PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (11-15, 9-9) at IDAHO VANDALS (8-20, 5-13)

Thursday, March 3, 2022, 6 p.m. • ICCU Arena (4,200), Moscow, ID
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf

---

THE OPENING TIP

Portland State goes into the final week of the Big Sky Conference season on a roll and with a shot at a number six seed in the league tournament. PSU has won three straight games and seven of its last nine to secure no worse than seventh place in the 11-team Big Sky. A couple more wins this week would mean sixth place and a first-round tournament game against the number 11 seed.
     
PSU (11-15, 9-9) will be challenged to get those wins. The Vikings play on the road Thursday at Idaho, then at Eastern Washington on Saturday. PSU last the previous matchups with those teams at home, both by five points.
     
Since those games, the Vikings have become a different team, averaging 80.8 points and forcing opponents into 19.7 turnovers per game over the recent nine-game stretch. The Vikings have committed only 9.8 turnovers per game for a remarkable +9.9 turnover margin, fueling their offense.
     
PSU closed out its home schedule last Saturday with a 73-69 overtime win against Idaho State - its fifth straight home win. In that Senior Night contest, senior forward Khalid Thomas posted a career-high 27 points (11-19 FG, 5-6 FT), seven rebounds and four steals to lead the Vikings.
     
Idaho (8-20, 5-13) is currently tied for eighth place in the Big Sky and has been tough at home, winning its last three against Weber State, Montana and Eastern Washington.  The Vandals dropped a pair of road games last week.
     
Portland State will need to beat Eastern Washington (15-14, 9-9) on Saturday night to have a chance at the number-six seed.  The Vikings go into this week's games with a 4-4 Big Sky road record.
     
With the four teams behind the Vikings all tied with five league wins each, PSU will play either Sacramento State, Northern Arizona, Idaho or Idaho State in a first-round tournament game. Where they and the Vikings land in the final standings will be determined this week.
     
PSU's games will tip at different times this week. The Idaho contest begins Thursday at 6 p.m. while the game at Eastern Washington will start Saturday at 2 p.m. Both games can be seen on ESPN+.
 

THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

The Big Sky Conference Tournament takes place Mar. 9-12 at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, ID. First-round games are on Wednesday, March 9. The top five teams in league play earn a bye into the quarterfinals on Thursday.
 
2022 Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Championship Schedule
 
Wednesday, March 9, 2022, live streamed on ESPN+
Game 1 – No. 8 Seed vs. No. 9 Seed, 9:30 a.m.         
Game 2 – No. 7 Seed vs. No. 10 Seed, Noon
Game 3 – No. 6 Seed vs. No. 11 Seed, 2:30 p.m.
 
Thursday, March 10, 2022, live streamed on ESPN+
Game 4 – No. 1 Seed vs. Game 1 Winner, Noon       
Game 5 – No. 4 Seed vs. No. 5 Seed, 2:30 p.m.
Game 6 – No. 2 Seed vs. Game 2 Winner, 5:30 p.m.
Game 7 – No. 3 Seed vs. Game 3 Winner, 8 p.m.
 
Friday, March 11, 2022, live streamed on ESPN+
Game 8 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner (Semifinals), 5:30 p.m.
Game 9 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner (Semifinals), 8 p.m.
 
Saturday, March 12, 2022, televised on ESPNU
Game 10 – Championship Game, 6 p.m.
 
All times listed are Mountain
 
THIS SEASON, PORTLAND STATE vs.
1. Montana State, 13-4 (0-2) - L, 73-60 at PSU; L, 77-74 at MSU
2. Southern Utah, 12-5 (0-2) - L, 86-76 at SUU; L, 85-82 (ot) at PSU
3. Weber State, 13-6 (1-1) - L, 80-69 at WSU; W, 81-75 at PSU
4. Northern Colorado, 12-6 (2-0) - W, 79-76 at PSU; W, 106-99 at UNC
5. Montana, 11-7 (0-2) - L, 66-64 at PSU; L, 85-76 at UM
t6. PSU, 9-9
t6. Eastern Washington, 9-9 (0-1) - L, 63-58 at PSU
t8. Northern Arizona, 5-13 (2-0) - W, 97-76 at NAU; W, 68-67 at PSU
t8. Idaho, 5-13 (0-1) - L, 84-79 at PSU
t8. Sacramento State, 5-13 (2-0) - W, 67-62 at SAC; W, 73-65 at PSU
11. Idaho State, 5-14 (2-0) - W, 63-55 at ISU; W, 73-69 (ot) at PSU
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. IDAHO

