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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (10-4, 0-1) vs.
EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (6-9, 1-1)
Thursday, January 4, 2018, 6:05 p.m. • Reese Court (5,000), Cheney, WA
Live Video and Audio: www.WatchBigSky.com, www.Pluto.tv 
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf

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THE OPENING TIP
The reality of conference play hit the Vikings hard last Saturday, but they have the comfort of knowing it is a long season in the Big Sky Conference leading up to the conference tournament in Reno in March.
           
Portland State lost its Big Sky opener at Sacramento State, 80-75, after a strong non-conference performance. And though PSU is still 10-4 on the season, it is the 0-1 in the all-important league column. The Vikings can turn their Big Sky fortunes around this week as they play at Eastern Washington (6-9/1-1) on Thursday and pre-season Big Sky Conference favorite Idaho (9-5/1-1) on Saturday.
           
The three games on the road to open the conference schedule are a tough way to start, but Portland State will be home for five of seven starting next week, and nine of the final 15 overall.
           
This week the Vikings will have to ratchet up the full-court pressure defense that has made their season so far. The nation's leader in forcing turnovers (23.0) going into the contest at Sacramento State, PSU had trouble creating those opportunities. The Hornets turned the ball over an opponent-low 11 times while shooting .604 from the field. That, combined with a poor shooting line by the Vikings (.417/.250/.529) spelled their doom. 
           
Thursday's game at Eastern Washington will pose a challenge in that category once again. The Eagles commit the fewest mistakes in the league (11.3 per game). The Vikings still rank second in all of Division I in turnovers forced (22.1).
           
Also posing a challenge for the Vikings will be do-it-all Eastern Washington forward Bogdan Bliznyuk. Bliznyuk scored 45 points against the Vikings in last season's final meeting (albeit a triple-overtime game). This year he leads the Eagles in scoring (18.9), assists (3.3), steals (14), and ranks second in rebounds (5.9).
           
The Vikings counter with their talented backcourt triumvirate of SR Gs Deontae North (20.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.0 apg), Bryce Canda (17.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.0 apg) and FR G Holland Woods (11.0 ppg, 6.0 apg). Those three have also combined for 86 steals, more than the entire Eastern Washington (77) this season.
           
Eastern Washington, 3-0 at home, will be playing its first conference home game. The Vikings will be playing their sixth road game in the last seven outings. They are 5-2 on the road this year (1-2 in neutral site games).
           
Thursday's game tips off at 6:05 p.m. at Reese Court in Cheney, WA. A live video stream is available at www.WatchBigSky.com and www.pluto.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. The game at Eastern Washington is the seventh game in that stretch and the sixth road game. PSU is 4-2 in the first six games. 
           
Looking ahead, the Vikings will play at Idaho on Saturday, completing a stretch of 40 days with just one home game. That game will be televised on the Eleven Sports Network, available on DirecTV and CenturyLink Prism.
           
Portland State's first Big Sky Conference home game is Jan. 11 (Montana State), and five of the next seven are at home.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 25-22, and the Big Sky Conference series, 22-21... Eastern leads the Big Sky series, 14-8, in Cheney... the teams have alternated wins over the last six contests... the Vikings are 13-5 in the series since 2008.
• LAST SEASON, Feb. 4 at Reese Court, EWU 130, PSU 124 (3ot): Eastern Washington won an epic three-overtime contest which ranked as the highest combined score of a game in PSU history (254), but not the highest by PSU (142) or an opponent (141). The Vikings rallied back from a 16-point second-half deficit to get the game to overtime at 86-86. Traylin Farris then made a tip-in at the buzzer of the first OT to send it to a second extra session. De'Sean Parsons (35) and Deontae North (30) each scored career highs for the Vikings, but Jacob Wiley and Bogdan Bliznyuk each had 45 points for the Eagles. PSU shot .536 from the field while Eastern Washington shot .564.
• COMMON OPPONENTS: Portland State and Eastern Washington each have one common opponent this season: Stanford. The Eagles beat the Cardinal, 67-61, on Nov. 14 on the road. The Vikings beat the Cardinal, 87-78, on Nov. 26 in the PK80 Invitational.
• POINTS, POINTS, POINTS: The winner in the last three games has scored at least 107 points in the game (Eastern twice, PSU once). The average score over those three games is 116.3-99.3.
• 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 Eagles are led by first-year Head Coach Shantay Legans. Legans spent the previous eight seasons as an Eastern Washington assistant coach.
 
EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES
• Eastern Washington has won two Big Sky Conference regular season titles and two tournament titles. The Eagles have twice reached the NCAA Tournament - most recently in 2015.
• The Eagles were 22-12 last season, 13-5 and second place in the Big Sky Conference. Three starters and eight letterwinners return from that team. Forward Bogdan Bliznyuk was a second team All-Big Sky Conference selection.
• Eastern Washington is 6-9 this season, 1-1 in the Big Sky after losing at Northern Colorado and winning at North Dakota last week.
• The Eagles average 75.0 points per game and allow 74.4 points. They commit the fewest turnovers of any team in the Big Sky (11.3 per game).
• SR F Bogdan Bliznyuk carries the Eagles with his talent, averaging 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He shoots .492 from the field and .846 at the free throw line.
• JR F Jesse Hunt averages 8.9 points and a team-leading 6.7 rebounds. Hunt shoots .500 from the field and .846 at the line.
• JR G Ty Gibson is one of the top three-point shooters in the Big Sky Conference. He has made 34-85 (.400) this season.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES 
• Portland State is 10-4 this season, 4-0 at home, 5-2 on the road, 1-2 at neutral sites.
• PSU's 14-game mark of 10-4 matches its best in 22 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference (also 10-4 in 1998-99, 2004-05 and 2008-09, PSU reached 11-4 and 12-4 in all three of those seasons and 13-4 in 1998-99).
• Portland State has won six of its last eight games.
• The Vikings have won six straight at home dating to last season, with those wins coming at three different home venues (Peter W. Stott Center (2), Lewis and Clark College (3), Memorial Coliseum (1)). 
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 - 3 games, 3-0
  - 22 seasons - 283 games, 203-80 at home overall 
• Portland State has lost only eight non-conference home games in the last 11 seasons (49-8). PSU is 26-8 against Division I schools, and 23-0 against lower division schools over that span.
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 116-39 at home, including 65-32 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 175-189 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the Big Sky Tournament (11-12). 
• PSU is 116-58 in home games, 54-123 in road games and 5-9 in neutral-site games.
WHO IS HOT
• The Viking defense: PSU makes 12.6 steals per game and has a +9.4 turnover margin, both of which lead the nation. PSU has made 18 or more steals in five games this season... the Vikings force 22.1 turnovers, which ranks second in the nation. Opponents have had 21 or more turnovers eight times.
• Portland State averages 92.3 points per game, best in the Big Sky and third in the nation... the only time PSU has averaged more was 99.2 points during the 1970-71 season.
• SR G Deontae North has scored 20 or more in the last five games, averaging 24.0 points per game... he now ranks second in the Big Sky in scoring (20.2).
• With 11 points and 10 rebounds at Sacramento State, SR G Bryce Canda now has a team-high five double-doubles.
• FR G Holland Woods handed out a career-high 13 assists at Cal. It was the third-most assists in Portland State school history and his first career double-double (12 pts, 13 ast)... Woods scored a career-high of 26 points (10-12 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 3-3 FT), with seven assists and four rebounds at Santa Clara and had 10 assists at Oregon... he has averaged 8.3 assists in the last four games and leads the Big Sky in assists (6.0) for the season.
• SR C Ryan Edwards put up season highs of 19 points (7-9 FG, 1-1 3-pt, 4-5 FT), eight rebounds in 22 minutes against Linfield... he followed that by tieing a Portland State record with seven blocked shots at Cal in just 14 minutes... Edwards added 16 points at Sacramento State... he has averaged 14.7 points over the last three games.
• SR F Brandon Hollins made 6-6 field goals for 12 points in the win at Cal... he has made 22-29 shots over the last six games (.758) and now leads the Big Sky with a .616 field goal percentage.
 
WHO IS NOT
• The Vikings shot .417 from the field, .250 from three-point range and .529 at the line in the loss at Sacramento State. 
• PSU has been out-rebounded in eight of the last 11 games (but still gone 7-4). 
• Portland State averages 23.1 fouls per game, most in the Big Sky and ranking 347th in the nation (among 351).
 
BEST RECORDS: Portland State has matched its best four-game (4-0), five-game (4-1), nine-game (7-2), 10-game (8-2), 11-game (8-3), 12-game (9-3), 13-game (10-3) and 14-game (10-4) records 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 13-game marks in the Big Sky.
 
