NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS (9-16, 5-9) at PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (8-15, 6-9)

Thursday, February 17, 2022, 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

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THE OPENING TIP

With five games to play in the Big Sky Conference regular season, the Portland State Vikings are battling for the best possible post-season position they can get. A Thursday night game against Northern Arizona will play a large role in that positioning as the two teams will enter the game just 1/2 game apart in the standings.
     
The Vikings (8-15, 6-9) are thrilled to be home for their next (and final) three home games. They are in seventh place in the Big Sky standings just ahead of NAU (9-16, 5-9). The winner of Thursday's game will hold on to seventh place, with the loser being in eighth place. In addition, the Vikings want to chase down sixth-place Eastern Washington (7-7) whom they trail by one-and-a-half games and will meet in what could be a very important season finale on Mar. 5.
     
Portland State returns home after an 0-2 road trip to first-place Montana State and fourth-place Montana. The Vikings took the losses but also took the Bobcats to the wire (77-74 loss), being tied with them in the final minute, and stayed close to UM throughout (including a brief second-half lead) an 85-76 loss.
     
PSU remains productive on offense, having averaged 83.3 points over their last eight games, and continues to create opportunities with pressure defense, forcing 19.1 opponent turnovers during that span with 10.0 steals per game as well. The Vikings have scored 73 or more in the last eight games since moving to a "small-ball" up-tempo approach, featuring four guards in the starting lineup. Prior to that, PSU had scored more than 70 points just once in their first 13 games against Division I opponents this season.
     
A good example of that play is the Vikings' last meeting with Northern Arizona, a 97-76 win in Flagstaff on Jan. 29. PSU had its best shooting night of the season, with a slash line of .561/.519/.900 and a season-high 14 three-point field goals. The Vikings forced the 'Jacks into 19 turnovers for 29 points.
     
The Vikings have won their last two home games and will try to extend that streak over NAU, then Weber State and Idaho State next week.
     
Northern Arizona is trending well off last week's play. The Lumberjacks won in overtime at Montana, 72-67, and also took Montana State into the final minute before losing, 72-70. NAU is 4-8 on the road this season, 3-4 in Big Sky road games.
     
Thursday night's game tips off at 7 p.m. at Viking Pavilion. It can be seen on ESPN+ with live statistics at www.ViksLive.com.
 

COMING UP

The Vikings continue a three-game home stand next week, hosting Weber State (Feb. 24) and Idaho State (Feb. 26). Both games tip at 7 p.m. and are live streamed on ESPN+.
     
PSU closes out the regular season at Idaho (Mar. 3) and Eastern Washington (Mar. 5).
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. NORTHERN ARIZONA

• THE SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series, 29-26, and the Big Sky Conference series, 27-25... NAU leads in Big Sky Conference Tournament games, 3-2, including a 77-66 win in last year's tournament first round... PSU has won six of the last nine games in the series... PSU is 18-6 in Big Sky home games played in Portland.
• THIS SEASON: Jan. 29, 2022 at Flagstaff: PSU 97, NAU 76: Viking veterans Ian Burke, Khalid Thomas and Trey Wood showed the way for Portland State with an electric shooting performance. Burke scored a season-high 21 points with a team-best five assists, making 8-11 from the field, 3-5 from three-point range and 2-2 at the line. Wood scored a career-high 10 points on perfect 4-4 shooting with a pair of three-pointers. Thomas went for a career-high tying 25 points on 10-15 from the field, 3-6 from distance and 2-2 at the line. Their combined effort led a tour de force shooting performance by the team. PSU buried a season-high 14 three-pointers on 27 attempts (.519) and was 37-66 overall from the field (.561) - the best mark against a Division I opponent this season. The Vikings also made 9-10 from the free throw line... The win ended a five-game losing streak for Portland State... The Lumberjacks also shot well, posting .491 from the field and making 10 threes. But PSU's defensive pressure forced 19 turnovers leading to 29 points.
• 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 Lumberjacks are coached by Shane Burcar in his third season. He has a 31-46 career record, including 2-2 against the Vikings.

