PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (10-12, 4-6) vs. MONTANA GRIZZLIES (11-9, 7-2)
Thursday, January 30, 2020, 7:05 p.m. • Viking Pavilion (3,094), Portland, OR
Television: Eleven Sports • Play-by-play: Matt Richert • Analyst: Devon Pouncey
Live Stream: Pluto TV Channel 532, pluto.tv, WatchBigSky.com
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf

---

THE OPENING TIP
The margin for error is mighty slim in the Big Sky Conference. The Portland State Vikings found that out through the first half of the league schedule. PSU went 4-6 in their first 10 Big Sky Conference games (six of which were played on the road). Three of those losses came by two points.
     
Portland State will now try to turn that around in the second half of Big Sky play which begins this Thursday at home. The Vikings host first-place Montana in a game televised on Eleven Sports from the Viking Pavilion. It will begin a stretch run that has PSU playing six of the last 10, including five of the last seven, at home.
     
The Vikings are 10-12 overall through 22 games, which has them one ahead of last year's pace (9-13) when they finished 16-16/11-9. PSU hopes to use the home court to its advantage beginning this Thursday to make a stretch run similar to last year's (seven wins in the last eight league games). The Vikings are 6-2 at home this season, including 3-1 in Big Sky home games.
     
Another element that may play in the Vikings' favor is rest. As the "lone wolf" in the Big Sky schedule, PSU 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). After playing Montana this week, PSU will not face an opponent until a game at Southern Utah on Feb. 8.
     
PSU has gotten brilliant play from SR C Sal Nuhu in recent games. Now fully healthy after missing seven games earlier this season, Nuhu has had three straight double-doubles. He has averaged 16.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots in those games, shooting .533 from the field and .850 at the free throw line. In league games, Nuhu ranks third in rebounding (8.8) and second in blocks (2.2).
     
JR G Holland Woods continues to lead the Vikings with 17.1 points, 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Woods ranks sixth in the Big Sky in scoring and third in assists.
     
The Vikings still seek the return of SR G Matt Hauser, who has missed the last six games due to an ankle sprain. He was averaging 15.3 points and had made 42 three-point field goals in 16 games prior to the injury. His return has yet to be determined.
     
After a sub-.500 non-conference record, Montana has played well in Big Sky games. The Grizzlies quickly moved to the top of the league and, despite an overtime loss at Weber State on Saturday, remain there at 7-2.
     
Montana has also seen how close league play can be, with five games of nine games decided by four points or less (going 4-1 in those games). The Grizzlies are 3-2 in conference road games, 3-8 on the road overall.
     
Portland State will try to avenge an 85-70 loss at Montana on Jan. 13. The Vikings were without both Hauser and Nuhu in that game. Last season, PSU swept Montana in the season series, although the Grizzlies went on to win the league with a 16-4 mark. The Vikings won 81-69 in the regular season finale at Viking Pavilion.
     
Thursday's game is a 7:05 p.m. start at Viking Pavilion. The Eleven Sports network can be seen on DirecTV channel 623 and CenturyLink channel 646. A Pluto TV live stream will also be available on Channel 532, www.pluto.tv and www.WatchBigSky.com. Live statistics can be found at www.ViksLive.com.
 
COMING UP
Portland State will have eight days off before its next game. The Vikings are on the road at Southern Utah (Feb. 8) and Northern Colorado (Feb. 10). PSU then plays five of the final seven regular season games at home.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. MONTANA
• THE SERIES: Montana leads the all-time series, 39-25, and the Big Sky Conference series, 31-16... the Griz are 12-11 against the Vikings in Portland in Big Sky games... PSU won the season series last year, but Montana took the first matchup this season in Missoula.
• Jan. 13, 2019 at Missoula, UM 85, PSU 70: Montana shot .604 from the field in the game, the best by a Viking opponent all season. Still, PSU was down only two (58-56) midway through the second half. The Griz used a 13-2 run to break the game open. Kendal Manuel scored 27 points for Montana on 7-11 from the field, 5-7 three-pointers and 8-9 at the line. Sayeed Pridgett had 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. The Vikings shot .406 from the field and failed to make a three-pointer (0-11). Holland Woods led the Vikings with 18 points, three assists and three steals. Rashaad Goolsby scored 13 points with 11 rebounds.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Barret Peery (Southern Utah, 1996) is in his third season on the Park Blocks and has a 46-42 career record. Peery is 2-3 all-time against Montana... 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)... the Grizzlies are coached by Travis DeCuire (Montana, 1994) in his sixth season. DeCuire has a 120-67 overall record and has led the Grizzlies to two Big Sky Championships. He is 9-3 all-time against the Vikings.
 
