg). This year, the Vikings appear on pace to do it again. 
• The Vikings average 12.8 steals per game, ranking second in the nation.
• PSU leads the nation in turnover margin (+9.7).
• Portland State has 18 or more steals in four games this season.
• Six Vikings rank in the top 15 in steals in the Big Sky Conference.
• The Vikings force 22.8 turnovers per game.
 
HUSTLE CHART: Portland State Head Coach Barret Peery has emphasized that his team's full-court pressure style of play will be about forcing turnovers, creating fast breaks and getting to the offensive glass. So far, mission accomplished. Here is a look at PSU's hustle chart:
  • Turnovers forced: 228 for 261 points (26.1 per game)
  • Fast break points: 139 (13.9 per game)
  • Offensive rebounds: 144 for 144 second chance points (14.4 per game)
 
CANDA CAN-DO: A second-year starter for the Vikings, SR G Bryce Canda does it all for the Vikings. He averages 16.4 points and leads the team in rebounding (6.9), steals (2.6), and three-point field goals (24). 
• Canda ranks eighth in scoring, second in steals and fifth in rebounding in the Big Sky Conference.
• Canda has scored a career-high 20 points three times: at UC Riverside, vs. Portland Bible and at Loyola Marymount.
• He grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds at Loyola Marymount.
• Canda has led the team in scoring five times and rebounding five times... he has three double-doubles.
• He was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 21 after averaging 17.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.3 assists in three Viking wins. 
 
POINTING NORTH: He missed one game with an ankle sprain, but otherwise SR G Deontae North is having a brilliant season for the Vikings. North leads the team in scoring (19.2) while averaging 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
• Ranks fourth in the Big Sky Conference in scoring.
• North has scored 13 or more points in every game this season... he has three 20-point games and a 30-point game.
• North has led the team in scoring five times and assists twice.
• He had 24 points (8-13 FG, 4-5 3-pt, 4-4 FT) and four assists against top-ranked Duke in just 20 minutes of play. 
• Tied his career high with 30 points (9-14 FG, 1-4 3-pt, 11-16) in a win at Santa Clara, including 25 in the second half on 7-7 FGs and 11-16 FTs.
 
DUTCH BRO: FR G Holland "Boo Boo" Woods has had a big impact in his first season as a Viking. After coming off the bench for nine games, he made his first start at Santa Clara. He ranks second in minutes played (30.2), averages 11.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and a team-leading 5.1 assists. 
• Woods leads the Big Sky in assists and ranks fourth in steals (1.9).
• Woods has six double-figure scoring games and two 20-point games.
• Has led the team in assists seven times with a season-high 10 against Portland Bible.
• Posted back-to-back career-high scoring games against Loyola Marymount (20 pts, 6-9 FG, 8-9 FT), then Santa Clara (26 pts, 10-12 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 3-3 FT).
 
BE LIKE MIKE: JR G Michael Mayhew has been a pleasant surprise for the Vikings this season. After scoring only 34 points all of last season, he now ranks as the Vikings fourth-leading scorer (10.5) while coming off the bench. 
• Mayhew ranks second on the Vikings in three-point field goals (23) and averages 1.8 steals per game... he made a career-high five steals in the win over Stanford.
• He has twice set a career-high with 17 points in a game.  
• Scored in double figures five times.
 
THE AIR UP THERE: SR C Ryan Edwards has stepped in for his only season at Portland State to become a starter in the middle. He now holds the distinction as being the tallest Viking in history (7-1).  
• Edwards averages 6.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game... has three double-figure scoring games.
• Leads the team with 16 blocked shots and ranks second in the Big Sky Conference (1.8)... had a season-high four blocked shots in the win over Stanford.
 
FARRIS WHEEL: SR F Traylin Farris has been bothered by an ankle sprain, missing four games. However, he continues to be productive when he plays, averaging 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game.
• Had a double-double in the season-opening win at Portland: 11 points, 12 rebounds, four assists.
• Shoots .594 from the field to rank third in the Big Sky Conference.
 
INSPECTOR GADGET: SR F Brandon Hollins is a versatile piece of the Viking puzzle as a defender, part-time starter and full-time energy guy. Hollins averages 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.
• Shoots .604 from the field to lead the Big Sky Conference. 
• Has four double-figure scoring games and one double-double... has led the team in rebounding twice.
• Scored a season-high 14 points (4-5 FG, 6-6 FT) at Loyola Marymount... was 9-11 from the field and 8-8 at the line in last week's two wins (13.0 ppg).
 
LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD: Portland native JR G Deante Strickland has joined the Vikings this season and become a key three-point shooting threat. He averages 5.4 points and 3.4 assists in 18 minutes per game.
• Shoots .452 from three-point range.
• Led the team with eight rebounds and 11 assists against Portland Bible.
• Strickland has two double-figure scoring games... has led the team in assists three times.
• Ranks eighth in the Big Sky in assists.
 
OTHER TASTY TIDBITS
• TRIPLE THE FUN: Portland State is averaging 10.3 three-point field goals made per game. The Vikings have never averaged as many as 10 in a season. The school record is 9.6 per game set in 2008-09... 10 of the 12 Vikings that have played have made a three-pointer. Only SR F Traylin Farris (0-0) and SO F Brendan Rumel (0-1) have yet to make a shot from behind the arc.
• IT'S A TEAM GAME: Portland State has had a total of 45 double-figure scorers through 10 games (4.5 per game)... seven players are averaging 7.0 points or more and four average in double figures... nine players are averaging 15 or more minutes... nine different players have made starts... only SR G Bryce Canda has started every game.
• WEST COAST DOMINANCE: Portland State went 3-0 against its three West Coast Conference opponents this season (Portland, Loyola Marymount, Santa Clara). The Vikings were 3-1 against the WCC last year (W - Pepperdine, San Francisco, Portland, L - Loyola Marymount).
 
