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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (6-2) vs. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS (4-3)
Wednesday, December 6, 2017, 7 p.m. • Gersten Pavilion (4,156), Los Angeles, CA
Live Video and Audio: http://www.wccsports.com/ot/upcoming-events.html
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf

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THE OPENING TIP
Off to its best start in nine seasons, the Portland State basketball team gets set to face another challenge in a season that has presented a variety challenges already.
           
The Vikings (6-2) have handled the transition to a new head coach, the challenge of having to play home games off-campus, and facing some of the top teams in the nation at the PK80 Invitational with aplomb.
           
Now, Portland State must go on the road for seven of its next eight games, starting with two West Coast Conference opponents this week, and a pair of Pac-12 opponents beginning next week. This after playing seven of their first eight games within the Portland city limits (though just three at home).
           
PSU's 6-2 mark was last bettered by a Viking team in 2008-09 when that squad started out 7-1 (though they lost games nine and 10). Though eight teams have winning records, Portland State currently owns the best non-conference mark of any team in the Big Sky Conference.
           
The Vikings are 3-0 in home games, 2-0 in road games and 1-2 in neutral site games so far. Road wins at Portland and UC Riverside create some intrigue with this week's opponents. Portland is a member of the West Coast Conference, alongside Loyola Marymount (Wednesday's matchup) and Santa Clara (Saturday's game). And UC Riverside was also a victim of LMU earlier last month (the Lions won 76-64). 
           
Loyola Marymount is 4-3 overall this season, including 3-0 at home.
           
Santa Clara enters the week at 2-5 overall, 2-2 at home. The Broncos share no common opponents with the Vikings but Portland State Head Coach Barret Peery will have a chance to match strategies with his former mentor, Herb Sendek. Peery was an associate head coach for Sendek last season with the Broncos, and also his assistant at Arizona State in 2014-15.
           
Portland State comes off an expected, but nonetheless massive, win over Portland Bible last Saturday. The Vikings stomped the lower-division Wildcats, 125-50, establishing the largest margin of victory in school history. Six players scored in double figures, led by 20 points from SR G Bryce Canda. That gives PSU a two-game winning streak heading into the LMU game. The Lions come off a 78-74 loss at Oregon State on Saturday.
           
PSU's game at Loyola Marymount will be available via live stream at the www.TheW.tv. Live stats are available at www.ViksLive.com.
 
COMING UP
The Vikings play seven of the next eight games on the road, leading into the first two weeks of Big Sky Conference play. After facing Loyola Marymount this Wednesday. PSU plays at Santa Clara (Dec. 9), Oregon (Dec. 13) and Cal (Dec. 21) before Christmas. Sandwiched in is a Dec. 16 home game against Linfield. Big Sky Conference play begins at Sacramento State (Dec. 30), followed by games at Eastern Washington (Jan. 4) and Idaho (Jan. 6).
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
• ALL-TIME SERIES: The all-time series is tied 3-3. LMU has a 3-1 advantage at home and has won the last two meetings between the schools.
• LAST SEASON, Nov. 25, 2016 at Gersten Pavilion, LMU 78, PSU 62: After leading by a point at halftime, the Vikings were outscored 46-29 in the second half. Loyola Marymount shot .574 from the field, while PSU shot only .377. Brandon Brown scored 20 points for the Lions and Steven Haney came off the bench to hit 5-7 three-point field goals. The Vikings got 15 points from Braxton Tucker and 10 points from Traylin Farris.
• PORTLAND STATE vs. THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE: This is Portland State's second of three games against a West Coast Conference school this season. The Vikings have already beaten Portland, 80-75. PSU also plays at Santa Clara on Saturday... Portland State is 37-71 all-time against current members of the WCC. 
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Barret Peery is in his first season on the Park Blocks... the Lions are coached by Mike Dunlap who is 41-58 in four seasons at LMU. He is 369-163 in 18 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Dunlap is 1-0 all-time against the Vikings.
 
