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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (7-2) vs. SANTA CLARA BRONCOS (3-5)
Saturday, December 9, 2017, 7 p.m. • Leavey Center (4,700), Santa Clara, CA
Live Video and Audio: TheW.tv
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf

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THE OPENING TIP
Portland State will go after a sweep of its three West Coast Conference opponents in non-conference play this Saturday when the Vikings take on the Santa Clara Broncos.
           
PSU comes off a 94-85 win Wednesday night at Loyola Marymount. Coupled with a Nov. 11 win at Portland, the Vikings are 2-0 against the WCC. More important, the Vikings are 7-2 overall which matches their best nine-game record as a Division I program and member of the Big Sky Conference. PSU has won three games in a row and is also 3-0 on the road.
           
Santa Clara is 3-5 overall, 3-2 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.
           
The Broncos have not played since Dec. 2 so they will have had a full week to prepare for the Vikings.
           
Wednesday's win at LMU should not be underestimated. It marked the start of a brutal stretch of road games (seven of eight) that includes two WCC opponents, two Pac-12 opponents and the first three Big Sky Conference games.
           
Portland State's pressure befuddled the Lions, forcing them into 33 turnovers on the night. The Vikings converted those into 34 points in a game in which they never trailed. SR G Bryce Canda matched his career high with 20 points and set a new career high with 13 rebounds. He added four assists and three steals. FR G Holland Woods also had a career high with 20 points as well as four assists and three steals off the bench. JR F Jamie Orme came off the bench for a great all-around game with nine points, six rebounds, six steals and three blocked shots.
           
The only other time Portland State had a nine-game record of 7-2 was in 2008-09. That team lost game 10 to go 7-3, so this year's version of the Vikings has a chance for its best 10-game mark in 22 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference. 
           
The Vikings are 3-0 in home games, 3-0 in road games and 1-2 in neutral site games so far. Portland State currently owns the best non-conference mark of any team in the Big Sky Conference.
           
PSU's game at Santa Clara will be available via live stream at the www.TheW.tv. 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 Santa Clara is the second in that eight-game stretch. Looking ahead are games at 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).
           
Portland State does not play a Big Sky Conference home game until Jan. 11 (Montana State).
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. SANTA CLARA
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 1-0. The only previous meeting between the schools was a 76-63 win by the Vikings over the Broncos on Dec. 18, 2001. It was a first round game in the Stanford Invitational, played in Palo Alto, CA.
• PORTLAND STATE vs. THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE: This is Portland State's third game against a West Coast Conference school this season. The Vikings have already beaten Portland, 80-75, and Loyola Marymount, 94-85... Portland State is 38-71 all-time against current members of the WCC. 
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Barret Peery is in his first season on the Park Blocks... the Broncos are coached by Herb Sendek who is 20-21 in his second season at Santa Clara. He is 433-316 in 24 seasons as a collegiate head coach at Miami (OH), North Carolina State, Arizona State and Santa Clara. Sendek is 0-1 all-time against the Vikings, having lost to PSU, 71-67, on Nov. 18, 2006 while head coach at ASU.
• COACHING TREE: Vikings Coach Barret Peery is one of 12 former assistant coaches for Herb Sendek that are currently Division I head coaches. Peery assisted Sendek at Arizona State in 2014-15 (18-16 overall) and at Santa Clara in 2016-17 (17-16 overall).
 
SANTA CLARA BRONCOS
• Santa Clara is a member of the West Coast Conference, located in Santa Clara, CA. The Lions were 17-16 last season, 10-8 and tied for fourth in the WCC. 
• This year Santa Clara has started 3-5 with wins over La Verne, Northern Arizona and Arkansas Pine Bluff. The Broncos are 3-2 at home and have won their last two games.
• Santa Clara averages 74.3 points per game and shoots .470 from the field. The Broncos make 9.0 three-point field goals per game. Santa Clara allows 70.0 points per game. Opponents shoot .484 from the field and .454 from three-point range.
• Four starters average in double figures, led by 18.3 points per game from JR G KJ Feagin. Feagin shoots. 515 from the field, .426 from three-point range and .909 at the free throw line.
• SR G Henry Caruso averages 12.9 points and a team-leading 7.1 rebounds per game. 
• FR F Josip Vrankic (11.0) and JR G Matt Hauser (10.1) also score in double figures.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES 
• Portland State is 7-2 this season, 3-0 at home, 3-0 on the road, 1-2 at neutral sites.
• PSU's nine-game mark of 7-2 is its best since starting 7-2 in the 2008-09 season. 
• The Vikings were 15-16 in 2016-17, 10-3 at home, 4-12 on the road, 1-1 at neutral sites. 
 
