Boxscore – HTM | PDF
 
Berkeley, CA – If Portland State hadn't done enough to make believers out of college basketball fans yet, perhaps Thursday night's rout of the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion will do the trick.
 
The Vikings beat Cal 106-81 and it was never in doubt. PSU scored the first 11 points in the game, led by 28 with three minutes to go in the first half, and maintained a 20+ point lead for most of the game. The 25-point margin of victory was the largest ever by a Viking team over a Pac-12 team.
 
Portland State improved to 10-3 on the season – matching its best mark ever after 13 games. The Vikings are 5-1 on the road, a remarkable figure considering the competition.
 
In addition, at the conclusion of non-conference play, PSU has winning records against four other conferences: 3-0 vs. the West Coast, 2-1 vs. the Pac-12, 1-0 vs. the Mountain West and 1-0 against the Big West.
 
Portland State scored the first 11 points of the game, including six inside from senior center Ryan Edwards. The Vikings, who rank fourth in the nation in scoring, set the tempo and Cal followed the pace. A 23-6 run later in the half had the Vikings up 39-16. Holland Woods, Deontae North and Michael Mayhew hit back-to-back-to-back three-pointers to conclude the rally. At that point, PSU had made 15-23 shots and 6-9 from distance.
 
The offensive onslaught pushed the Viking lead to 52-24 with 3:07 left in the half. PSU got to halftime with a 56-37 advantage. The Vikings' full-court pressure provided the difference again. PSU forced the Golden Bears into 16 first-half turnovers and converted them into 31 points.
 
Seven Vikings had scored at least six points by halftime, led by 12 from Deontae North and 11 from Bryce Canda. Holland Woods had eight assists at the break.
 
A pair of Mayhew three-pointers in a 16-8 run early in the second half had the Vikings up 72-45 and the Golden Bears were done. They pulled within 19 points only once as PSU rolled to victory.
 
There were stars all around for the Vikings. Edwards tied the Portland State school record with seven blocked shots in just 14 minutes of playing time. He scored nine points and had a tip-dunk that was the highlight of the night for the Viking team.
 
Woods' 13 assists were a career-high and the third-most in school history. He also had 12 points.
 
Senior guards Canda and North were the top scorers as they have been all season. Canda scored 23 points, had five rebounds, four assists and three steals. North pitched in 20 points with four assists, three rebounds and two steals.
 
Senior forward Brandon Hollins had a big game with 12 points on 6-6 shooting, and six rebounds. Mayhew came off the bench for 15 points on five three-pointers, and junior forward Jamie Orme scored 12 points off the bench.
 
In the end, Cal turned the ball over 26 times for 40 Viking points. The Golden Bears became the eighth team to commit 20+ turnovers against the Vikings this season.
 
Portland State shot 37-77 (.481) from the field for the game, and splashed 11 three-point field goals. Cal was 25-56 (.446) from the field, but failed to make a three-pointer (0-8).
 
Cal had won three straight games, but drops to 6-7 with the loss. Don Coleman led the Golden Bears with 19 points.
 
GAME NOTES: Braxton Tucker entered the game in the first half for the Vikings for the first time this season. It was also the first time he had played in 39 games overall. He has battled knee problems since late in the 2014-15 season. It was just his sixth appearance in the last 81 games played for the Vikings… Portland State has now scored 100 points four times this season… PSU entered the game ranked fourth in the nation in scoring, first in steals and second in turnover margin… the only other time PSU started a season 10-3 was 2008-09… Portland State's next game is the Big Sky Conference opener on Dec. 30 at Sacramento State.