Portland State is the number-seven seed in the Big Sky Conference Tournament and will face off with a team it has not seen this season, Northern Arizona, on Wednesday afternoon in Boise, ID.
 
The Vikings wrapped up the season with a loss to Big Sky Champion Southern Utah on Saturday afternoon, but get new life as the Big Sky Tournament begins next week at Idaho Central Arena.
 
PSU finished a pandemic-tinged season at 9-12 overall, 6-8 and seventh place in the Big Sky. No less than 10 games were cancelled over the course of the season, most due to COVID-related issues with Viking opponents. Six of those games were against Big Sky opponents.  As a result, the Vikings did not face Northern Arizona, Eastern Washington or Sacramento State this season. Ironically, if the Vikings defeat NAU on Wednesday at noon MT, they would face number-two seed Eastern Washington in a quarterfinal round game on Thursday at 5 p.m. MT.
 
Northern Arizona (5-15, 4-10) is the number-10 seed in the 11-team Big Sky Conference.
 
PSU has faced NAU four times previously in the Big Sky Tournament and the teams have split the games. Most recently, the Vikings beat NAU 80-67 in a 2017 first round Big Sky game played in Reno, NV. The Vikings also beat NAU in the 2008 Big Sky Conference Championship game played at the Moda Center in Portland, 67-51. That win sent Portland State to its first-ever NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament.
 
All games will be live streamed on Pluto TV, www.pluto.tv and www.WatchBigSky.com. The Big Sky Championship game will air on ESPNU. 

A LITTLE HISTORY

• Portland State is making its 18th appearance in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. Prior to 2015-16, Big Sky teams had to qualify for the tournament. This is the sixth year that all teams automatically qualify.
• Last year, PSU was a number-four seed in the tournament, but did not play a game as the event was cancelled on the day of their game with Montana State due to COVID-19 (Mar. 12).
• The Vikings are 12-14 all-time in Big Sky Conference Tournament games with titles in 2008 and 2009. The Vikings are 7-10 in neutral site games.
• Head Coach Barret Peery is 1-2 in the Big Sky Tournament, with a win over Sacramento State (2018) and losses to Eastern Washington (2018) and Weber State (2019).
• Portland State is 3-0 all-time in first-round games, 5-8 in quarterfinal round games, 2-6 in semifinals and 2-0 in the championship.
• If Weber State wasn't in the league, who knows? PSU is 0-7 all-time against Weber State in the Big Sky Tournament, 12-7 against everyone else.

2021 Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Championship Schedule

Wednesday, March 10, 2021, live streamed on Pluto TV, WatchBigSky.com
Game 1 – No. 8 Northern Colorado (10-10, 6-8) vs. No. 9 Sacramento State, 9 a.m.  
Game 2 – No. 7 Portland State (9-12, 6-8) vs. No. 10 Northern Arizona (5-15, 4-10), Noon
Game 3 – No. 6 Montana (11-12, 7-9) vs. No. 11 Idaho (1-20, 1-17), 3 p.m.
 
Thursday, March 11, 2021, live streamed on Pluto TV, WatchBigSky.com
Game 4 – No. 1 Southern Utah (19-3, 12-2) vs. Game 1 Winner, 11 a.m.   
Game 5 – No. 4 Idaho State (13-10, 8-6) vs. No. 5 Montana State (11-9, 8-6), 2 p.m.
Game 6 – No. 2 Eastern Washington (13-7, 12-3) vs. Game 2 Winner, 5 p.m.
Game 7 – No. 3 Weber State (17-5, 12-3) vs. Game 3 Winner, 8 p.m.
 
Friday, March 12, 2021, live streamed on Pluto TV, WatchBigSky.com
Game 8 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner (Semifinals), 5 p.m.
Game 9 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner (Semifinals), 8 p.m.
 
Saturday, March 13, 2021, televised on ESPNU
Game 10 – Championship Game, 6 p.m.

 
All times listed are Mountain