 

NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS

• Northern Arizona joined the Big Sky Conference in 1970. NAU has won four Big Sky regular season championships and two Big Sky Tournament titles, making two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
• Northern Arizona is 9-16 this season, 5-9 in the Big Sky Conference. The Lumberjacks average 69.0 points and allow 73.3 points per game. The 'Jacks shoot .419 from the field, .370 from three-point range and .670 at the line.
• Sophomore guard Jalen Cone, a Virginia Tech transfer, ranks second in the Big Sky Conference in scoring (19.0) and assists (3.8) and shoots .855 at the free throw line. Cone leads the Big Sky in three-point field goals made (78).
• Junior forward Nik Mains averages 12.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and shoots .424 from three-point range.  Freshman forward Carson Towt leads the team with 8.8 rebounds and averages 3.7 assists per game.

 

WHO IS HOT

• In the last eight games, PSU has averaged 83.3 points. During the four-game winning streak (Jan. 29-Feb. 5), PSU averaged 88.8 points, shot .492 from the field, and .480 from three-point range (making 11.8 per game).
• Portland State's defense has been on display in those eight games, forcing 19.1 turnovers per game and making 10.0 steals.
• PSU is currently shooting .757 at the free throw line, which is a school-record pace (.743)...  JR G Damion Squire is 31-33 at the free throw line this season (.939)... FR G Paris Dawson is 41-47 at the free throw line this season (.872). Neither have enough attempts to qualify for league leadership.
• SR G Ezekiel Alley has been red-hot, averaging 20.0 points over the last five games while shooting 35-70 from the field (.500), and 19-23 at the line (.826)... Alley scored a season-high 26 points (10-18 FG, 4-8 3-pt, 2-3 FT) with two rebounds, two assists and five steals in the win over Sacramento State (2/5) and was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week (Feb. 8).
• JR G Marlon Ruffin is averaging 13.0 points per game off the bench in the last five games while shooting .500 from the field and .850 at the line. He scored 20 points (7-12 FG, 3-3 3-pt, 3-3 FT) with five rebounds, two assists and two steals in the win at Northern Colorado (2/3).
• Portland State continues to lead the Big Sky Conference in steals with 9.3 per game, ranking 15th in the nation... JR G Ian Burke is second in the Big Sky (1.84) and SR F Khalid Thomas is third (1.83).

 

BEFORE AND AFTER

Through 15 games this season, Portland State was averaging 67.7 points and shooting .402 from the field. At that point, Head Coach Jase Coburn made a transition in the team's style of play, partly due to the team's sluggish offense and partly due to a number of injuries and illnesses on the team. Since then, PSU has averaged 83.3 points and shot .467 from the field in eight games. The Vikings have scored 73 or more points in each of the last eight games. The scoring increase coincided with a move to a "small-ball" up-tempo approach, featuring four guards in the starting lineup. Prior to that, PSU had scored more than 70 just once in their first 13 games against Division I opponents this season.
 

OH, SO CLOSE

Portland State took a three-point loss to Montana State on Thursday. It was the 12th game decided by eight points or less this season. PSU is 5-7 in those 12 games, 3-3 in those recent six games.
 

BATTERED AND BRUISED

Portland State has had a rough go of it health-wise this season. While the Vikings have been impacted by COVID-19 like virtually every other program in the country, they have also had a variety of injuries preventing them from fielding a full squad virtually every game this year. Hips, knees, fingers and non-COVID illnesses have all played a role in player availability.

• Despite having 14 active players on the roster, the Vikings have frequently had just nine and 10 available for games.
• Only two players, SR F Khalid Thomas and SR G Ezekiel Alley, have been healthy enough to play in every game this season. Seven have missed games due to injuries, not including COVID.
• The Vikings have started 11 different players this season and had 11 different starting lineups.
• Head Coach Jase Coburn has started 10 different lineups in 15 Big Sky Conference games.

 

GRAND LARCENY

Remarkably, Portland State has led the Big Sky Conference in team steals per game for the past seven seasons. The same is true this year under first-year Head Coach Jase Coburn, as the Vikings are currently averaging 9.3 steals per game. Thievery on the basketball court was also prevalent during the Barret Peery and Tyler Geving coaching eras. In addition, PSU has had two individual steals leaders. A look:
 
Season, steals per game
2015-16: 8.5
2016-17: 9.9, individual: Calaen Robinson, 2.35
2017-18: 9.8
2018-19: 8.3
2019-20: 8.7, individual: Holland Woods, 2.06
2020-21: 8.2
2021-22: 9.3 (currently)