PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (11-7, 2-3)
at NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS (10-7, 3-1)

Sat., Jan. 20, 2024, 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m PT • Bank of Colorado Arena (2,734), Greeley, CO
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: https://uncbears.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary

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OPENING TIP

Portland State will try to salvage a third straight weekly split in Big Sky Conference play when it takes on high-scoring Northern Colorado on Saturday in Greeley. The Vikings have gone lose-win in each of their first two weeks of Big Sky play and a loss at Northern Arizona on Thursday sets up the scenario again.
     
PSU (11-7, 2-3) needs a Saturday win to maintain pace in the league standings as the Vikings are currently in a four-way tie for fifth place. They would also like to reverse their recent shooting struggles that have led to a 3-5 record over the last eight games. Portland State took an 84-65 loss at NAU on Thursday with a .397 shooting mark from the field. That matches exactly the team shooting percentage over the eight-game stretch as PSU has averaged 67.3 points. Through PSU's first 10 games, in which it built an 8-2 record, the team averaged 74.6 points on .431 shooting from the field.
     
In the loss to NAU, SO G Ismail Habib led the way with 14 points. SR G Isiah Kirby continued his strong recent play with 12 points off the bench. But otherwise, the Vikings did not have a good offensive night. Certainly they were hindered by the absence of SR F KJ Allen - the team leader in scoring and rebounding - who was nursing a shoulder injury.
     
Northern Colorado (10-7, 3-1) comes off a 77-75 win over Sacramento State on Thursday. It was the sixth win in seven games for the Bears, who are now 6-1 at home. They are in second place in the Big Sky Conference.
     
PSU will need to find a way to match the Big Sky's best offense as UNC averages 81.0 points per game with an excellent shooting slash line of .479/.343/.724. The Bears are led by Player of the Year candidate Saint Thomas, who leads the Big Sky in scoring at 19.9 points per game while averaging 9.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Teammate Jaron Rillie leads the league in assists at 5.8 per game.
     
Saturday's game tips off at 5 p.m. PT at Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley. The game can be seen on ESPN+.

COMING UP

Portland State will be home next week, facing Montana on Thursday night (7 p.m.) and Montana State on Saturday (4 p.m.). Those games begin a stretch of four in a row and six of the next eight at home.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. NORTHERN COLORADO

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series with Northern Colorado, 23-16, and the Big Sky Conference series, 19-16... the Vikings are 9-8 in Big Sky games played in Greeley... PSU was swept by the Bears last season, including a third loss in the first round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament. The three losses were by a combined 15 points... UNC has won four straight in the series.
• LAST SEASON: Jan. 14, 2023 at Viking Pavilion, UNC 69, PSU 67: Northern Colorado hung on to beat the Vikings at the wire, 69-67. The Vikings were down four points with 14 ticks remaining on the clock. UNC star Dalton Knecht had just swished a pair of free throws to cap his 31-point night and the Vikings were desperate. Cameron Parker took the ensuing inbound pass, raced the length of the court, got into the lane and hit a tough driving layin. That trimmed the score to 69-67 with 9.3 seconds left. Plenty of time for another miracle, right? Following a quick timeout Portland State immediately got the break it needed. The Vikings' dogged press caused the Bears' Daylen Kountz to step on the end line after catching the inbound pass. Suddenly, it was Viking basketball with 7.7 seconds left under their own basket. PSU inbounded and found Jorell Saterfield in the corner. He let fly with a tying 20-foot  jumper. The ball rimmed out, but was rebounded by Hunter Woods, who quickly tossed it back at the rim. The ball fell away and the Vikings were denied a chance at an improbable win... PSU was ahead 58-44 with 8:52 left to play when the Bears leapt into action. UNC went on a 13-point run - the last 11 of which came from Knecht - and it was game on with five minutes to play... Parker led Portland State with 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Bobby Harvey came off the bench to hit five of six field goals, including three three-pointers for 13 points... Knecht was the star of the show with 31 points on 11-21 from the field, 6-13 from distance and 3-3 at the line. He also led the Bears with six rebounds... Portland State's bench scored 35 of the Vikings' 67 points, combining to make 15-22 shots from the field (.682). Feb. 9, 2023 at Greeley, UNC 88, PSU 79: Cameron Parker put up a career-high 32 points on a remarkable shooting performance, making 10-12 from the field, including all three three-point attempts and 9-12 at the free throw line. But it wasn't enough for the Vikings to pick up a road win... PSU couldn't stop the Bears as they ran up 88 points on 35-60 (.583) shooting from the field. Northern Colorado was particularly effective getting to the basket scoring 56 points inside. Northern Colorado never led by more than 11 points but also never trailed in the game... Portland State pulled within three points on three occasions down the stretch, but could never get closer. Trailing 82-79 with 1:47 left, the Vikings had five empty possessions to close out the game... Daylen Kountz scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Bears. Dalton Knecht, the Big Sky's leading scorer had 20 points and seven rebounds.Matt Johnson scored 16 points. Mar. 4, 2023 at Big Sky Tournament, UNC 84, PSU 80: Northern Colorado outscored Portland State 10-2 over the final two minutes of the game to pull out an 84-80 Big Sky Conference Tournament victory at Idaho Central Arena... PSU led 78-74 following a Cameron Parker drive to the rim with 2:06 to play. But the Bears got points on each of their final six possessions, including 8-10 at the free throw line... The loss spoiled a brilliant second-half performance by the Vikings as they overcame an 11-point deficit to go up 78-74 in the closing moments. PSU shot .528 from the field in the second half and finished with 26 fast break points. However they made only 1-5 shots in the final two minutes... For the game, PSU actually made more field goals (31 to 26) and more three-point field goals (8 to 7) but had a distinct disadvantage at the free throw line as UNC was 25-31 while the Vikings only had 16 attempts, making 10... Parker completed his collegiate career with 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Jorell Saterfield scored 14 points for the Vikings. Hunter Woods added 11 points and eight rebounds... Matt Johnson scored 22 points to lead the Bears. Daylen Kountz had 18 points, including hitting 7-8 free throws in the final two minutes. Dalton Knecht also had 18 points for the Bears.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Jase Coburn (Arizona State, 2006) is in his third season as Head Coach and is 37-43 overall. Coburn is 2-4 against Northern Colorado. He spent eight previous seasons on the Park Blocks as an Assistant and Associate Head Coach... the Bears are coached by Steve Smiley (Northern State, 2004) in his fourth season. Smiley is 53-53 overall, 5-3 against the Vikings.

