PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (2-7, 1-3) vs. IDAHO STATE BENGALS (7-6, 4-2)

Thursday, January 21, 2021, 7:05 p.m., Viking Pavilion (3,094), Portland, OR
Saturday, January 23, 2021, 12:05 p.m., Viking Pavilion (3,094), Portland, OR
 
Live Stream: Pluto TV Channel 1051, www.pluto.tv, www.WatchBigSky.com
      Play-by-play: Matt Richert • Analyst: Devon Pouncey
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com

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THE OPENING TIP

A six-game home stand couldn't have come at a better time for the Portland State basketball team.  Following their last win, on Dec. 20 against Weber State, the Vikings have had a rough stretch. Of the eight games scheduled, four were canceled due to opponents' having COVID-related issues, and the other four have been narrow losses by five, three, seven and five points. So, the Vikings hope the home court - even without the advantage of fans - will help turn the tide.
     
The Vikings, 2-7 overall and 1-3 in Big Sky Conference play, will host Idaho State on Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon this week. There will be a pair of non-conference games next week, then two home battles with Montana during the first week in February.
     
In order to improve their standing, the Vikings will have to become more efficient offensively. Those four narrow losses in a row are all the more tough to take when you consider the Vikings have shot only .383 from the field and .276 from three-point range this season, and only .561 at the free throw in the last three games. On top of that, the Vikings average a league-high 16.6 turnovers.
     
The bright spots have been the overall play of SR G James Scott (team-highs of 15.3 ppg, 6.3 rebounds, 18 assists, 16 steals), and the recent play of GR C Amari McCray (14.0 ppg, 6.7 rbp, 2.7 bpg, .667 FG% in the last three games). The Vikings continue to rebound well (+6.0 margin) and force 15 turnovers per game.
     
Idaho State comes to Viking Pavilion with a successful start to its season. The Bengals are 7-6 overall, 4-2 in the Big Sky Conference. It is a big jump from last year's eight-win season as ISU has already matched it's league win total from a year ago. Perhaps most impressive, the Bengals are 3-1 in Big Sky Conference road games. They had won seven of their last eight games before a Monday loss to Sacramento State, 70-65.
     
Both games this week will be live streamed at www.pluto.tv, www.WatchBigSky.com and Pluto TV Channel 1051. Live statistics are available at www.ViksLive.com. Thursday's game tips at 7:05 p.m. with Saturday's contest at 12:05 p.m.
 

COMING UP

Portland State continues its six-game home stand next week with a pair of non-conference games. The Vikings host Saint Martin's on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 6:05 p.m., then Simpson on Friday, Jan. 29 at 3:05 p.m. The home stand concludes with games against Montana on Feb. 4 and 6.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. IDAHO STATE

• THE SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series with Idaho State, 35-21, and the Big Sky Conference series, 31-17... Portland State leads 20-5 in games played in Portland... after last year's season sweep, the Vikings have won three in a row and six of the last seven overall between the teams... PSU has won four straight at home against the Bengals.
• LAST YEAR: Jan. 18, 2020 at Viking Pavilion, PSU 82, ISU 76: An 18-6 run to open the second half gave Portland State breathing room to pull off the win. The Vikings led for 38 minutes and never trailed in the game. PSU forced 18 Bengal turnovers and converted them into 27 points. Markus Golder scored a season-high 18 points to lead the Vikings. Chier Maker had 22 points for the Bengals. Feb. 27, 2020 at Pocatello, ID, PSU 89, ISU 76: The Vikings scored 80+ points for the fifth straight game and seven of the last eight. In addition, the trademark "Peery Pressure" defense forced Idaho State into 24 turnovers. It added up to a relatively easy win as PSU led for the final 35 minutes of the contest at Reed Gym... Holland Woods had a big night for the Vikings, scoring 29 points with four assists. He made 12-19 field goals and 3-3 at the line to lead all scorers. Center Sal Nuhu added 15 points and 11 assists for his sixth double-double of the season... Portland State shot 36-75 for the game, a .480 mark... Tarik Cool and Chier Maker each scored 15 points to lead Idaho State. ISU shot well at 29-58 from the field, but turnovers were the Bengals undoing.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Barret Peery (Southern Utah, 1996) is in his third season on the Park Blocks and has a 56-51 career record. Peery is 5-1 all-time against Idaho State... 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 Bengals are coached Ryan Looney (Eastern Oregon, 1998), in his second season. He is 15-28 overall and 0-2 against the Vikings.

