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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (5-5) vs. CSU BAKERSFIELD ROADRUNNERS (6-4)
Thursday, December 20, 2018, 7:05 p.m. • Viking Pavilion (3,094), Portland, OR
Live Stream: Pluto TV Channel 232, www.pluto.tv, www.WatchBigSky.com • Play-by-play: Matt Richert
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf

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THE OPENING TIP
Portland State will try to erase a week of disappointment when it hosts CSU Bakersfield in the final non-conference game of the 2018 calendar year.
     
PSU lost a pair of games last week, albeit to strong programs in BYU and Loyola Marymount, but more than that looks for an improved level of play overall. The 5-5 Vikings turned in a pair of shabby shooting and ball-handling performances in the losses that prevented them from having a chance at victory in either game. Portland State shot only .328 from the field in the two losses and averaged 19.5 turnovers. The Vikings also allowed a season-high 85 points in each game to their opponents.
     
That could all turn around on Thursday against the Roadrunners. Prior to last week's home loss to LMU, the Vikings had won four straight in their new Viking Pavilion arena and had been shooting .505 at home.
     
The Vikings face the 'Runners for the first time in two seasons. PSU will take a 4-1 home mark into the game, but also look to end a two-game losing streak overall.
     
Bakersfield is 6-4 this season and takes a three-game winning streak into a Tuesday night home game with Cal Poly. The Roadrunners are 2-4 in road games. They have wins over a pair of Big Sky Conference opponents already this year, 68-67 over Weber State, and 73-67 at Idaho.
     
PSU continues to be led by SO G Holland "Boo Boo" Woods, who is averaging team-highs of 15.1 points and 4.7 assists. JR C Sal Nuhu averages 10.7 points, a team-leading 6.5 rebounds and a Big Sky-best 2.0 blocked shots per game. The Vikings hope to boost their offense if JR G Michael Nuga (13.5 ppg) can return from a sprained toe that has caused him to miss the past two games.
     
Thursday's game will be available via live stream at Pluto TV Channel 232, www.pluto.tv and www.WatchBigSky.com. Live statistics are available at www.ViksLive.com.
 
COMING UP
Big Sky Conference play begins on Dec. 31 when the Vikings host Northern Colorado in a 2:05 p.m. game. After that contests, PSU plays eight of its next 11 games on the road. The Vikings wrap up Big Sky play with six of eight games at home leading into the Big Sky Conference Tournament, Mar. 13-16.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. CSU BAKERSFIELD
• ALL-TIME SERIES: CSU Bakersfield leads the all-time series, 3-2. All five games have been played in the past eight seasons. The Roadrunners have won all three meetings in Bakersfield (2010, 2015, 2016), while the Vikings have won the two games played in Portland (2011, 2014).
• PORTLAND STATE vs. THE WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE: Portland State is 17-13 all-time against current members of the WAC. CSUB is the only WAC opponent this season and marks the first WAC opponent for Head Coach Barret Peery.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Barret Peery (Southern Utah, 1996) is in his second season on the Park Blocks and has a 25-19 career record. Peery has never faced CSU Bakersfield... Peery's 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 Roadrunners are coached by Rod Barnes (Ole Miss, 1988) in his eighth season. Barnes is 118-106 with Bakersfield, including 2-2 against Portland State. In 20 seasons as a collegiate coach, Barnes has a 304-295 record.
 
CSU BAKERSFIELD ROADRUNNERS
• CSU Bakersfield is a member of the Western Athletic Conference.
• The Roadrunners were 12-18 last season, 5-9 and sixth place in the Western Athletic Conference. CSUB was 25-10/12-2 and won the WAC in 2016-17.
• Bakersfield is currently 6-4, with a game against Cal Poly on Tuesday prior to facing the Vikings. The Roadrunners average 72.5 points and allow 69.0 points per game. They have strong rebounding (+3.4) and turnover (+2.9) margins, and have already defeated a pair of Big Sky schools (Weber State, Idaho).
• Jarkel Joiner is one of three Roadrunners averaging over 11 points per game. The sophomore guard averages 11.7 points to lead the team.
• SR G Rickey Holden averages 11.3 points and 5.0 assists per game. SR G Damiyne Durham averages 11.3 points and has made a team-leading 25 three-point field goals this season.
• SR F James Suber shoots .684 from the field and leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per game.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 5-5 on the season, 4-1 at home, 0-3 on the road, 1-1 at neutral sites.
• The Vikings have lost two games in a row.
• 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).
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 - 5 games, 4-1
  - 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 - 297 games, 211-86 at home overall
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 124-47 at home, including 71-38 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
• Portland State has lost only nine non-conference home games in the last 12 seasons (53-9). PSU is 28-9 against Division I schools, and 25-0 against lower division schools over that span.
 
WHO IS HOT
• THE BENCH IS NO DETERRENT: JR C Sal Nuhu has scored in double figures in seven games and JR G Michael Nuga has been in double figures in his last six (he missed the last two with a sprained toe) even though neither has started. Nuhu has averaged 12.0 points and Nuga has averaged 16.0 points during that span.
• REBOUNDERS: Portland State has out-rebounded nine of 10 opponents this season and has a +13.7 rebounding margin to rank third in the nation. The Vikings are averaging 20.5 offensive rebounds per game which also leads the nation. They have converted those offensive boards to 198 second-chance points (19.8 points per game).
• FAST HANDS: Portland State ranks third in nation in steals with 10.9 per game.
 