 

SCOUTING NORTHERN COLORADO

• Northern Colorado joined the Big Sky Conference in 2006-07. The Bears have won one Big Sky Championship, playing in the NCAA Tournament in 2011.
• Northern Colorado was 12-20 last season, 6-12 and eighth place in the Big Sky Conference.
• This year the Bears are 10-7, 3-1 in the Big Sky. They average 81.0 points and allow 79.5 points per game. UNC leads the Big Sky in scoring and ranks second in shooting (.479).
• JR F Saint Thomas, a transfer from Loyola Chicago, averaged 19.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. JR G Dejour Reeves averages 14.1 points. SO F Brock Wisne averages 12.3 points while shooting .599 from the field. SR G Jaron Rillie leads the Big Sky in assists at 5.8 per game while averaging 11.2 points.

 

WHO IS HOT

• BENCH BOOST: SR G Isiah Kirby has averaged 13.0 points in the last two games off the bench. He made 12-18 field goals in the two games (.667)... JR C Hayden Curtiss went for seven points (3-5 FG, 1-1 FT), a team-high seven rebounds and two blocked shots in 14 minutes at Northern Arizona... SR F Hunter Woods scored 10 points (3-7 FG, 1-2 3-pt, 3-4 FT) with four rebounds off the bench.
• THE BENCH BUNCH: The Vikings have been producing all season when they make substitutions. PSU has scored 485 bench points (26.9 per game) to rank 45th in the nation and second in the Big Sky... last year, the Vikings averaged 27.9 points per game off the bench to rank 12th in the nation.
• GOOD DECISIONS: SR G Isiah Kirby is the team leader in assist-to-turnover ratio. In 15 minutes a game as a ball handler, Kirby has 34 assists and only 15 turnovers. Despite being eighth in minutes played, he is third on the Vikings in assists... Kirby also shoots .500 from the field.
• SEEING DOUBLE: SR F KJ Allen missed Thursday's game at Northern Arizona nursing a shoulder injury. His status for Saturday is uncertain. Allen has been red-hot after posting 13 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Weber State (1/13). It was his third double-double in four games and fourth for the season. The 14 boards were also a career high... Allen continues to lead the Vikings in scoring (10.7) and rebounding (6.8).
• ON THE RUN: Everyone would agree the Vikings are at their best when they are pushing the pace. In the win over Weber State, PSU had 23 fast break points. The Vikings had only one fast break point in the loss at Northern Arizona.
• KEYS TO VICTORY: The Vikings have never lost this season when... leading at halftime (7-0)... out-rebounding an opponent (7-0)... scoring 80 or more points (3-0).
• LATE GAME HEROICS: Once again this season Portland State has had numerous close games and game-winning shots. Through 18 games, 11 have been decided by seven points or less. The Vikings are 8-3 in those games.