Boxscore – HTM | PDF
 
Sacramento, CA - Justin Strings put on a tour de force performance, scoring 34 points, as the Sacramento State Hornets knocked off Portland State in The Nest, 80-75, in the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams.
 
The Hornets' senior forward made 16-18 shots from the field, grabbed eight rebounds, had five assists and a blocked shot. He led a brilliant second-half shooting effort by Sacramento State as the Hornets made 17-25 from the field (.680) and 5-8 from three-point range (.625) after intermission to come from behind for the win.
 
Portland State led by 16 in the first half and six at halftime. But Sacramento State had the pace to its liking throughout the contest. Portland State, for one of the few times all season, struggled to get the game up to its fast-paced tempo as the Hornets were able to avoid excessive turnovers, spread the court, and play a half-court game.
 
The 75 points for the Vikings marked only the second time this season they had failed to score at least 80. PSU entered the game averaging 93.6 points, which ranked third in the nation. However, the Vikings shot only 30-72 (.417) from the field, 6-24 (.250) from three-point range, and 9-17 (.529) at the free throw line.
 
The loss dropped Portland State to 10-4 on the season, 0-1 in the Big Sky Conference. The Hornets improved to 4-10, 1-0.
 
PSU got to a double-digit lead early in the game and was up 29-13 midway through the first half. The Hornets stormed back on a 15-point run with 13 coming from Strings. The Hornets made 10 straight field goals as they pulled within 34-33 with 3:42 remaining in the half.
 
The Vikings got to halftime with a 39-33 advantage behind 13 points and six rebounds from Deontae North.
 
Sacramento State did as good a job handling Portland State's full-court pressure as any opponent this season, committing only six first-half turnovers and shooting .536 from the field. Strings had 15 points and six rebounds at the break.
 
The Vikings never got their offense going in the second half as the Hornets remained close. Sacramento State finally took the lead for good at the 5:04 mark on a three-pointer by Kevin Hicks, 66-65.
 
Down the stretch, Portland State missed eight straight shots before a North jump shot went down with 55 seconds left. But that only pulled the Vikings within 73-68. Meanwhile, Strings scored seven of the last 14 Hornet points.
 
North led the Vikings with 20 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Senior center Ryan Edwards scored 16 points. Senior guard Bryce Canda had 11 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.
 
In the end, PSU's full-court pressure was not a big factor. Sacramento State made only 11 turnovers, the fewest by a Viking opponent this season, matching Duke on Nov. 23. The Hornets made 32-53 shots for the game (.604), the best by an opponent all season.
 
GAME NOTES: After missing four straight games with an ankle sprain, forward Traylin Farris returned, scoring nine points with five rebounds in 13 minutes of action… the Vikings, in the midst of playing seven of eight on the road, are currently 4-2 through the first six games of that stretch… Portland State entered the game with an RPI of 46, possibly its best ever since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97… the Vikings are on the road next Thursday at Eastern Washington. Game time is 6:05 p.m. and it will air on www.WatchBigSky.com and www.Pluto.tv. Live stats are available at www.ViksLive.com.