WHO IS HOT
• The Viking defense: PSU makes 13.8 steals per game, which ranks as the most in the nation. PSU made 20 more steals in the win at Loyola Marymount... the +9.8 turnover margin ranks as the second-most in the nation... the Vikings have forced 99 turnovers in the last three games (33.0 per game).
• Viking free throw shooters. Portland State has made 66-79 free throws in the last three games (.835). Through the first six games, they were shooting only .591 at the line.
• SR G Bryce Canda has scored 14 or more points in every game this season. He has scored a career-high 20 points three times this season... Canda leads the team in rebounding (7.4) and steals (2.7). His 13 rebounds at Loyola Marymount was also a new career high.
• FR G Holland Woods may have played his best all-around game at LMU. He had a season-high 20 points, four assists, three steals and three rebounds. Woods made 6-9 field goals and 8-9 free throws... despite not starting a game this season, he leads the Big Sky Conference in assists (4.9).
• Also with his best all-around game was JR F Jamie Orme, who had nine points, six rebounds, six steals, three blocked shots and an assist at Loyola Marymount... Orme came off a game of 15 points and eight rebounds against Portland Bible.
 
WHO IS NOT
• SR F Traylin Farris missed his third game of the season at Loyola Marymount due to an ankle sprain.
• Portland State had 20 turnovers at Loyola Marymount. 
• PSU has been out-rebounded in five of the last six games. 
 
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 13.8 steals per game, which leads the nation... PSU ranks second in the nation in turnover margin (+9.8).
• Portland State has 18 or more steals in four games this season.
• Six Vikings rank in the top 13 in steals in the Big Sky Conference.
• The Vikings force 23.8 turnovers per game... they have forced 99 turnovers in the last three games (33.0 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: 214 for 241 points (26.8 per game)
  • Fast break points: 133 (14.7 per game)
  • Offensive rebounds: 141 for 137 second chance points (15.2 per game)
 
CANDA CAN-DO: A second-year starter for the Vikings, SR G Bryce Canda does it all for the Vikings. He averages 17.2 points and leads the team in rebounding (7.4), steals (2.7), and three-point field goals (24). 
• Canda ranks seventh in scoring, second in steals and fourth in rebounding in the Big Sky Conference.
• Canda has scored 14 or more points in every game this season... he has 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 (17.9) while averaging 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
• Ranks sixth in the Big Sky Conference in scoring.
• North has scored 13 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. 
 
DUTCH BRO: FR G Holland "Boo Boo" Woods has had a big impact in his first season as a Viking. Despite not starting, he ranks second in minutes played (29.7), averages 10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and a team-leading 4.9 assists. 
• Woods has five double-figure scoring games, posting a career-high 20 points at Loyola Marymount (6-9 FG, 8-9 FT).
• Has led the team in assists six times with a season-high 10 against Portland Bible.
• Woods leads the Big Sky in assists and ranks third in steals (2.0).
 
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 (10.8). 
• Mayhew ranks second on the Vikings in three-point field goals (21) 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.  
 
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 7.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game... has three double-figure scoring games.
• Leads the team with 14 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 two 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 7.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.
• Shoots .574 from the field and ranks second on the team in rebounding.
• Has three double-figure scoring games and one double-double... has led the team in rebounding once.
• Scored a season-high 14 points (4-5 FG, 6-6 FT) at Loyola Marymount. 
 
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 5.8 points and 3.7 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 sixth in the Big Sky in assists.
 
OTHER TASTY TIDBITS
• TRIPLE THE FUN: Portland State is averaging 10.7 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 42 double-figure scorers through nine games (4.7 per game)... eight players are averaging 7.0 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 (17.9 in 27.1 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, 91.6
• Scoring Margin, +16.1
• Steals, 13.8
• Assists, 18.1
• Blocked Shots, 4.8
• Turnover Margin, +9.8
• Assist-to-Turnover Ratio, 1.3
• Offensive Rebounds, 15.7
• 3-pt FG Made, 10.7
• Assists, Holland Woods, 4.9
 
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.