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS
• Loyola Marymount is a member of the West Coast Conference, located in Los Angeles. The Lions were 15-15 last season, 8-10 and tied for sixth in the WCC. 
• This year, LMU has started 4-3, winning all three home games over UC Riverside, McNeese State and Cal State Los Angeles. PSU and LMU have one common opponent this year in UC Riverside. Both teams beat the Highlanders.
• Loyola Marymount averages 78.3 points per game and allows 76.3. The Lions have proven to be a strong rebounding team, beating opponents by 4.7 per game on the glass.
• JR G James Bateman leads the team in scoring (14.4 ppg) and assists (4.6 apg).
• FR F Eli Scott averages 13.9 points and a team-best 6.9 rebounds per game. Also scoring in double figures is SR F Steven Haney, who averages 11.3 points and has made a team-leading 16 three-point field goals. 
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES 
• Portland State is 6-2 this season, 3-0 at home, 2-0 on the road, 1-2 at neutral sites.
• PSU's eight-game mark of 6-2 is its best since starting 7-1 in the 2008-09 season. PSU also started 6-2 in 2010-11.
• 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
• Viking ball-handlers. The Vikings have just 40 turnovers in the last four games. They had averaged 16.5 turnovers through the first four games... also, JR G Deante Strickland (11 assists) and FR G Holland Woods (10 assists) combined for 21 assists in the win over Portland Bible.
• Viking free throw shooters. Portland State has made 41-48 free throws in the last two games (.854). Through the first six games, they were shooting only .591 at the line.
• The Viking defense: PSU makes 13.0 steals per game, which is the most in the nation. The +9.4 turnover margin ranks as the second-most in the nation.
• SR G Deontae North has 82 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists in the last four games. He scored a season-high 24 points in 20 minutes against Duke, making 8-13 shots, 4-5 three-pointers and 4-4 free throws... He was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 28... North has scored 14 or more points in every game this season.
• SR G Bryce Canda has also scored 14 or more points in every game this season. He is averaging 16.9 points and leads the team in rebounding (6.8) and steals (2.6). Canda scored 20 points in 22 minutes against Portland Bible.
• SO C Brendan Rumel scored a career-high 19 points in the win over Portland Bible, making four dunks.
 
WHO IS NOT
• SR C Ryan Edwards sat out against Portland Bible due to illness.
 
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:
  • Offensive rebounds: 129 for 124 second chance points (15.5 per game)
  • Turnovers forced: 181 for 207 points (25.9 per game)
  • Fast break points: 126 (15.8 per game)
 
A BLOWOUT... IN MANY WAYS: A win over Portland Bible last Saturday was certainly expected by all as the Vikings were playing a lower division team. But still, some of the numbers were remarkable in PSU's 125-50 win.
• The 125 points scored were the most by a Viking team since Feb. 3, 1978 (133).
• The 75-point margin of victory was the largest in school history.
• PSU's 36 assists were two short of a school record.
• The Vikings' 27 steals were a new school record.
• PSU recorded 13 dunks in the game, also a school record.
 
CANDA CAN-DO: A second-year starter for the Vikings, SR G Bryce Canda does it all for the Vikings. He averages 16.9 points and leads the team in rebounding (6.8) and steals (2.6), while tied for the lead in three-pointers made (19). 
• Canda ranks second in the Big Sky Conference in steals.
• Canda has scored 14 or more points in every game this season... he had a career-high 20 points at UC Riverside and matched that against Portland Bible.
• Canda has led the team in scoring four times and rebounding four times... he has two 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 (18.6) while averaging 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
• North has scored 14 or more points in every game this season... he has two 20-point games.
• North has led the team in scoring four 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. 
 
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 third-leading scorer (10.6). 
• Mayhew leads the Vikings in three-point field goals (19) and averages 2.0 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.  
 
DUTCH BRO: FR G Holland Woods has had a big impact in his first season as a Viking. Despite not starting, he ranks second in minutes played (29.4), averages 9.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and a team-leading 5.0 assists. 
• Woods has four double-figure scoring games.
• Has led the team in assists five times with a season-high 10 against Portland Bible.
• Woods leads the Big Sky in assists.
 
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 8.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game... has three double-figure scoring games.
• Leads the team with 12 blocked shots and ranks second in the Big Sky Conference (1.7)... 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 two games. However, he continues to be productive when he plays, averaging 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 17 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 6.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.
• Shoots .548 from the field and ranks second on the team in rebounding.
• Has two double-figure scoring games and one double-double... has led the team in rebounding once.
 
LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD: Portland native JR G Deante Strickland has joined the Vikings this season and become the starter at point guard. He averages 6.1 points and 3.9 assists in 19 minutes per game.
• Shoots .448 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 second in the Big Sky in assists.
 
OTHER TASTY TIDBITS
• 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. Early numbers have them at 13.0 steals per game, which leads the nation... PSU ranks second in the nation in turnover margin (+9.4).
• IT'S A TEAM GAME: Portland State has had a total of 37 double-figure scorers through eight games (4.6 per game)... nine players are averaging 6.1 points or more... nine players are averaging 13 or more minutes.
• MOST PRODUCTIVE VIKINGS? THIS MIGHT SURPRISE: SO F Brendan Rumel has scored 36 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in 55 total minutes of play this season. That ranks him as the second-most productive rebounder per minute among all Vikings, and third-most productive in points per minute... second-most productive in points per minutes is SR G Deontae North (18.6 in 26.3 per game)... the most-productive scorer is JR G Vonte Carter (21 points in 19 minutes played).
 
BIG SKY LEADERS: The Vikings lead the Big Sky Conference in:
• Scoring, 91.2
• Scoring Margin, +17.0
• Steals, 13.0
• Assists, 18.4
• Turnover Margin, +9.4
• Assist-to-Turnover Ratio, 1.4
• Offensive Rebounds, 16.1
• 3-pt FG Made, 10.9
• Assists, Holland Woods, 5.0
 
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) and steals in a game (27). 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.