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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (0-1) vs. UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS (0-1)
Saturday, November 10, 2018, 7:05 p.m. • Viking Pavilion (3,094), Portland, OR
Live Stream: Pluto TV Channel 232, wwwPluto.tv, www.WatchBigSky.com • Play-by-Play: Mark Bailey
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf

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A new era of Viking basketball begins this Saturday as Portland State Men's Basketball will play its first official game in the new Viking Pavilion at the Peter W. Stott Center. The Vikings will christen their long-awaited new home with a non-conference game against UC Riverside of the Big West Conference beginning at 7:05 p.m.
     
PSU had used the old Stott Center gym as its main home court dating back to 1967. But the new arena, which was constructed on the eastern side of the Stott Center over the past two years, finally brings the Viking program into a first-class Division I facility.
     
Since Portland State joined Division I and the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97, the Vikings had used the Stott Center as its main home court (233 games). But the Vikings had also used Memorial Coliseum (19 games), the Rose Garden (28 games, now Moda Center) and last year, Lewis and Clark College's Pamplin Sports Center (12 games), as occasional home courts. That makes the Viking Pavilion and the Stoller Family Court PSU's fifth (and hopefully final) home court as the 23rd season as a Big Sky Conference program commences (for more on the Viking Pavilion, see THE VIKING PAVILION below).
     
Despite all those home courts, Portland State has fared well in recent years in non-conference home games. The Vikings have lost only eight 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.
     
Portland State goes into Saturday's game at 0-1 after losing its season opener at 14th-ranked Oregon, 84-57, on Tuesday. Despite rebounding and ball-handling advantages, the Vikings couldn't overcome a stagnant offense. The Vikings had a poor shooting night, hitting only 29% from the field, 14% from three-point range and 62% at the line.
     
SO G Holland Woods led the Vikings with 13 points and three assists. SR F Jamie Orme added 11 points and five rebounds. The Ducks got 22 points from Payton Pritchard and 12 points and 12 rebounds from Bol Bol.
     
UC Riverside also lost its opener, 72-59, at Oregon State on Tuesday. Dikymbe Martin led the Highlanders with 20 points. Dragan Elkaz scored a dozen.
     
Saturday is a return game for the Vikings, who played at UC Riverside last November. The Vikings won that game, 94-82.
     
The game is not televised but will be live streamed on Pluto TV Channel 232 and www.WatchBigSky.com. Live statistics are available at www.ViksLive.com.
 
COMING UP
Portland State returns to the Viking Pavilion next Saturday, Nov. 24 to host Willamette University. It will be the second of six non-conference home games for the Vikings.
     
PSU competes in the Vandal Holiday Hoops Showcase, Nov. 23-24, in Boise, ID. The Vikings will play UC Santa Barbara and Northwest Nazarene in games at Century Link Arena, home of the 2019 Big Sky Conference Championship Tournament.
     
The Vikings play six of their next 10 non-conference games at home, and seven of 11 at home stretching into the start of the Big Sky schedule.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. UC RIVERSIDE
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 4-2, including 2-0 in home games... the teams have met four times in the past eight seasons with the Vikings winning three of them. Last season, PSU won 94-82 at Riverside.
• LAST YEAR: NOV. 18, 2017, PORTLAND STATE 94, UC RIVERSIDE 82: Portland State led most of the way as it improved to 3-0 on the young season with a win at Riverside. Bryce Canda scored 20 points with 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals to lead five Vikings in double figures. Deante Strickland scored 12 points, and Holland Woods came off the bench for nine points, eight rebounds and six assists... the Vikings won the battle on the glass, 52-37, including 23 offensive rebounds.
• PORTLAND STATE vs. THE BIG WEST CONFERENCE: Portland State is 27-35 all-time against current members of the Big West Conference. The Vikings will also play UC Santa Barbara of the Big West on Nov. 23.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Barret Peery (Southern Utah, 1996) is in his second season on the Park Blocks and has a 20-15 career record. Peery is 1-0 against UC Riverside. 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 Highlanders are coached by David Patrick (Louisiana-Lafayette, 2000) in his first season.
 
UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS
• UC Riverside is a member of the Big West Conference. The Highlanders were 9-22 last season, 4-12 and eighth place in the Big West.
• UCR returns one starter and six letterwinners from 2017-18. Junior guard Dikymbe Martin averaged a team-leading 13.5 points last season.
• The Highlanders opened the season at Oregon State on Tuesday, losing 72-59. Martin led the team with 20 points (7-11 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 3-3 FT). Freshman guard Dragan Elkaz scored 12 points (3-8 3-pt FG, 3-3 FT) off the bench. Sophomore guard Jordan Gilliam added a team-high five assists.
• UCR's roster features a pair of 7-footers, Callum McRae (7-1) and Menno Dijkstra (7-0), both of whom started against Oregon State.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
 
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 0-1 on the season, 0-0 at home, 0-1 on the road.
• PSU was 20-14 in 2017-18, 8-5 at home, 10-6 on the road, 2-3 at neutral sites.
• In Big Sky Conference games, PSU was 9-9 (4-5 at home, 5-4 on the road).
• PSU was 9-6 in games decided by five points or less or overtime.
• The Vikings were 2-1 in overtime.
Home Court(s)
• Portland State opens the Viking Pavilion at the Peter W. Stott Center in 2018-19. The Stoller Family Court will be PSU's fifth (and hopefully final) home court since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97. The main home court was the old Peter W. Stott Center. However, the Vikings also used the Rose Garden (now Moda Center) and Memorial Coliseum occasionally over the years. In 2017-18, PSU used Lewis & Clark College's Pamplin Sports Center as a home court while the Viking Pavilion was being completed. Here is the breakdown:
  - Viking Pavilion
  - 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 - 12 games, 7-5
  - 23rd season - 292 games, 207-85 at home overall
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 120-46 at home, including 71-38 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
• 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.
And The Trivial
• Portland State is 29-30 all-time in overtime, including 2-1 in 2017-18.
• PSU is 2-17 against nationally-ranked opponents since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97.
• The Vikings are 0-1 on television (0-0 home, 0-1 road). Portland State is 23-52 in games televised in the Portland area since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97. That includes a 9-7 home record and 13-40 road record and 1-5 neutral site record.
• Portland State has won 32 straight games against lower division schools dating back to 2002. The Vikings are 44-1 against lower division schools in 22 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference and Division I (1996-2017).
 
NEW SEASON, NEW LOOK: Portland State Head Coach Barret Peery had four new starters in his lineup against Oregon to go with returning starter SO G Holland Woods. Also tipping it off were SO C Brendan Rumel (three total starts in the previous two years), SR F Jamie Orme (one start last year), JR F Robert McCoy and SR G Derek Brown.
• In addition to McCoy, also playing in their first games as Vikings were JR Gs Michael Nuga and Juwan Williams, JR F Rashaad Goolsby and JR C Sal Nuhu.
• SO C Brendan Rumel played a career-high 26 minutes in the game, scoring nine points with three rebounds.
• SR G Derek Brown grabbed a career-high seven rebounds to lead the team.
 
WHAT IS PEERY PRESSURE?
Portland State Head Coach Barret Peery emphasizes a full-court pressure defense that forces turnovers and creates transition opportunities. Then, on the offensive end, his team relentlessly attacks the offensive glass. The results proved out quite well in 2017-18. Here are the analytics of those two areas.
• The Vikings forced 18.1 turnovers per game and had a +5.4 turnover margin (1st in the nation).
• The Vikings averaged 14.5 offensive rebounds per game (2nd in the nation) while opponents averaged 10.2 offensive rebounds.
• In all, the difference in total turnovers (184) and total offensive rebounds (145) meant 329 extra possessions compared to opponents (9.7).
• It is no wonder the Vikings had 361 more field goal attempts and 199 more free throw attempts than their opponents last year and 85.2 points (3rd in the nation).
• Despite a loss at Oregon, the Vikings was still strong in turnover margin (+3) and offensive rebounding (25). The differential with the Ducks was 18 extra possessions for the Vikings. That led to 23 more shot attempts from the field (though the Ducks had 17 more free throw attempts).
 
THE VIKING PAVILION
Portland State University held Grand Opening ceremonies for the new Viking Pavilion at the Peter W. Stott Center on April 9.
     
The long-awaited arena and events facility became a first-class venue for the university and the Viking Athletics program. Viking volleyball opened the Pavilion for Viking Athletics with the first official sporting events in August. The first major athletics event was on Apr. 28 when PSU hosted a Grand Opening Gala (Wine and Roses). Numerous other campus events have taken place over ­the past six months.
     
The Viking Pavilion, a 141,700-square foot facility seats just over 3,000 people for basketball. Seating is more than double the size of the old Stott Center main gym. The facility also has a new weight room, locker rooms, academic center and administrative offices as well as the new OHSU Sports Medicine Center. A new Viking Athletics Hall of Fame display will be completed in October. Other additions include five new classrooms, new student lounges and a new cafe also opening this fall. 
     
­The $52.1 million project, which was part renovation and part rebuild, was designed by Woofter Architects/Perkins+Will. Fortis Construction was the general contractor. $19.1 million came from private gifts and PSU project funds, $7.5 million was a sponsorship from OHSU, $24 million are from state bonds and $1.5 million are from student fees. None of the funding came from general operating funds or tuition dollars. Formal fund-raising began in 2013. An official ground breaking took place on April 23, 2016.