CAL POLY MUSTANGS (2-6) at PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (3-4)

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, 7 p.m. • Viking Pavilion (3,094), Portland, OR
Live Stream: ESPN+ • Play-by-Play: Matt Richert • Analyst: Devon Pouncey
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf
GAME PRESENTED BY ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

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THE OPENING TIP

Following an early start to the Big Sky Conference season, Portland State will return to non-conference play over the next three weeks before completing the league schedule in full. The Vikings (3-4, 1-1) opened the Big Sky schedule last week on the road, getting a win at Idaho State (63-55) and losing to undefeated Weber State (80-69).
     
The Vikings host the Cal Poly Mustangs at home this Saturday in a 7 p.m game. After Cal Poly, PSU travels to CSUN (Dec. 18) and Utah State (Dec. 21) to round out this season's non-conference games.
     
PSU's game with Cal Poly is the final non-conference home game and the only home game in a stretch of six between Nov. 26 and Dec. 21. The Vikings are 2-1 at home so far under new Head Coach Jase Coburn and want to take advantage of their lone Viking Pavilion appearance in more than a month.
 
So far this season, Portland State has made its mark with defense, holding opponents to 66.3 points, .390 shooting from the field, forcing 16.1 turnovers per game, and holding a +4.3 rebounding margin after seven games. The Vikings lead the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense (.390), steals (9.7), blocked shots (4.0) and offensive rebounds (14.3) per game.
     
PSU has averaged 72.1 points, but seeks to improve its field goal shooting numbers (.406/.247) before returning to the Big Sky. The Vikings been strong at the free throw line with a .746 mark.
     
SR F James Jean-Marie has been a great addition this season, as he leads the Vikings with 13.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. He ranks second in the Big Sky in caroms. JR G Marlon Ruffin averages 12.6 points, while SR F Khalid Thomas (8.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.0 spg), JR G Michael Carter III (8.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.6 apg) and SR G Ezekiel Alley (7.3 ppg, team-best 3.6 apg) have been big contributors.
     
Cal Poly (2-6) comes to PSU with an 0-3 road record. The Mustangs have played to a bit of hard luck this season. Despite having lost six, two have come by a single point, two have come by three points, and one by nine points. The Mustangs have already faced a pair of Big Sky Conference teams, losing to Sacramento State, 58-57, and defeating Idaho, 67-63.
     
Although the Vikings lost at home to Portland on Nov. 23, the Viking program has lost only 13 non-conference home games in the last 13 seasons (61-13). PSU is 29-12 against Division I schools, and 32-1 against lower division schools over that span.
     
Saturday's game will be the first against Cal Poly in 12 years. PSU leads the all-time series, 5-3. The game will be available for viewing on ESPN+ with live stats at www.ViksLive.com.
 

COMING UP

The Big Sky Conference schedule will take a three-week pause for more non-conference games. Big Sky play restarts on Dec. 30 when the Vikings host Eastern Washington.
     
In the meantime, PSU is home to host Cal Poly on Dec. 11, travels to CSUN on Dec. 18, then Utah State on Dec. 21 to round out the non-conference schedule.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. CAL POLY

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 5-3, which dates back to the 1998-99 season... the most recent meeting was a 92-83 PSU win at the Stott Center (pre-Viking Pavilion) on Nov. 21, 2009... PSU is 4-0 all-time in home games against the Mustangs.
• PORTLAND STATE vs. THE BIG WEST: Portland State is 29-38 all-time against current members of the Big West Conference... PSU has not played a Big West team since 2019-20 when the Vikings lost at Hawai'i and UC Santa Barbara and defeated CSUN at home... PSU also plays CSUN (3-4) of the Big West later next week.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Jase Coburn (Arizona State, 2006) is in his first season as Head Coach. He has spent eight previous seasons on the Park Blocks as an Assistant and Associate Head Coach... the Mustangs are coached by John Smith (Dominion, 1994) in his third season. Smith is 13-49 overall and has never faced the Vikings.

 

SCOUTING CAL POLY

• Cal Poly is a member of the Big West Conference located in San Luis Obispo, CA.
• The Mustangs were 4-20 last season, 1-15 in the Big West Conference. One starter and eight letterwinners return from that team.
• Cal Poly is 2-6 on the season, including 0-3 on the road. The Mustangs average 62.8 points per game and allow 64.0 per game. They shoot only .399 from the field, but have held opponents to .398 from the field. Cal Poly has a +4.1 rebounding margin on opponents this season.
• Junior forward Alimamy Koroma leads the team with 13.5 points per game. He averages 4.4 rebounds and shoots .542 from the field.
• Graduate transfer guard Jacob Davison played previously at Eastern Washington. He was a second team All-Big Sky selection in 2019-20. Davison averages 10.0 points for the Mustangs.
• Sophomore point guard Camren Pierce leads the team with 4.4 assists per game while junior guard Trevon Taylor leads the team with 5.6 rebounds per game.

