PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (5-8, 0-2) vs. MONTANA GRIZZLIES (10-4, 3-0)
Saturday, January 5, 2019, 6 p.m. PT • Dahlberg Arena (7,332), Missoula, MT
Live Stream: Pluto TV Channel 237, pluto.tv, WatchBigSky.com • Play-by-play: Riley Corcoran (Montana stream)
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf
THE OPENING TIP
The challenge will be great this Saturday night in Missoula as the Portland State Vikings try to get over a month-long slump that has seen them lose five games in a row. It will be their third game in six days as the Vikings (5-8, 0-2) take on defending Big Sky Conference Champion Montana (10-4, 3-0).
Though PSU showed improvement on offense, a 98-88 loss at Montana State on Thursday marked five straight losses for the Vikings. Portland State seeks its first true road win (0-4 away, 1-1 neutral) while the Grizzlies have yet to lose at home (5-0). Montana beat Sacramento State, 87-56, on Thursday, has won four straight and boasts the best record in the Big Sky.
History doesn't speak well of this matchup for the Vikings either. Portland State has won only three times (3-18) at Montana in its previous 22 years as member of the Big Sky Conference. The last time was a 108-56 blowout at Dahlberg Arena on Mar. 1, 2008 - the largest margin of victory over a Division I opponent in PSU history. Perhaps that inspired the Grizzlies. Since that time, Montana has won 16 of 20 meetings over Portland State, including nine straight in Missoula.
Portland State saw its shooting improve against MSU as the team hit .441 from the field, .387 from three-point range and .727 at the line. Those were the best marks from the field in five games. Particularly encouraging was a 5-7 three-point shooting performance by SR G
Michael Mayhew (17 points). SO G
Holland Woods struggled with his floor shooting, but was still productive, making 10-10 free throws for 17 points, grabbing seven rebounds and handing off seven assists. JR C
Sal Nuhu scored 16 points (5-6 FG, 6-8 FT) for the Vikings.
Will Saturday be the night the Vikings finally turn the tide on their losing streak, and their struggles in Missoula? That will be revealed in a 7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT game at Dahlberg Arena. The game is available via live stream at Pluto TV Channel 237, www.pluto.tv and www.WatchBigSky.com. Live statistics are available at www.ViksLive.com.
COMING UP
The Vikings come home next week for a single game, hosting Weber State on Saturday, Jan. 12 at the Viking Pavilion. After that, six of the next eight games will be back out on the road. Six of the final eight Big Sky games are at home.
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. MONTANA
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Montana leads the all-time series, 38-23, and the Big Sky Conference series, 30-14... the Grizzlies have an 18-3 edge in Big Sky home games over the Vikings, including winning the last nine games at Dahlberg Arena... Montana has won three straight in the series and 16 of 19 overall... PSU has a 1-0 edge in Big Sky Tournament games (2014).
• LAST YEAR: Jan. 13 - UM 92, PSU 89 at Lewis and Clark College: Montana out-shot the Vikings .551 to .429, overcoming a six-point halftime deficit. Michael Oguine put on a brilliant performance with an opponent season-high 39 points, hitting 12-17 field goals, 3-5 three-pointers and 12-16 free throws. The Grizzlies made 33-47 free throws in the game. Deontae North had 18 points to lead five Vikings in double figures.
Bryce Canda added 17 points and 12 rebounds. Feb. 8 - UM 80, PSU 60 at UM: The Vikings suffered through a poor shooting night as the Grizzlies improved their conference record to 12-0. PSU shot only .313 from the field and was 6-27 from three-point range.
Derek Brown led PSU with 16 points. Jamar Akoh (21 pts, 10 reb) and Michael Oguine (14 pts, 10 reb) each had double-doubles for UM in the win.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach
Barret Peery (Southern Utah, 1996) is in his second season on the Park Blocks and has a 25-22 career record. Peery is 0-2 against Montana... 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 Grizzlies are coached by Travis DeCuire (Montana, 1994) who is in his fifth season. DeCuire has an 93-53 career record, including 8-1 against Portland State.
MONTANA GRIZZLIES
• Montana is an original member of the Big Sky Conference (1963). The Grizzlies program has won nine Big Sky regular season titles, 10 Big Sky Tournament titles, and made 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
• Last year, they won the Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament titles. Montana was 26-8 overall, 16-2 in league play. Ahmaad Rorie was named first team All-Big Sky Conference and Michael Oguine was second team All-Big Sky and Defensive Player of the Year. Head Coach Travis DeCuire was named Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year.
• This year, the Grizzlies have jumped out to a 10-4 record, 3-0 in the Big Sky. Montana leads the Big Sky in shooting at .494 from the field. The Griz also feature one of the top defenses, allowing a league-best .420 field goal shooting and just 67.8 points.
• Montana features perhaps the best starting lineup in the Big Sky. SR G Ahmaad Rorie averages 16.6 points and 3.6 assists per game. SR G Michael Oguine averages 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and shoots over 44% from three-point range. SR C Jamar Akoh leads the team with 17.0 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game while shooting .626 from the field. JR G Sayeed Pridgett averages 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and shoots .553 from the field.
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 5-8 on the season, 4-3 at home, 0-4 on the road, 1-1 at neutral sites.