MONTANA GRIZZLIES
• The University of Montana is located in Missoula. An original member of the Big Sky Conference, Montana has won 10 Big Sky regular season titles, 11 Big Sky Tournament titles, and made 12 appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Griz won the Big Sky Championship last season, going 26-9 overall, 16-4 in Big Sky play. One starter and seven letterwinners return from that team. The most prominent player is Sayeed Pridgett, who was a first team All-Big Sky Conference selection last season. Kendal Manuel was the Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year and Top Reserve.
• This season, the Griz are 11-9 overall, 7-2 and in first place in the Big Sky Conference. In conference games Montana averages 73.4 points and allows 67.9. The Grizzlies have shot .473 from the field and .385 from three-point range to lead the Big Sky in those categories. They have held opponents to .41 shooting and have a +3.3 turnover margin.
• In all games, Montana ranks last in rebound margin (-3.4).
• Sayeed Pridgett leads the team in scoring (19.2), rebounding (7.5), assists (3.3) and steals (1.6). He ranks third in the Big Sky Conference in scoring.
• Kendal Manuel is averaging 15.0 points and has a team-high 37 three-point field goals while shooting .909 at the free throw line to lead the Big Sky.
• Jared Samuelson is shooting .625 from the field in league games to lead the Big Sky.
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES
 
WINNING LINES
• Portland State is 10-12 on the season, 6-2 at home, 3-10 on the road and 1-0 in neutral site games.
• The Vikings have won two in a row at home.
• The Vikings have lost their last three road games.
• With 10 wins, PSU now has double-digit wins in 16 of the last 17 seasons.
• Last season, PSU was 9-13 after 22 games.
Home Court(s)
• Portland State opened the Viking Pavilion at the Peter W. Stott Center in 2018-19. The Stoller Family Court is PSU's fifth home court since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97. Previously, the main home court was the old Peter W. Stott Center. However, the Vikings also used the Rose Garden (now Moda Center) and Memorial Coliseum occasionally over the years. In 2017-18, PSU used Lewis & Clark College's Pamplin Sports Center as a home court while the Viking Pavilion was being completed. Here is the breakdown:
  - Viking Pavilion - 24 games, 18-6, .750
  - Peter W. Stott Center - 233 games, 168-65, .721
  - Rose Garden (Moda Center) - 28 games, 19-9, .679
  - Memorial Coliseum - 19 games, 13-6, .684
  - Lewis and Clark (2017-18) - 12 games, 7-5, .583
  - 24th season - 316 games, 225-91 at home overall, .712
• Portland State has lost only 11 non-conference home games in the last 13 seasons (56-11). PSU is 29-11 against Division I schools, and 27-0 against lower division schools over that span.
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 200-214 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the Big Sky Tournament (12-14).
• PSU is 131-66 in home games, 63-137 in road games and 6-11 in neutral-site games.
 
WHO IS HOT
• SR C Sal Nuhu has recorded three straight double-doubles, averaging 16.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots in those games. He has shot .533 from the field and .850 at the line... in his last game at Northern Arizona, Nuhu had 18 points (8-11 FG), tied his career-high with 15 rebounds and blocked two shots... 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 24 of his last 30 free throws (.800)... 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).
• FR G Kyle Greeley has averaged 9.5 points off the bench in the last four games, making 14-20 from the field (.700), 5-9 from three-point range (.556) and 5-5 at the line... Greeley leads the team in shooting this season at .574 from the field, .444 from three-point range and .889 at the line.
• SR G Lamar Hamrick scored 15 points (5-8 FG, 2-2 3-pt, 3-4 FT) with three assists at Northern Arizona... in Big Sky games he is averaging 11.1 points while shooting .539 from the field and .529 from three-point range.
• PSU leads the Big Sky Conference and and the nation in offensive rebounding (15.3 per game).
 
WHO IS NOT
• PSU has lost two in a row and is 0-3 in games decided by two points (1-0 in games decided by one point.)
• 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.
• SR G Matt Hauser missed the last six games with an ankle sprain.
 