Year               W-L     Next Game
2017-18         10-4    ?
2008-09         10-4    W, 11-4
2004-05         10-4    W, 11-4
1998-99         10-4    W, 11-4
 
FIRST-YEAR COACHING RECORDS: New Portland State Head Coach Barret Peery has gotten off to a great start on the Park Blocks, compiling a 10-4 record. Below is a look at the best coaching records for first-year head coaches in Portland State history, ranked by winning percentage. The next-best first-year coaching record at the Division I level is Joel Sobotka in 1998-99 (17-11).
 
Year               Coach            W-L
1947-48         Joe Holland  14-5
2017-18         Barret Peery           10-4
1998-99         Joel Sobotka 17-11
1948-49         Arba Ager      14-12
1946-47         John Jenkins            11-10
1972-73         Ken Edwards            12-12
2005-06         Ken Bone      12-16
2009-10         Tyler Geving             13-19
1996-97         Ritchie McKay          9-17
1953-54         Sharkey Nelson       8-17
1965-66         Marion Pericin          6-19
1978-79         Glen Kinney  6-21
2002-03         Heath Schroyer        5-22
 
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 12.6 steals per game to lead the nation.
• PSU leads the nation in turnover margin (+9.4).
• The Vikings force 22.1 turnovers per game to rank second in the nation.
• Portland State has 18 or more steals in five games this season.
• Six Vikings rank in the top 13 in steals in the Big Sky Conference.
 
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 and the points they produce:
  • Turnovers forced: 310 for 369 points (26.4 per game)
  • Fast break points: 214 (15.3 per game)
  • Offensive rebounds: 205 for 200 second chance points (14.3 per game)
 
CANDA CAN-DO: A second-year starter for the Vikings, SR G Bryce Canda does it all for the Vikings. He averages 17.6 points and leads the team in rebounding (7.1), steals (2.4), and three-point field goals (39). 
• Canda ranks ninth in scoring, second in steals and fourth in rebounding in the Big Sky Conference.
• Canda has led the team in scoring seven times and rebounding seven times... he has five double-doubles.
• Has scored in double figures in 13 games, with five 20-point games and one 30-point game.
• Canda scored a career-high 31 points at Oregon, including 26 in the second half.
• He grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds in the win at Loyola Marymount.
• Scored 23 points with five rebounds, four assists and three steals in the win at Cal.
• 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: SR G Deontae North is having a brilliant season for the Vikings. North leads the team in scoring (20.2) while averaging 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
• Ranks second in the Big Sky Conference in scoring and 12th in assists.
• North has scored 13 or more points in every game this season... he has seven 20-point games and a 30-point game.
• Has scored 20+ points in five straight games.
• North has led the team in scoring seven 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.
• Scored 23 points with six rebounds and two assists at Oregon.
 
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 has moved into the starting lineup. He ranks second in minutes played (31.1), averages 11.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and a team-leading 6.0 assists. 
• Woods leads the Big Sky in assists and ranks fourth in steals (2.0).
• Woods has eight double-figure scoring games and two 20-point games.
• Has led the team in assists 10 times with a season-high 13 at Cal... has three double-figure assist games.
• 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).
• Named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 12 following LMU, Santa Clara wins after averaging 23.0 points, 5.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Shot 16-21 from the field (.761) and 11-12 at the line (.917).
 
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 8.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and ranks second in the Big Sky with 1.9 blocks per game.
• Has five double-figure scoring games.
• His seven blocked shots in only 14 minutes at Cal tied a school record.
 
FARRIS WHEEL: SR F Traylin Farris has been bothered by an ankle sprain, missing seven games this season. However, he continues to be productive when he plays, averaging 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game.
• Had a double-double in the season-opening win at Portland: 11 points, 12 rebounds, four assists.
• Shoots .639 from the field.
 
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 7.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.
• Shoots .616 from the field to lead the Big Sky Conference. 
• Has five double-figure scoring games and one double-double... has led the team in rebounding four times.
• Scored a season-high 14 points (4-5 FG, 6-6 FT) at Loyola Marymount.
• Made 6-6 field goals for 12 points in the win at Cal. 
 
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 (9.2) while coming off the bench. 
• Mayhew ranks second on the Vikings in three-point field goals (31) and averages 1.8 steals per game (sixth in the Big Sky)... 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 six times.
 
