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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (14-10, 4-7) vs. MONTANA STATE BOBCATS (13-12, 6-6)
Saturday, February 10, 2018, 1 p.m. PT • Worthington Arena (7,250), Bozeman, MT
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
Portland State will go after a road-trip split this Saturday when it takes on Montana State in a Big Sky Conference game at Worthington Arena.            
           
The Vikings have had splits in their previous two two-game Big Sky road swings and now seek a third after a disappointing loss at Montana on Thursday. PSU is 14-10 on the season, 4-7 in Big Sky games, and attempting to climb in the standings for better positioning in the Big Sky Tournament in March. Montana State comes off a 92-76 win over Sacramento State on Thursday, improving its record to 13-12, 6-6 in the Big Sky.
           
Inexplicably, Portland State followed its best shooting game of the season (.576 in a win against Eastern Washington last Saturday) with its worst (.313) at league-leading Montana. The result was PSU's lowest scoring game and largest margin of defeat of the season against the Griz, dropping an 80-60 contest.
           
Hopefully, that is just a one-game aberration for the Vikings, who have been the Big Sky's top scoring team all season. Going into Bozeman, PSU can look back at a convincing 93-74 win over the Bobcats on Jan. 11. Since that time though, the Vikings have lost five of seven games.
           
For MSU, the loss to PSU started a run of six losses in the last eight games (after starting league play 4-0). However, the Bobcats had one of their best offensive showings of the year in the win over the Hornets on Thursday.
           
A win over Montana State would draw the Vikings within one-half game of the Bobcats in the Big Sky standings. That would bode well for PSU as it will play four of its final six games at home.
           
Despite its loss on the Thursday, Portland State has a 7-5 road record this season. Montana State carries an 8-3 home record.
           
Saturday's game tips off at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. 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 return home to host Weber State next Thursday, followed by Idaho State on Saturday. Those games are part of four of Portland State's final six regular season games at home.
           
All Viking home games take place at Lewis and Clark College this season as construction on the new Viking Pavilion is being completed. Thursday games tip at 8 p.m. with Saturday games at 1 p.m.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. MONTANA STATE
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Montana State leads the all-time series with Portland State, 33-23. In Big Sky Conference games, the Bobcats hold a 26-20 advantage... the Bobcats lead the series in Bozeman, 17-4... in Big Sky Tournament games, the Vikings have won all four meetings.
• Jan. 11 in Portland, PSU 93, Montana State 74: Portland State raced to a double-digit lead in the first five minutes and never looked back. The Vikings shot .531 from the field, .438 from three-point range and .846 at the line in a relatively easy win. Once again, PSU's trapping defense (21 forced turnovers for 24 points) was a big factor. SR G Deontae North had his eighth straight 20-point game with a team-high 22. JR G Michael Mayhew added 18 points and seven rebounds. FR G Holland Woods added nine assists. Tyler Hall led the Bobcats with 16 points and four assists.
• 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 Bobcats are coached by Brian Fish in his fourth season. He is 50-68 overall, including 2-4 against the Vikings.
 
MONTANA STATE BOBCATS
• Montana State is an original member of the Big Sky Conference. The Bobcats have won four regular season Big Sky titles and two Big Sky Tournament titles. MSU has made three appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Bobcats were 16-16 last season, 9-9 and sixth in the Big Sky. They return five starters and eight letterwinners from that team.
• MSU was picked fourth in the Big Sky preseason polls this year. The Bobcats are currently in the middle of the Big Sky pack at 6-6. They are 13-12 overall.
• Montana State averages 75.7 points and allows 76.4 points per game. The Bobcats shoot just .424 from the field - second-lowest in the league - but hold slight edges in rebounding and turnover margin.
• Junior guard Tyler Hall ranks among the top players in the league, averaging 18.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Hall has made a league-leading 83 three-point field goals and also leads the league with a .909 free throw percentage.
• Hall's backcourt mate, sophomore Harald Frey averages 13.7 points and 3.3 assists per game. He has made 51 three-pointers.
• Forward Keljin Blevins averages 9.4 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES 
• Portland State is 14-10 this season, 6-3 at home, 7-5 on the road, 1-2 at neutral sites.
• In Big Sky Conference games, PSU is 2-3 at home, 2-4 on the road. 
• The Vikings have lost four of the last five games. 
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 179-195 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the Big Sky Tournament (11-12). 
• PSU is 118-61 in home games, 56-125 in road games and 5-9 in neutral-site games.
 