WHO IS NOT
• THREE-POINT SHOOTING: Portland State is shooting 63-241 from three-point range this season (.261).
• PARDON ME: The Vikings are averaging 24.8 fouls per game - 350th in the nation - including a season-high 36 against UC Santa Barbara.
• NO NUGA: JR G Michael Nuga, the Vikings' second-leading scorer, has missed two games due to a sprained right big toe suffered in practice last week.
 
YOU'VE GOT TO PUT THE BISCUIT IN THE BASKET: There is no question that shooting efficiency is the most important element in basketball. So far, the Vikings have been inconsistent when chucking the rock at the old peach basket, with distinct differences in shooting between wins and losses, and home and road games. Here is a breakdown:
• Field goal percentage: 290-706, .411
• Two-point percentage: 227-465, .488
• Three-point percentage: 63-241, .261
• Shooting in wins: .491/.379
• Shooting in losses: .321/.152
• Shooting in home games: .483/.339
• Shooting in road/neutral site games: .342/.197
 
PEERY PRESSURE, PART II: 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. Here are the analytics of those two areas. In 2018-19:
• The Vikings have forced 19.4 turnovers per game and have a +3.8 turnover margin.
• The Vikings average 20.5 offensive rebounds per game while opponents average 8.1.
• In all, the difference in total turnovers (38) and total offensive rebounds (124) is 162 extra possessions compared to opponents (16.2 per game).
• As a result, PSU has 174 more field goal attempts than the opponents. Opponents have 26 more free throw attempts.
 
CHEERING FOR BOO BOO: SO G Holland "Boo Boo" Woods is the Vikings' leader in scoring (15.1), and assists (4.7). He ranks ninth in the Big Sky in scoring, third in assists and and 10th in steals (1.5).
• He has led the team in scoring seven times and assists six times this season.
• Woods, the Big Sky leader in assists last season (5.6), has led the Vikings in assists in 32 of 43 career games.
• Scored in double figures seven times with three 20+ point games.
• Woods reached 200 career assists in 36 career games. He is now 14 assists short of reaching the Portland State all-time top 10 for assists.
• Went for 20 points and five assists at Stanford.
• Had 27 points (8-14 FG, career-high 5-7 3-pt, 6-6 FT) and six assists in a win over Portland.
 
NU-COMERS PLAYING WELL: Portland State newcomers JR G Michael Nuga and JR C Sal Nuhu are having a big impact off the bench for the Vikings.
Nuga Nuggets:
• Nuga ranks second in the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game in less than 20 minutes per night.
• He is shooting .500 from the field and .385 from three-point range.
• Has scored in double figures the last six games, averaging 16.0 points.
• Went for 17 points and nine rebounds against Stanford.
Yahoo For Nuhu:
• Nuhu averages 10.7 points in 20 minutes per game.
• He averages 6.6 rebounds to lead the Vikings and rank seventh in the Big Sky. He has a Big Sky-leading 2.0 blocked shots per game.
• Nuhu shoots .556 from the field.
• In the last eight games, he has scored in double figures seven times, averaging 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds.
• Posted a double-double against Stanford with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
• Went for 10 points, nine rebounds and a season-high six blocked shots against Portland.
 
FINDING HIS F-ORME: SR F Jamie Orme is taking a big step forward in 2018-19 by moving into the starting lineup. He averaged 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds last season in 13 minutes per game. Now he is averaging 9.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in nearly 22 minutes per game.
• Ranks eighth in the Big Sky in rebounding.
• Scored in double figures six times and has two double-doubles this season.
• Has season highs of 19 points, 13 rebounds (twice) and five assists.
 
WHAT BROWN CAN DO FOR YOU: SR G Derek Brown has also taken a big step up in 2018-19 with his move to the starting lineup. Last year, he averaged 5.1 points in 12 minutes per game... this season Brown averages 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals.
• Led the team in scoring three times, assists twice and scored in double figures six times.
• Has season highs of 16 points, six rebounds and eight assists.
 
PARTICIPATION AWARDS ALL AROUND: Portland State Head Coach Barret Peery's style of aggressive full-court pressure requires fresh bodies at all times. The Vikings sub early and often and everybody plays. So far, the core 11 players are all averaging at least 12 minutes per game or more. Only six average 20 minutes, and only SO G Holland Woods averages over 30.
 
IF YOU BUILD IT: The crowd of 2,020 that attended the game against Portland (12/5) in the Viking Pavilion is the largest crowd of the season so far. Portland State's home opener against UC Riverside had a crowd of 1,424. The largest recent crowd was a sellout of 1,500 attended the Portland State/Oregon State game in the old Stott Center gym on Dec. 12, 2012... PSU is averaging 1,220 fans through five home games - the most since the 2007-08 season (1,347).
 
Portland State leads the Big Sky Conference in:
Rebounds Per Game       47.1
Offensive Rebounds        20.5
Rebounding Margin         13.7
Steals                              10.9
Blocked Shots                   4.0
Sal Nuhu, Blocked Shots  2.0