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Ogden, UT – Deante Strickland buried an NBA-quality three-point shot to cap off a big Viking comeback and wipe away years of frustration for Portland State at Dee Events Center. Derek Brown followed with clutch free throws in the closing seconds as Portland State pulled out a 76-75 win over Weber State.

The Vikings had lost seven straight games to Weber State, including three of the last four in overtime. And, PSU had won only twice at Dee Events Center since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996. Throw on top of that a 12-point deficit with 9:15 to play and Portland State didn't appear to have much going for it on a Thursday night in Ogden. 

PSU was down 62-50 before making its move. Jamie Orme lit the fire as he scored nine points down the stretch, including six straight in an 8-0 run by the Vikings. 

Weber State was still ahead though, 69-63, after a Jerrick Harding free throw with 4:45 to play. That's when Holland "Boo Boo" Woods took charge. He hit a jump shot in the paint, then after a Viking defensive stop added two free throws to pull PSU within 69-67. 

Brown tied the game, 69-69, on a drive in the lane with 2:51 to play. Then Woods scored on a drive and the Vikings led for the first time since 1-0 at the start of the game.

Harding tied the game on a drive of his own. He was fouled and his free throw had the Wildcats back on top 72-71 at the 1:56 mark.

The teams traded four empty possessions as the game entered the final minute. After Weber State's Cody John missed three-pointer the Vikings had the ball with 48 seconds to play. Following a timeout, Woods ran down the shot clock, worked the defense and drove inside. When he got shut off by the collapsing Wildcat defense he whipped a pass back on top to Strickland, who was a full five feet behind the three-point arc. Strickland rose and buried the trey with 18.5 seconds left. PSU was ahead 74-72.

"We put a small lineup on the court (after the timeout) and it drew some defense to Michael Mayhew in the corner," said Viking Coach Barret Peery. "So when Boo Boo drove, he saw that, made a tremendous pass up to the second man, which was Strickland, and Strick knocked down the shot." 

After another timeout, Harding tossed up a potential tying shot for the Wildcats from 14 feet out. It bounced off the rim and Brown rebounded. He was fouled with 3.9 seconds left and made both free throws. 

A harmless three-point shot by Harding at the buzzer made the final 76-75, Vikings.

It was a very satisfying win for Portland State, who is only 3-22 all-time in Big Sky games in Ogden. And, PSU had also lost to the Wildcats, 95-88, in overtime on Jan. 12 in Portland.

Portland State improved to 9-11 on the season with the win. The Vikings move into a tie for sixth in the Big Sky at 4-5. It was the third straight win for the Vikings - a season best.

Orme led Portland State with 18 points and three blocked shots. He hit 8-10 shots from the field. Woods added 16 points and matched a career-high with eight rebounds. Brown scored a dozen for the Vikings.

All 10 Vikings that played scored and had at least two rebounds. 

"Every single person on the team contributed tonight and did something to impact the win," said Peery. "Our guys are showing great character. We have been a much hungrier team the last couple weeks. We have now shown we can win anywhere and we have to keep doing what we do every night."

Harding finished with 28 points to lead all scorers. He made 11-18 shots from the field. 

A 44-27 rebounding advantage for the Vikings proved to be key. The Vikings grabbed 19 off the offensive glass. That was particularly important as the Wildcats were 27-54 from the field (.500) compared to 29-66 for the Vikings (.439). PSU's bench also bettered Weber State's, 20-4.

The Wildcats had won eight of 10 games before losing to the Vikings. They are now 13-8, 7-3 on the season.

GAME NOTES: During the three-game winning streak, Jamie Orme has entered the starting lineup and averaged 14.7 points, shooting 16-24 from the field (.667). "He is giving us great energy and is a big defender who can rebound the ball. He is taking better shots and finding success," said Peery… Portland State is now 2-6 on the road this season, with wins at the two schools tied for second place entering the evening, Montana and Weber State… the Vikings move on to play at Idaho State on Saturday night. Tip-off is 6 p.m. PT. The game will be live streamed on www.pluto.tv and www.WatchBigSky.com.