• THE SERIES: The all-time series is tied 17-17, and the Big Sky Conference series is tied, 7-7... Idaho leads the Big Sky series 4-3 in Moscow, however PSU has won three of the last four meetings in Moscow.
• THIS SEASON: Jan. 24, 2022 at Viking Pavilion, Idaho 84, PSU 79: Idaho simply out-shot the Vikings to pull out the win. The Vandals were 29-51 from the field (.569), 8-20 from three-point range (.400) and 18-24 at the line (.750). Portland State also shot it well, but not quite well enough, making 27-57 from the field (.474), 6-21 from distance (.286) and 19-24 at the line (.792). Virtually everything else in the boxscore was even... The Vandal guard trio of Mikey Dixon, Trevante Anderson and Rashad Smith combined for 62 of Idaho's 84 points. They made a combined 20-33 from the field, 6-12 three-pointers and 16-18 free throws... Portland State had five players score in double figures. Damion Squire led the group with 15 points. He added three rebounds, three assists and five steals. Paris Dawson and Michael Carter III each scored 13 points for the Vikings... Portland State had only nine available players to start the game due to a variety of injuries and illnesses. Then Khalid Thomas took an elbow to the face in the first minute of the game and had to come out with a broken nose. It added up to a slow start for PSU and good start for the Vandals.
• 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 Vandals are led by Head Coach Zac Claus (Eastern Washington, 1998) in his second season. He is 17-65 overall, 2-3 against the Vikings. Claus was a PSU assistant coach from 2000-02.

 

WHO IS HOT

• In the last nine games, PSU has averaged 80.8 points... during a 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 the last nine games, forcing 19.7 turnovers per game and making 9.8 steals per game... for the season, PSU forces 17.0 turnovers per game - the most in the Big Sky... PSU leads the Big Sky in turnover margin (+4.4), ranking 12th in the nation... the Vikings average a Big Sky-best 9.3 steals per game, which ranks 10th in the nation.
• SR F Khalid Thomas scored a career-high 27 points (11-19 FG, 5-6 FT) with seven rebounds and four steals in the win over Idaho State. Thomas averaged 22.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks in last week's two wins... Thomas leads the team in scoring (11.9), rebounds (6.0) and steals (1.9). He ranks second in the Big Sky in steals, 12th in rebounding and 24th in scoring.
• JR G Michael Carter III is 27-47 from the field (.574) in the last five games, averaging 14.0 points per game. He led the Vikings with 19 points (8-11 FG, 3-4 FT), six assists and five rebounds in the win over Weber State.
• SR G Ezekiel Alley has been red-hot, averaging 18.0 points over the last eight games while shooting 28-33 at the line (.848)... 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).
• ZEKE FOR 1,000: SR G Ezekiel Alley reached a collegiate milestone earlier this month when he passed 1,000 career points. Though he has played only one season at Portland State with 288 points so far, Alley totaled 766 points in 43 career games at Northwest Nazarene. Alley now has 1,054 points in 69 collegiate games, an average of 15.3 points per game. He has shot .473 from the field, .409 from three-point range and .795 at the free throw line in his career.
• Portland State's 10th win of the season marks the 21st time in 26 seasons since reinstating its basketball program that it has reached double figures in victories. PSU won only nine games last season, but the schedule was shortened to 22 games due to COVID.

 

NO FOOLS IN FEBRUARY

Portland State has won seven of its last nine games dating back to January 29. Here is a look at PSU's record in February over the past five years:

2018: 5-3
2019: 5-3
2020: 5-2
2021: 5-2 
2022: 5-2

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 81.5 points and shot .464 from the field, .343 from three-point range and .770 at the line while winning seven of 11 games. The Vikings have scored 73 or more points in 10 of the 11 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.

 
YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS

PSU is currently shooting .748 at the free throw line, which is a school-record pace. The Vikings are led by FR G Paris Dawson who is 41-47 (.872) and JR G Damion Squire who is 39-46 (.848). Neither have enough attempts to qualify for overall league leadership. Squire is fifth in Big Sky Conference games, while SR G Ezekiel Alley is fourth in Big Sky games (36-42, .857).
 
Portland State's Best Free Throw Shooting Seasons
2021-22: .748
2012-13: .743
2001-02: .743
2014-15: .742
2011-12: .737
 

OH, SO CLOSE

Portland State earned another single-digit win in the 73-69 overtime victory over Idaho State. It was the 15th game decided by eight points or less this season. PSU is 8-7 in those 15 games, 6-3 in nine most recent games... eight straight games and 11 of the last 12 have been decided by single digits.
 

BATTERED AND BRUISED

Portland State has now had a remarkable run of three straight games with the same starting lineup! Prior to that, the Vikings 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: Damion Squire (hip, nose), Marlon Ruffin (illness), Michael Carter (eye, illness), Ian Burke (illness), Paris Dawson (concussion), Jacob Eyman (knee), Hayden Curtiss (finger), Mike Starks (ankle), Kiimani Holt (knee, illness), Gio Nelson (knee), James Jean-Marie (illness)
 

• Despite having 14 active players on the roster, until recently the Vikings 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 12 different starting lineups.
• Head Coach Jase Coburn has started 11 different lineups in Big Sky Conference games.
• The lineup of Alley, Squire, Carter III, Burke and Thomas is now 3-0.

 
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)