PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (10-11, 4-5) at NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS (9-7, 3-4)
Saturday, January 25, 2020, 3 p.m. PT • JL Walkup Skydome (7,300), Flagstaff, AZ
Television: None
Live Stream: Pluto TV Channel 539, pluto.tv, WatchBigSky.com
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats

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THE OPENING TIP
Portland State will be looking for a weekend split this Saturday at Northern Arizona. The Vikings take on the Lumberjacks in a Big Sky Conference game at 3 p.m.
     
PSU (10-11, 4-5) will try to bounce back from its lowest scoring game this season and the past four years. The Vikings lost at Sacramento State on Thursday night, 66-55, in a matchup against the Big Sky's top defensive team. 
     
Despite the loss SR C Sal Nuhu continues to play well. He had 17 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots against Sacramento State to lead the Vikings. It was his second double-double in a row.
     
Saturday's game will be the sixth road game in the past eight starts for the Vikings as they battle through a road-heavy first half of the Big Sky schedule. The Vikings have also had to weather the majority of those games without second-leading scorer Matt Hauser. The senior guard has missed five games with an ankle sprain and will not be available on Saturday either. PSU is 3-9 on the road this season, 1-4 in Big Sky road games.
     
The contest at NAU marks the midpoint of the Big Sky schedule for the Vikings. PSU will have played 10 league games in the space of 29 days (six on the road). The second 10 league games will now be stretched over the next 42 days (with six at home).
     
Northern Arizona (9-7, 3-4) will come into the game rested, having not played Thursday. NAU is the fifth of the 10 Viking opponents in league play to have extra rest prior to playing PSU. The Lumberjacks had a big road trip last weekend, picking up wins at Northern Colorado and Southern Utah. The 'Jacks are 5-2 at home this season.
     
Saturday's game will tip off at 3 p.m. PT at JL Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff. A Pluto TV live stream is available on Channel 539, www.pluto.tv and www.WatchBigSky.com. Live statistics can be found at www.ViksLive.com.
 
COMING UP
Portland State will be home on Jan. 30 to host Montana in a game televised on Eleven Sports. Another road trip follows at Southern Utah (Feb. 8) and Northern Colorado (Feb. 10). The Vikings then play five of the final seven regular season games at home.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. NORTHERN ARIZONA
• THE SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 27-24, and the Big Sky Conference series, 25-23... Northern Arizona has a 15-7 advantage in Big Sky games played at Flagstaff... the Vikings have won four of the last five games in the series... the teams split the season series last year, with each winning on their home floor.
• LAST YEAR: Jan. 19, 2019 at Flagstaff, NAU 82, PSU 75: Bernie Andre led a solid offensive performance by the Lumberjacks, scoring 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds. NAU shot .491 from the field for the game. Luke Avdalovic and Ted McCree each scored 18. Portland State out-rebounded the 'Jacks 45-33, but that couldn't overcome a poor offensive effort. The Vikings shot .388 from the field and committed 23 turnovers. Holland Woods had 21 points and Deante Strickland added 19 off the bench. Feb. 14, 2019 at Viking Pavilion, PSU 103, NAU 94: Portland State had a sweetheart of a game on Valentine's Day, turning around their offensive production and shooting a season-high .591 from the field. The Vikings shot .656 in the first half as they raced to a 14-point lead. Holland Woods had 27 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals in the win. Michael Nuga scored 22 points off the bench. Sal Nuhu pitched in 20 points, eight rebounds and six blocked shots. For NAU, Bernie Andre scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds, while Luke Avdalovic added 20 for the Lumberjacks.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Barret Peery (Southern Utah, 1996) is in his third season on the Park Blocks and has a 46-41 career record. Peery is 2-1 all-time against Northern Arizona... Peery's 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)... Shane Burcar is one of two interim Head Coaches in the Big Sky Conference this season, and one of four new coaches overall.
 
NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS
• Northern Arizona joined the Big Sky Conference in 1970. NAU has won four Big Sky regular season championships and two Big Sky Tournament titles, making two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
• Northern Arizona was 10-21 last season, 8-12 and tied for eighth in the Big Sky Conference. Five starters and eight letterwinners return from that team. Forward Bernie Andre was named Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year and third team All-Big Sky.
• This season, Northern Arizona is 9-7 overall, 3-4 in the Big Sky Conference. The Lumberjacks average 71.8 points and allow 67.8 points per game. They shoot .449 from the field, a league-leading .378 from three-point range and .688 at the line.
• Sophomore guard Cameron Shelton leads the team in scoring at 13.1 points, with 6.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
• Senior forward Brooks DeBisschop averages 10.9 points and a team-leading 7.7 rebounds per game, ranking second in the Big Sky Conference. He shoots. 560 from the field.
• Senior guard Luke Avdalovic shoots .492 from three-point range.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
 
WHO IS HOT
• SR C Sal Nuhu has had back-to-back double-doubles. Nuhu scored 17 points with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots at Sacramento State. He had 14 points, and career-highs of 15 rebounds and three assists in the win over Weber State... Nuhu, a career 67% free throw shooter, has made 22 of his last 27 free throws (.815)... Nuhu averages 2.2 blocked shots per game but has not played in the mandatory 75% of contests yet to qualify for league leadership (he would be second).
• SR F Alonzo Walker scored a career-high 23 points (11-17 FG) and grabbed nine rebounds in a win over Weber State. Walker has averaged 13.5 points over the last four games.
• FR G Kyle Greeley has averaged 9.0 points off the bench in the last three games, making 10-12 from the field, 3-4 from three-point range and 4-4 at the line... Greeley leads the team in shooting this season at .585 from the field, .455 from three-point range and .885 at the line.
• PSU leads the Big Sky Conference and and the nation in offensive rebounding (15.5 per game).
• The Vikings' 92 points against Weber State were the most against a Division I opponent this season. PSU averaged 86.0 in the two home wins last week.
 
WHO IS NOT
• The Vikings 55 points in the loss at Sacramento State on Thursday were the fewest this season, and the fewest since scoring 55 in a loss at Idaho on Jan. 30, 2016.
• JR G Holland Woods is 1-14 from three-point range in the last four games.
• SR G Matt Hauser missed the last five games with an ankle sprain.
 
TRENDING
• Portland State is 0-8 when trailing at halftime, but 10-3 when tied or ahead at the break.
• PSU has out-rebounded 12 of 21 opponents, and that is important. The Vikings are 8-4 when they get more boards, 2-7 when they don't.
• Shooting is always the most important factor. The Vikings lost for the first time this season when shooting a higher percentage from the field than their opponent at Sacramento State (6-1). A season-high 25 turnovers made the difference.
 
INJURY ANGST
Portland State has had bad luck with injuries so far this season. SR G Matt Hauser (ankle sprain) has become the third starter to be sidelined.
• Hauser has missed five games with an ankle sprain.
• SR C Sal Nuhu missed six games early this season with an ankle sprain, and a seventh due to illness.
• SR F Alonzo Walker missed three games with a foot injury.
• SR G Lamar Hamrick has missed four games with thumb and back injuries.
• PSU has lost a total of 18 player games to injury, 14 to starters.
• Nine different players have started three or more games this season.
• The current starting lineup of Woods, Burke, Golder, Walker and Nuhu is now 3-1.
• The Vikings have used eight different starting lineups in 21 games.
 
YAHOO FOR NUHU
SR C Sal Nuhu opened the season just as Vikings fans would have expected; by swatting away shots.  Despite missing seven games this season, he is averaging 2.2 blocks to go with 9.4 points and 6.7 rebounds.
• Has three double-doubles this season and led the team in rebounding five times.
• Scored 17 points with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots in a loss at Sacramento State (1/24).
• Had 14 points, a career-high 15 rebounds, and career-high three assists, a block and a steal in a win over Weber State (1/20).
• Scored 18 points with 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in a win over Loyola Marymount (12/19).
 
VIKINGS CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS LEADERS

1.	Scott Morrison (2004-08)	187
2.	Seamus Boxley (2000-05)	128
3.	Collin Spickerman (2014-16)	117
4.	Jamie Jones (2008-10)	105
5.	Sal Nuhu (2017-19)	95
6.	Chehales Tapscott (2010-12)	62
	Julius Thomas (2006-10)	62
8.	Jamaal Sanford (1996-98)	60
9.	Ryan Edwards (2017-18)	57
10.	Seth Scott (2002-04)	48