BIG SKY LEADERS: The Vikings lead the Big Sky Conference in:
• Scoring, 91.1
• Scoring Margin, +14.8
• Steals, 12.8
• Assists, 18.0
• Turnover Margin, +9.7
• Assist-to-Turnover Ratio, 1.4
• Offensive Rebounds, 14.4
• 3-pt FG Made, 10.3
• Field Goal Percentage, Brandon Hollins, .604
• Assists, Holland Woods, 5.1
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL
• Nov. 11, PSU 80, Portland 75: Portland State scored the final 12 points of the game to pull out a come-form-behind win over Portland. The Vikings trailed 75-68 with 2:33 to go but forced two turnovers and four missed shots by the Pilots down the stretch. SR G Bryce Canda hit the big shot, a three-pointer with 34.3 seconds left, to give the Vikings a 78-75 lead. Canda led all scorers with 18 points. SR F Traylin Farris added 11 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high four assists.
• Nov. 14, PSU 111, Willamette 60: The Vikings set a school record with 22 steals in a win over Willamette. The Vikings forced 30 turnovers in all, turning them into 40 points. Seven players scored in double figures, led by SR G Deontae North's 19 points and seven assists. SR F Brandon Hollins had 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. SR G Bryce Canda added 15 points, nine rebounds and six steals.
• Nov. 18, PSU 94, UC Riverside 82: Portland State improved to 3-0 with a road at UC Riverside. The Vikings led for nearly 34 minutes, and UCR never got closer than seven points in the second half. SR G Bryce Canda scored a career-high 20 points to lead five Vikings in double figures. JR G Michael Mayhew scored a career-high 13 points off the bench. The Vikings forced 23 Highlander turnovers for 20 points. PSU is now 2-0 on the road.
• Nov. 20, PSU 83, Utah State 79: Portland State started strong, building an 18-point first half lead. But Utah State roared back to lead briefly in the second half. The Vikings forced nine Aggie turnovers in the last eight minutes of the game. SR G Bryce Canda and JR G Michael Mayhew, making his first career start, each scored 17 points as five players were in double figures. The win improved PSU to 4-0, 2-0 at home.
• Nov. 21, Canda Named Big Sky Conference Player Of The Week: In three wins over seven days, Canda averaged 17.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.3 assists per game. He shot 21-41 from the field (.512) as the Vikings beat Willamette (111-60), UC Riverside (94-82) and Utah State (83-79). 
• Nov. 23, Duke 99, PSU 81: Portland State gave top-ranked Duke a great challenge in the opening game of the PK80 Invitational. The Vikings led 49-45 at halftime and as late as 14 minutes remaining in the game. But the Blue Devils out-shot, out-rebounded and used a huge disparity in free throws (42 attempts to 12 for PSU) to engineer the win. SR G Deontae North had a game-high 24 points for the Vikings. PSU took its first loss, dropping to 4-1.
• Nov. 24, Butler 71, PSU 69: Portland State took it to the final shot, but couldn't pull off a come-from-behind win. The Vikings trailed the majority of the game, though never by double digits. Down by seven with 1:19 to play they pulled within two, but a late three-point attempt fell short. SR G Deontae North had a team-high 18 points and four assists. JR G Michael Mayhew had 17 points and SR G Bryce Canda added 14 points and six rebounds. PSU made 12 three-pointers, but the Bulldogs had the advantage in the paint, out-scoring PSU down low, 44-20.
• Nov. 26, PSU 87, Stanford 78: Portland State came from 12 points down to run away with a win in the 7th place game of the PK80 Invitational Motion Bracket. The Vikings forced Stanford into 28 turnovers, converting them into 40 points. A 31-8 second-half run proved decisive. SR G Deontae North led the Vikings with 22 points and seven rebounds.
• Nov. 28, North Named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week: In three games over Thanksgiving weekend at the PK80 Invitational, SR G Deontae North averaged 21.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals. North shot 18-43 from the field (.419), 7-16 from three-point range (.438) and 21-26 at the free throw line (.808). North had 24 points against Duke, then scored a team-high 22 points with seven rebounds and three steals in win over Stanford.
• Dec. 2, PSU 125, Portland Bible 50: Portland State established new school records for margin of victory (75), steals (27) and dunks (13) in a game. PSU also scored the most points since Feb. 3, 1978 (133). The Vikings shot .570 from the field, forced 38 turnovers and turned them into 52 points. SR G Bryce Canda led six Vikings in double figures with 20 points. JR G Deante Strickland (11) and FR G Holland Woods (10) combined for 21 assists.
• Dec. 6, PSU 94, Loyola Marymount 85: The pressure continued as the Vikings forced Loyola Marymount into 33 turnovers and made 20 steals. PSU led the entire game on the way to its third straight victory. SR G Bryce Canda tied his career high with 20 points and set a new career high with 13 rebounds. FR G Holland Woods also had a career-high 20 points, four assists and three steals. JR F Jamie Orme came off the bench for nine points, six rebounds, six steals and three blocked shots. At 7-2, PSU matched its best nine-game record in 22 seasons in the Big Sky.
• Dec. 9, PSU 87, Santa Clara 84: Portland State comes from 17 points down with 14:51 to play to win the game on the road. The Vikings shoot 20-24 from the field in the second half (.833), including making their last 16 shots in a row. They didn't take the lead until a three-pointer by Michael Mayhew with 56 seconds remaining. SR G Deontae North (30 pts) and FR G Holland Woods (26 pts) each post career highs. North is 7-7 from the field in the second half and Woods is 6-6. It marked the fourth straight win for the Vikings and improved them to 4-0 on the road.