• PSU is 0-2 in Big Sky Conference play, 0-1 at home, 0-1 on the road.
• The Vikings have lost five games in a row for the first time since Dec. 2-22, 2015. The last time PSU lost more than five in a row was an eight-game losing streak, Jan. 17-Feb. 9, 2013.
• PSU has lost three straight home games.
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 185-200 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the Big Sky Tournament (12-13).
• PSU is 120-64 in home games, 59-126 in road games and 6-10 in neutral-site games.
WHO IS HOT
• SR G
Michael Mayhew scored a season-high 17 points, hitting 5-7 three-point field goals, at Montana State. In his last three games, Mayhew has averaged 12.0 points, making 11-17 (.647) three-pointers.
• Five Vikings rank among the top 13 in steals in the Big Sky Conference.
• Portland State leads the nation with 18.6 offensive rebounds per game.
• SO G
Holland Woods made 10-10 free throws at Montana State - the best free throw made mark by a Viking in four years. Woods has made 16 straight free throws overall.
• JR C
Sal Nuhu had his second-best scoring game of the season with 16 points at Montana State, hitting 5-6 from the field and 6-8 at the line. Nuhu leads the Vikings with a .571 shooting percentage.
WHO IS NOT
• PSU has lost three in a row at home and five straight overall.
• After out-rebounding their first nine opponents this season, the Vikings have been out-rebounded in the three of the last four games.
• Over PSU's five-game losing streak, it has shot above 39% only once. The overall mark is 105-283, .371.
• Portland State is shooting .287 from three-point range this season, which ranks 10th in the Big Sky Conference.
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:
• The Vikings had shot under 39% from the field in its previous seven losses before shooting .441 at Montana State. PSU has shot over 40% in all five wins.
• Field goal percentage: 357-873, .409 (10th in Big Sky)
• Three-point percentage: 91-317, .287 (10th in Big Sky)
• Shooting in wins: .491/.379
• Shooting in losses: .348/.234
• Shooting in home games: .458/.344
• Shooting in road/neutral site games: .356/.233
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 18.2 turnovers per game and have a +3.1 turnover margin.
• The Vikings average 18.6 offensive rebounds per game while opponents average 8.8.
• In all, the difference in total turnovers (40) and total offensive rebounds (127) is 167 extra possessions compared to opponents (12.8 per game).
• As a result, PSU has 175 more field goal attempts than the opponents. Opponents have 28 more free throw attempts.
CHEERING FOR BOO BOO: SO G Holland "Boo Boo" Woods leads the Vikings' in scoring (14.1), and assists (5.2). He ranks 12th in the Big Sky in scoring, second in assists and ninth in steals (1.4).
• He has led the team in scoring seven times and assists 10 times this season.
• Woods, the Big Sky leader in assists last season (5.6), has led the Vikings in assists in 35 of 46 career games. He ranks ninth all-time at Portland State with 256 career assists in less than two seasons.
• Scored in double figures eight times with three 20+ point games.
• Had a season-high nine assists twice this season.
• 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.
• Scored 17 points with seven rebounds and seven assists at Montana State, making 10-10 FTs.
NU-COMERS PLAYING WELL: Portland State newcomers JR G
Michael Nuga and JR C
Sal Nuhu are having a big impact for the Vikings.
Nuga Nuggets:
• Nuga ranks second on the team lead in scoring at 13.7 points per game in 22 minutes per night.
• He is shooting .468 from the field and .373 from three-point range and leads the team with 22 3-pt FG.
• Has scored in double figures eight times with two 20+ point games.
• Went for 17 points and nine rebounds against Stanford.
• Scored a season-high 24 points against CSU Bakersfield.
Yahoo For Nuhu:
• Nuhu averages 10.6 points in 20.3 minutes per game.
• He averages 5.9 rebounds to rank second on the Vikings and 13th in the Big Sky. He leads the Vikings and ranks fifth in field goal percentage (.571) and third in blocked shots (1.8).
• Has scored in double figures nine times.
• 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.'
• Scored 16 points (5-6 FG, 6-8 FT) at Montana State.
FINDING HIS F-ORME: SR F
Jamie Orme has been looked to for a big step forward in 2018-19. Last season he averaged 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 13 minutes per game. This year he is averaging 7.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game.
• 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. Last year, he averaged 5.1 points in 12 minutes per game... this season Brown has started 11 games and averages 9.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals.
• Led the team in scoring four times, assists twice and scored in double figures seven times.
• Matched his career-high in scoring of 16 points (twice), with career-highs of six rebounds and eight assists also this season.
THE REAL McCOY: In his first season as a Viking, JR F
Robert McCoy has stepped into a key role. He has started 10 games and averages 21.0 minutes, ranking fourth on the team.
• McCoy averages 7.9 points and leads the Vikings in rebounding at 6.2 per game, ranking seventh in the Big Sky Conference.
• He has led the Vikings in scoring once, rebounding four times and has two double-doubles.
• Has season-highs of 26 points, 12 rebounds and five steals.
Portland State leads the Big Sky Conference in:
Rebounds Per Game 44.0
Offensive Rebounds 18.6
Rebounding Margin +10.0
Steals 10.1
Turnover Margin +3.1
Robert McCoy, offensive rebounds 3.0
