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Portland, OR - Holland Woods single-handedly snapped Portland State out of its shooting slump, scoring a career-high 29 points and leading the Vikings to a 94-81 win over Eastern Washington at Lewis and Clark College's Pamplin Sports Center. Woods also set a PSU school record for most field goals made in a game without a miss, hitting 10-10 from the field.
 
The freshman point guard known, who goes by the nickname "Boo Boo", paced a balanced attack that ended the Vikings three-game losing streak. In all, Woods made 10-10 shots, 2-2 three-pointers and 7-8 free throws while dishing out nine assists without a turnover.
 
"His voice was great, his effort was great, and when you lose yourself in a game like he did, shots fall, you make plays and you feel comfortable with what you are doing," Viking Coach Barret Peery said of his floor leader. "Obviously we love him and love what he does."
 
With the win, Portland State moved to 14-9 on the season, 4-6 in the Big Sky. Eastern Washington dropped to 12-12 overall, 7-4 in the Big Sky. The Eagles had won three straight and nine of their previous 11 games.

Portland State's team shooting mark of .576 (38-66) from the field was a season-best and a welcome relief from the Vikings' sub-.400 shooting in its three-game skid. In addition, the Vikings committed only six turnovers in the game. The 94 points scored were the most in a Big Sky game this season.
 
Several other Vikings had big games as five scored in double figures. Deante Strickland scored 13 points, hitting 5-6 from the field and 3-4 from long range. Traylin Farris added 13 points (5-8 FG) and five rebounds. Brandon Hollins (6-10 FG) and Michael Mayhew (5-9 FG) each had 12 points.
 
Perhaps just as important to PSU's effort was slowing Eagles' star Bogdan Bliznyuk, who was coming off a 40-point performance on Thursday night. Blinyuk, who averages over 20, settled for 13 points, adding a game-high nine rebounds and six assists.
 
The Vikings got off to a much better start than recent games, leading 10-3 through five minutes after a solid defensive effort. The Eagles made only one of their first five shots and committed three turnovers. That set a pace the VIkings have thrived on all season. PSU had a 22-9 advantage when the teams went to a timeout with 10:11 left in the half. At that point, they had hit 10-14 shots.
 
The closest Eastern would get for the rest of the half was 39-32 at intermission. The half belonged to Woods as he hit 6-6 shots, scoring 13 points with five assists. PSU was 18-34 from the field (.529) compared to 13-28 for the Eagles (.464).
 
All five Viking starters scored in an 11-3 run to open the second half for Portland State. That pushed the lead to 50-35 and forced an Eastern Washington timeout. PSU's lead remained double digits for most of the remainder of the game. The Vikings shot even better, making 20-32 in the second half (.625) and 9-10 at the line (.900).
 
"I thought we really tried to share the ball and we really guarded the way we had earlier in the season," said Peery. "That looked like us today, defending the ball, getting after people and doing a good job.
 
"Our guys were very poised (in the second half) and knew what they were supposed to do. I thought they really showed up and played hard."
 
Although he scored just five points, Bryce Canda pitched in five rebounds and seven assists for the Vikings. Jamie Orme had a team-high seven rebounds.
 
Cody Benzel led the Eagles with 21 points on 7-13 three-point shots. Eastern Washington was 32-66 (.485) from the field for the game.
 
GAME NOTES: Portland State is 6-3 at home this season… the Vikings are 14-6 overall against Eastern Washington since 2008… Eastern Washington beat the Vikings, 81-74, on Jan. 4 in Cheney… the Vikings go on the road next week, playing at Montana (Thursday) and Montana State (Saturday). Those games will be available via live stream at www.WatchBigSky.com and www.Pluto.tv.