 

WHO IS HOT

• SR F James Jean-Marie continues his double-double mastery. With 10 points and 11 rebounds at Weber State he now has six in seven games this season. He had four straight double-doubles to open the season becoming the first Viking with four straight double-doubles in PSU's Big Sky Conference era (1996-present)... Jean-Marie has seven games of double-figure rebounds and ranks second in the Big Sky with 11.0 per game. He also leads the team in scoring at 13.3 per game.
• JR G Michael Carter III scored a season-high 14 points with three rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot at Weber State.
• FR G Paris Dawson is 23-25 at the line this season (.920) to rank second in the Big Sky.
• The Vikings lead the Big Sky Conference in field goal percentage defense (.390), steals (9.7) and blocked shots (4.0)... the Vikings are currently 27th in the nation in steals per game.

 

ON THE REBOUND

SR F James Jean-Marie is averaging 11.0 rebounds per game. It is still early in the season, but the last Viking to average double figures in rebounds was Bob Sisul in 1978-79 (10.4). The last Viking to average at least 11 rebounds was Bill Wilkerson in 1966-67 (11.8). The highest rebounding average of PSU's Big Sky Conference era (1996-present) was 9.4 by Seamus Boxley in 2003-04.
 

DOUBLE TROUBLE

SR F James Jean-Marie has been double trouble for opponents as his powerful inside game is complemented by a soft outside shooting touch, not to mention his dominant board work (triple trouble?).

• Jean-Marie has six double-doubles this season, six double-figure scoring games and seven double-figure rebounding games. He averages 13.3 points and 11.0 rebounds to lead the team.
• Jean-Marie has led the team in scoring twice and rebounding seven times.
• Went for a season-high 17 points (7-17 FG, 3-4 FT) and 10 rebounds against Portland (11/23).
• Posted 16 points (3-4 FG, 1-1 3-pt FG, 9-12 FT) with 10 rebounds and a block in the win at Idaho State (12/2).
• Grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds in the loss at Iowa (11/26).

 

RESPECT THE SPECS

JR G Marlon Ruffin has found his way into the Portland State starting lineup with a unique look. Ruffin is one of the few collegiate players who wears glasses on the court... and his specs have style.

• Ruffin is averaging 12.6 points per game and 4.1 rebounds.
• Has led the team in scoring twice.
• Went for 18 points (6-9 FG, 5-6 FT) in 18 minutes against Evergreen State (11/12).
• Had 18 points (7-14 FG, 3-4 FT), four rebounds and two steals at Iowa (11/26).

 

SHOOTING STAR

SR F Khalid Thomas is the Vikings' top returning scorer (11.2) and rebounder (5.0) and tied for the team-lead in three-pointers last season (32).

• Thomas averages 8.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game to rank second in the Big Sky.
• Scored a team-high 16 points (6-13 FG, 4-9 3-pt) at Oregon State (11/9).
• Had 11 points and a career-high nine rebounds at Iowa (11/26).
• Matched his career-high with nine rebounds at Weber State (12/4).

 

UP WITH ALLEY

SR G Ezekiel Alley has been an impact player off the bench and is expected to do more as the season progresses. A transfer from Northwest Nazarene, he has made a smooth transition from Division II to Division I.

• Alley averages 7.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 21 minutes per game off the bench.
• Alley ranks fifth in the Big Sky in assists and has led the Vikings in assists six times.
• Had a season-high seven assists to go with eight points (4-5) against George Fox (11/17).

 

MCIII

Transfer JR G Michael Carter III is becoming a stat sheet filler. He averages 8.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Carter averaged 14.6 points per game last year at Long Beach State.

• Shoots .875 at the free throw line to rank seventh in the Big Sky.
• Has led the team in scoring once and assist three times.
• Posted a season-high 14 points (5-12 FG, 2-4 3-pt, 2-2 FT) with three rebounds and three assists at Weber State (12/4).

 

ONCE THEY'VE SEEN PARIS...

FR G Paris Dawson missed the Oregon State game, but has come back to play well since. Although he played in 22 games last season (8.4 ppg, 32 3-pt FG), Dawson still qualifies as a freshman due to the NCAA's COVID-19 waiver for the season.

• Dawson averages 7.2 points per game off the bench.
• He has made 23-25 free throws this season to rank second in the Big Sky Conference (.920).
• Scored a career-high 19 points (6-8 FG, 1-2 3-pt, 6-6 FT) in the win over George Fox (11/17).

 

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE...

JR G Ian Burke continues to be a reliable force on the Viking team. In 125 minutes of playing time this season he has only three turnovers. That continues the trend as Burke has just 27 total turnovers in 61 career games at PSU. He made only nine in 22 games last season.

• Burke is averaging 5.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
• He is shooting .583 from the field and 6-12 from three-point range this season.