Boxscore (PDF)
 
Portland, OR – The University of Portland went on a 20-5 run to close out the game in beating Portland State, 86-73, at the Chiles Center.
 
PSU led on five occasions in the second half and was ahead 68-66 with 5:34 to play. But fouls played a major role down the stretch. The Vikings committed 28 in all, including 16 in the second half as three starters fouled out.
 
Portland took advantage of the fouls, making 20-24 at the free throw line in the second half alone. Ahmed Ali made 12 straight down the stretch as the Pilots took the lead back and pulled away for the win. Ali led the Pilots with a game-high 28 points, including 15-18 at the line.

The Vikings did not make a field goal in the last 4:45 of the game.
 
"I thought we were really sluggish early but we settled in and finished the first half correctly," said Viking Coach Barret Peery. "We came out in the second half and made a good run. Then I felt like we ran out of gas a little bit, got into foul trouble and lost our way. We couldn't really fix it.
 
"We couldn't get stops when we needed to, ending up fouling and sending them to the line."
 
The Pilots improved to 2-2 with the win, while the Vikings are now 0-1.
 
Portland State got off to about as poor a start in the game as possible. The Vikings made only 1-12 from the field in the first six minutes. The Pilots built a 14-2 lead before PSU responded. A deep three at the 13:05 mark from Khalid Thomas got the Vikings going.
 
PSU shot 50% from the field for the remainder of the half, but never led. The Pilots took a 35-33 lead into halftime. Thomas had 10 points and four rebounds in the first half to lead the Vikings.
 
A Thomas three-pointer finally gave the Vikings the lead with 16:30 to play in the game, 45-43. The lead see-sawed after that – seven times over the next eight minutes. A pair of Ian Burke free throws at the 5:34 mark staked PSU to its last lead.
 
Portland State finished at 24-63 from the field (.381) while the Pilots were 28-61 (.459). The Vikings also had 20 turnovers that Portland converted into 22 points.
 
Newcomer James Scott led the Vikings with 21 points. Thomas scored 13 points with six rebounds and two blocked shots. Elijah Hardy, also a newcomer, had 16 points and a team-high four assists.
 
"I like our talent," said Peery. "Tonight doesn't change anything as far as who we are and what we are going to become."
 
GAME NOTES: Burke finished the game with a career-high 10 rebounds to lead the Vikings… Portland State started Elijah Hardy (6-2, G), Charles Jones (6-2, G), James Scott (6-5, G), Khalid Thomas (6-10, F) and Amari McCray (6-10, C). All five are newcomers to the program and Division I transfers… other Vikings playing in their first game at PSU were Paris Dawson, Jaden Nielsen-Skinner and John Hall… the Dec. 5 start to the season is the latest in the year by a Portland State basketball team since the 1963-64 season… it had been 273 days since the Vikings last played a game... PSU had just eight full-contact practices prior to facing the Pilots... PSU will host Northwest University at the Viking Pavilion at 7:05 p.m. The game can be seen on Pluto TV Channel 1051, Pluto TV's website or Watch Big Sky.