Portland, OR – Portland State proved the old adage that "it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but instead the size of the fight in the dog" as it hung on at the end to pick up a 68-67 win Big Sky Conference win over Northern Arizona at Viking Pavilion.
 
PSU, which starts just one player taller than 6-foot-5 in its "small ball" lineup, went up against an NAU team that starts only one player shorter than 6-foot-7. The Lumberjacks took advantage of that mismatch by swamping the Vikings on boards, 41-23. However, Portland State's pressure defense was the difference, forcing NAU into 24 turnovers.
 
"We've lost games this year where we have played really well. So when something like getting out-rebounded by that much happens, you are happy you can make up for it in other areas. We found a way to win this one a little ugly," said Head Coach Jase Coburn.
 
The Vikings never trailed in the game, and were up 60-50 with 4:42 remaining to be played. But NAU's Jalen Cone sparked a 14-4 rally by the 'Jacks, hitting back-to-back three-pointers, and adding a free throw on the second trey after drawing a foul. Lumberjack forward Nik Mains finally tied the game at 64 with his three-pointer at the 1:54 mark.
 
The teams traded missed shots on the next two possessions before the Vikings grabbed the lead back for good. Michael Carter III drove the lane and dished to Khalid Thomas for a basket in traffic with 1:02 left to make it 66-64.
 
Portland State then benefitted from a pair of missed free throws by NAU's Carson Towt. Carter snared the rebound on the second miss, brought the ball up court, and drained the shot clock. Finally, he made another drive and dish, this time to Damion Squire in the lane. Squire was fouled at the rim with 10.2 seconds left. He calmly sank both free throws and the Vikings led 68-64.
 
NAU's Keith Haymon was able to bank in a desperation three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to make the final score at 68-67. It was the fewest points the Vikings have scored in nine games, but it was also the second-fewest they have allowed in that stretch. The result was all that mattered.
 
Squire led the Vikings, matching his season-high with 19 points. He made 7-13 field goals and 4-5 at the line. Thomas added 15 points and four rebounds after being questionable to play due to a bad back. Carter scored 14 points on 5-7 from the field and 4-5 at the line. Ezekiel Alley added 13 points and four rebounds.
 
The Vikings won their third game in a row at home, and won for the fifth time in seven games overall. PSU is now 9-15 on the season, 7-9 in the Big Sky. The win was key as NAU entered the contest just ½ game behind Portland State. The Lumberjacks are now 9-17 overall, 5-10 in the Big Sky.
 
This game looked like a lot of recent Viking contests. PSU's defensive pressure was a huge factor in the first half. NAU committed 16 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. The Vikings got 22 points off the turnovers. Only a decided rebound advantage of 22-11 by the Lumberjacks kept them within reach, but PSU led 34-25 at intermission.
 
In the second half, the Vikings forced eight more turnovers, but didn't capitalize, getting only three points.
 
Portland State was 25-52 from the field (.481), but made only 3-22 from three-point range. NAU was 25-55 (.455) and 10-27 from distance (.370). Free throws were key as the Lumberjacks hit only 7-13 (.538), while the Vikings were 15-21 (.714).
 

GAME NOTES:

• PSU swept the season series from NAU. The Vikings won 97-76 on Jan. 29 in Flagstaff.
• Portland State has won seven of its last 10 meetings with Northern Arizona.
• The Vikings started their 11^th different combination of starters in 16 Big Sky games.
• Portland State has forced opponents into 162 turnovers in the last eight games (20.3 per game) while averaging 9.9 steals per game.
• PSU has now had 13 games decided by eight points or less. The Vikings are 6-7 in those games, 4-3 in the last seven such games.
• Portland State is off until next week. The Vikings host Weber State on Thursday night at Viking Pavilion. The game tips at 7 p.m. and streams live on ESPN+.