 

IDAHO STATE BENGALS

• Idaho State University is an original member of the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals have won two Big Sky regular season titles, two Big Sky tournament titles and made 11 appearances all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Bengals were 8-22 last season, 4-16 and tied for 10th place in the Big Sky Conference.
• This season, Idaho State is 7-6 overall, 4-2 in the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals average 70.4 points and allow 62.7 points per game. They hold a +7.4 rebound advantage on opponents, which ranks second-best in the league. ISU's weakness has been turnovers, as they average 15.7 per game.
• Guards Tarik Cool and Robert Ford have dominated play for the Bengals. Cool leads the team with 14.5 points per game, 23 three-point field goals and shoots .867 from the free throw line. Ford averages 12.5 points, has 22 three-pointers, and leads the team with 7.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
• Big man Brayden Parker averages 11.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, has 13 blocked shots and shoots .521 from the field.

 
 

WHO IS HOT

• GR C Amari McCray scored 21 points (10-11 FG) with 12 rebounds and two blocked shots against Northwest Nazarene. It was his second double-double of the season... his .909 field goal percentage is third-best in school history for a game (10 FGA minimum)... he followed that with eight points and a season-high four blocked shots against Montana State on Thursday... on Saturday, McCray scored 13 points (4-7 FG, 5-6 FT) with six rebounds and two blocked shots in 21 minutes.
• SR G James "Monty" Scott averaged 19.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the two games at Montana State... with 23 points and a season-high 14 rebounds on Thursday, he had his second double-double of the season and third 20-point game.
• JR G Elijah Hardy had a season-high 17 points (7-14 FG, 3-7 3-pt) in 20 minutes off the bench in the first game at Montana State... he had seven points, four rebounds and two assists in the second game.
• PSU ranks seventh in the nation in offensive rebounding at 14.7 per game.

 

WHO IS NOT

• PSU has lost four straight games.
• Portland State's .383 team field goal percentage ranks 325th in the nation of 338 teams ranked. Three-point shooting (.276) ranks 328th... PSU has shot better than 38% from the field in only four games this season. 
• The Vikings are averaging 16.6 turnovers per game, the most in the Big Sky Conference.
• In the last three games, the Vikings are 32-57 at the free throw line (.561). Prior to that, PSU was shooting .748 as a team.

 

THE FULL MONTY

SR G James "Monty" Scott has proven to be a solid transfer for the Vikings. He leads the team in scoring (15.3), rebounding (6.3), assists (18) and steals (16).

• Ranks 9th in the Big Sky Conference in scoring, 10th in rebounding and fourth in steals.
• In league play, he averages 20.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
• Scott has scored 20 or more points three times this season, and led the team in scoring in five games.
• Opened the season with 21 points, four rebounds and three assists at Portland (12/5).
• Scored 26 points with six rebounds, six steals and three assists in a win over Weber State (12/20).
• Had 23 points and a season-high 14 rebounds at Montana State (1/14).
• Scored 15 points with six rebounds and six assists at Montana State (1/16).

 

THE McCRAY WAY

When GR C Amari McCray plays, he has his way. The big man has been saddled with foul trouble a lot this season, averaging only 16 minutes per game. But, in the last three contests, he has averaged 24 minutes, improving his numbers to 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots per game.

• McCray averages 9.1 points and 4.9 rebounds for the season. He shoots .542 from the field and .720 at the free throw line.
• He leads the Big Sky Conference with 1.3 blocked shots per game.
• McCray had 12 points and 11 rebounds at Washington State (12/13).
• Posted 21 points (10-11 FG), 12 rebounds and two blocked shots against Northwest Nazarene.

 

TO ERR IS HUMAN... UNLESS YOU ARE IAN BURKE

JR G Ian Burke ranks fifth on the team in minutes played this season (20.4 per game, 183 total) with five starts. He has committed only one turnover... in 41 career games at Portland State, Burke has only 16 turnovers, or one every 46.7 minutes of play.
 

BIG GAMES OFF THE BENCH

• FR G Paris Dawson scored 18 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3-pt, 4-5 FT) with three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 23 minutes at Washington State (12/13).
• GR F John Hall had eight points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists in 20 minutes against Weber State (12/18).
• FR G Paris Dawson had 13 points and two rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench against Oregon State (12/22).
• JR G Elijah Hardy came off the bench for a season-high 17 points (7-14 FG, 3-7 3-pt) at Montana State.