BRAXTON IS BACK!: It seems like such a little thing; SR F Braxton Tucker's line at California. He had one point and one rebound in 11 minutes of play. Nothing special. Except it was. It marked the first time in 39 games and just the sixth time in the last 81 Portland State games that Tucker has been healthy enough to play. He had a solid sophomore season in 2014-15, but went down with a knee injury late in the year. Tucker missed all of 2015-16, then played only the first five games of 2016-17 (averaging 16.8 points and 5.4 rebounds) before sitting down with a bad knee again. After missing the first 12 games of this season, Tucker was cleared to play. And play he did.
 
BIG SKY LEADERS: The Vikings lead the Big Sky Conference in:
• Scoring, 92.3
• Scoring Margin, +14.4
• Steals, 12.6
• Assists, 19.0
• Blocked Shots, 4.3
• Turnover Margin, +9.4
• Assist-to-Turnover Ratio, 1.5
• Offensive Rebounds, 14.6
• 3-pt FG Made, 10.8
• Assists, Holland Woods, 6.0
• Brandon Hollins, Field Goal Percentage, .616

OTHER TASTY TIDBITS
• TRIPLE THE FUN: Portland State is averaging 10.8 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 14 Vikings that have played have made a three-pointer. Only JR G Derek Brown (0-0), SR F Braxton Tucker (0-0), SR F Traylin Farris (0-0) and SO F Brendan Rumel (0-1) have yet to make a shot from behind the arc... PSU's 41 three-point attempts against Linfield were a school record (previous 39). The 18 three-pointers made came up just short of the record (21).
• IT'S A TEAM GAME: Portland State has had a total of 63 double-figure scorers through 14 games (4.5 per game)... nine players are averaging 5.5 points or more and three average in double figures... nine players are averaging 16 or more minutes... 10 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)... PSU was 2-1 against the Pac-12 (W - Stanford, W - Cal, L - Oregon)... the Vikings are also 1-0 against the Big West and 1-0 against the Mountain West... that makes them 7-1 against teams from other Division I basketball conferences in the west.
• QUICK STATS: JR G Deante Strickland ranks sixth in the Big Sky Conference in three-point percentage (.452)... Portland State has scored 81 or more points in 12 of 14 games this season.
 
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 came from 17 points down with 14:51 to play to win the game on the road. The Vikings shot 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 posted 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.
• Dec. 12, Woods Named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week: FR G Holland Woods had his two best games of the season as the Vikings picked up a pair of road victories. "Boo Boo" posted back-to-back career-scoring highs with 20 points in a 94-85 win at Loyola Marymount, then 26 points in an 87-84 win at Santa Clara on Saturday.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).
• Dec. 13, Oregon 95, PSU 84: Oregon out-shot the Vikings .500 to .378 from the field and that proved to be the difference as Portland State got 10 more shots up than the Ducks. PSU last led 35-32 with five minutes to play in the first half, but went into a shooting slump. Trailing by 14 in the second half, the Vikings cut it to two points on three occasions, but couldn't get over the hump. SR G Bryce Canda scored a career-high 31 points and SR G Deontae North added 23 points. FR G Holland Woods handed out 10 assists. The loss ends a four-game Viking winning streak.
• Dec. 16, PSU 116, Linfield 71: Portland State rang up 69 second half points to pull away from Linfield and record another blowout win against a lower division school. SR G Deontae North scored 27 points while SR G Bryce Canda had a near-triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. PSU made 18 three-pointers and forced 27 Wildcat turnovers to pad their victory. PSU is now 4-0 at home and has won six straight at home overall.
• Dec. 21, PSU 106, Cal 81: Portland State jumps to an 11-0 lead, then by more than 20 midway through the first half. The Vikings lead by 20+ most of the way home with an easy wire-to-wire win on the road. PSU goes to 10-3 at the conclusion of non-conference play, its best non-conference record ever. SR G Bryce Canda leads the Vikings with 23 points. SR C Ryan Edwards ties a school record with seven  blocked shots and FR G Holland Woods hands off a career-high 13 assists - third most in school history.
• Dec. 30, Sacramento State 80, PSU 75: The Vikings led by as many as 16 points in the first half but couldn't close the deal in the Big Sky Conference opener. Justin Strings made 16-18 field goals for 34 points as the Hornets shot an opponent season-high .604 from the field. Sacramento State had a Viking opponent season-low 11 turnovers as PSU's full-court press wasn't effective. The Vikings also shot only .417/.250/.529 for the game. PSU was led by SR Gs Deontae North's 20 points and nine rebounds. SR G Bryce Canda had his fifth double-double (11 pts, 10 reb).