TRENDING
• Portland State is 0-8 when trailing at halftime, but 10-4 when tied or ahead at the break.
• PSU has out-rebounded 13 of 22 opponents, and that is important. The Vikings are 8-5 when they get more boards, 2-7 when they don't.
• Shooting is always the most important factor. However, the Vikings lost for the first two times last week when shooting a higher percentage from the field than their opponent at Sacramento State and Northern Arizona (now 6-2). The Vikings had 40 turnovers in the two games compared to only 19 for their opponents.
 
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 six 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 19 player games to injury, 15 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 3-2.
• The Vikings have used eight different starting lineups.
 
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE
The completion of the Viking Pavilion prior to the 2018-19 basketball season was transformative for the entire Portland State Athletic Program. So far, the results on the court have been better than ever. PSU is 18-6 in the Viking Pavilion (.750 winning percentage). The previous main home court, the old Peter W. Stott Center gym, produced a .721 winning percentage after reinstating basketball and joining the Big Sky Conference between 1996-97 and 2017-18. In all, PSU's four different home venues prior to the Viking Pavilion produced a .709 winning mark. 
 
BOO BOO IS REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK
Portland State point guard Holland "Boo Boo" Woods has set two new Portland State career records this season. Woods passed PSU's career record for assists in a Dec. 28 win against Northern Colorado. His second Portland State career record came in a win at Montana State on Jan. 11 when he eclipsed the steals mark. Appropriately enough, he scored a career-high 30 points and hit the game-winning shot with 2.4 seconds left in that game.
     
In addition, he became the 19th Viking in history to pass 1,000 career points. He now has 1,199 points to rank seventh all-time. Woods has scored more points than any Viking in the past 15 years.
 
VIKINGS CAREER ASSIST LEADERS

1.	Holland Woods (2017-20)	477
2.	Terry Adolph (1976-78)	421
3.	Chucky Smith (1974-78)	392
4.	Derek Nesland (1996-00)	371
5.	Will Funn (2003-05)	328

 
VIKINGS CAREER STEALS LEADERS

1.	Holland Woods (2017-20)	136
2.	Calaen Robinson (2015-17)	128
3.	Anthony Lackey (1998-02)	121
4.	Zach Gengler (2013-17)	120
5.	Jeremiah Dominguez (2007-09)	115

VIKINGS CAREER SCORING LEADERS

1.	Freeman Williams (1974-78)	3,249
2.	John Nelson (1962-66)	2,123
3.	Willie Stoudamire (1969-72)	1,845
4.	Seamus Boxley (2000-05)	1,498
5.	Anthony Lackey (1998-02)	1,304
6.	Leo Franz (1970-73)	1,245
7.	Holland Woods (2017-20)	1,199
8.	Charlie Stoudamire (1969-72)	1,179
9.	John Winters (1955-59)	1,169
10.	Derreck Brooks (1973-77)	1,155

 
BOO BOO, PART TWO
A few more highlights from Holland Woods:
• Ranks sixth in the Big Sky in scoring (17.1), third in assists (5.5), sixth in free throw percentage (.807) and fifth in steals (1.7).
• Has led the team in scoring 10 times and has nine games of 20 or more points.
• Boo Boo has led the team in assists 19 times this season and in 71 of 87 career games.
 
YAHOO FOR NUHU
SR C Sal Nuhu is on a roll with three straight double-doubles for the Vikings. He is averaging 9.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots.
• In conference play averages 11.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks
• Has four double-doubles this season and has led the team in rebounding six times.
 
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)	97
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

 
GOOLSBY GOALS
SR F Rashaad Goolsby has upped his game in his senior season.
• He is averaging 6.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals per game and 1.1 blocked shots per game. Last season, he averaged 4.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.7 steals in 18.3 minutes per game.
• In nine starts Goolsby has averaged 7.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots.
• Ranks seventh in rebounding, eighth in steals and fourth in blocked shots in the Big Sky Conference.
• He leads the Big Sky Conference in offensive rebounding (3.1).
• Has led the team in rebounding 11 times this season and has two double-doubles.
 
TALKING THE WALKER
The Vikings' other graduate transfer newcomer, SR F Alonzo Walker, has started all 19 games he has played for PSU and been productive. In 25 minutes per night, he averages 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and has 15 blocked shots.
• Walker has led the team in rebounding four times and has three 10+ rebound games.
 
HAMMER TIME
SR G Lamar Hamrick has become the Vikings' key player off the bench. He averages 8.6 points, 3.0 rebounds per game and shoots .521 from the field in 17.9 minutes per game.
• In Big Sky Conference games his averaging 11.1 points and shoots .539.