WHO IS HOT
• JR G Derek Brown set career highs with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists at Montana.
• JR G Deante Strickland has made 9-14 three-pointers (.643) and committed only one turnover in the last three games... Strickland leads Viking regulars with a .425 three-point percentage.
• FR G Holland Woods posted a career-high 29 points (10-10 FG, 2-2 3-pt, 7-8 FT) with nine assists and no turnovers in the Vikings' 94-81 win over Eastern Washington. He set a Portland State school record for most field goals made in a game without a miss... Woods continues to lead the Big Sky in assists (5.5).
• SR C Ryan Edwards has made 18 of his last 21 free throws (.857). 
 
WHO IS NOT
• The Viking offense had its lowest scoring out put (60) and field goal percentage (.313) of the season against Montana.
• In Portland State's seven Big Sky losses, it has been easy to point at shooting as the downfall. PSU has shot .384 from the field and .252 from three-point range in seven Big Sky losses. PSU has shot .516 from the field in four Big Sky wins.
• Portland State averages 22.8 fouls per game, ranking 347th in the nation (among 351).
 
THE COMEBACK: Portland State's come-from-behind victory at Idaho State (1/18) marked the sixth time this season that Portland State has erased a second-half deficit (three by double digits) and pulled out a win. Four of those have been on the road, two at Memorial Coliseum. Here is a list of the comebacks: 
• Beat Portland, 80-75, on Nov. 11 (R) - trailed by seven with 2:33 remaining.
• Beat Utah State, 83-79, at Memorial Coliseum on Nov. 20 - trailed by three with 7:16 remaining.
• Beat Stanford, 87-78, at Memorial Coliseum on Nov. 26 - trailed by 11 with 18:10 remaining (trailed by 14 in first half).
• Beat Santa Clara, 87-84, on Dec. 9 (R) - trailed by 17 with 14:51 remaining/trailed by 10 with 7:08 remaining.
• Beat Idaho, 73-72, on Jan. 6 (R) - trailed by five with 2:59 left.
• Beat Idaho State, 87-83, on Jan. 18 (R) - trailed by 16 with 18:30 remaining.
 
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 10.5 steals per game to lead the nation (251 total).
• PSU leads the nation in turnover margin (+7.0).
• The Vikings force 19.3 turnovers per game to rank second in the nation.
• Portland State has 18 or more steals in five games this season... opponents have 20 or more turnovers 10 times.
• Four Vikings rank in the top seven 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. Here is a look at PSU's hustle chart and the points they produce:
• Turnovers forced: 463 (19.3 to lead the Big Sky and rank second in the nation) for 546 points (22.8 per game)
• Fast break points: 282 (11.4 per game)
• Offensive rebounds: 343 (14.3 to lead the Big Sky and rank sixth in the nation) for 348 second chance points (14. per game)
 
PUTTING THE BISCUIT IN THE BASKET: Portland State is averaging 87.1 points per game this season. That is the most by a Viking team since 1976-77 (91.0) when Freeman Williams trod the (former) Stott Center hardwood. Here is a look at PSU's top scoring averages in 22 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
 
Year               PPG
2017-18         87.1
2016-17         85.3
1998-99         79.1
2006-07         78.2
 
OTHER TASTY TIDBITS
• MORE QUICK STATS: JR G Deante Strickland ranks ninth in the Big Sky Conference with a .425 three-point shooting mark... JR F Jamie Orme ranks 11th in the Big Sky in blocked shots with 16... the Vikings are 8-0 when they out-shoot an opponent, 6-10 when they don't.
• TRIPLE THE FUN: Portland State is averaging 9.5 three-point field goals made per game. The school record is 9.6 per game set in 2008-09... 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)... 11 different players have made a three-pointer this season.
• INJURY AND ILLNESS: Besides the opponent, the Portland State basketball team has been battling injury and illness all season. The Vikings have lost 47 player games by seven different players due to injury and illness this season. They are: Brendan Rumel (15), Braxton Tucker (15), Traylin Farris (8), Brandon Hollins (4), Jamie Orme (3), Ryan Edwards (1) and Deontae North (1).
 
BIG SKY LEADERS: The Vikings lead the Big Sky Conference in:
• Scoring, 87.1
• Steals, 10.5
• Assists, 16.8
• Blocked Shots, 3.8
• Turnover Margin, +7.0
• Assist-to-Turnover Ratio, 1.4
• Offensive Rebounds, 14.3
• 3-pt FG Made, 9.5
• Assists, Holland Woods, 5.5