PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (5-5)
at PACIFIC TIGERS (5-7)

Wednesday, December 18, 2024, 7 p.m., Alex G. Spanos Center (5,634), Stockton, CA
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: pacifictigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
 

OPENING TIP

The Portland State Vikings play their final two non-conference road games this week against a pair of seldom-seen west coast programs. PSU travels to the University of the Pacific on Wednesday for the first meeting between the schools in 25 seasons. Then, the Vikings play at Bakersfield on Saturday night, facing the Roadrunners for the first time in six years.
           
PSU (5-5) is coming off an easy 110-48 home win over lower-division Northwest Indian College. And while the victory was expected, it was also welcome after a pair of losses to open the month of December. The Vikings got ample playing for everyone on the roster and highlights galore with .605 field goal shooting, nine dunks and a triple-double from SR F Terri Miller Jr. (11 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast in 16 minutes).
           
Through 10 games the Vikings have proven to be an offensive force when hitting on all cylinders. They average 84.8 points and are shooting .495 from the field. A balanced attack has allowed seven different Vikings to lead the team in scoring this season. Highlights have included good shooting from leading scorer SR G Jaylin Henderson (.496 FG%, .411 3-pt%, 14.8 ppg), excellent shooting inside from SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott (.686) and SR F Isaiah Johnson (.641), a Big Sky-leading assist man in Qiant Myers (6.8 apg), and shot-blocking prowess from Minott (2.0 bpg).    
           
Head Coach Jase Coburn will look for all of those elements - and more - to impact this week's two road games as PSU hopes to build momentum toward the start of Big Sky Conference play on Jan. 4. The Vikings are 1-3 in true road games, 2-4 away from home overall.
           
Pacific (5-7) is showing significant improvement under first-year Head Coach Dave Smart after a six-win season (and 0-win conference performance) last year. The Tigers have lost their last three games, but all three were close contests on the road against quality programs in Colorado, Illinois State and UNLV.
           
At home, the Tigers are 3-1 with their only loss coming to Northern Arizona (60-57), which currently maintains the best record among Big Sky teams (7-4).
           
Both games this week, and for the remainder of the season, will air on ESPN+. The Vikings and Tigers meet up in a 7 p.m. game Wednesday at Alex G. Spanos Center in Stockton.
           

COMING UP

The Vikings play at Bakersfield at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, then will be off one week for the holiday. PSU rounds out non-conference play at home on Dec. 31 against Walla Walla. Big Sky Conference play begins Jan. 4 at Sacramento State.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. PACIFIC

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State and Pacific have only met three times previously, and not in this millennium. PSU leads the all-time series, 2-1. The last meeting was a 69-65 Viking win in Stockton on Nov. 29, 1999.
• PORTLAND STATE vs. THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE: Portland State is 43-82 all-time against current members of the West Coast Conference... the Vikings defeated San Diego of the WCC, 85-76, earlier this season.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Jase Coburn (Arizona State, 2006) is in his fourth season as Head Coach. He spent eight previous seasons on the Park Blocks as an Assistant and Associate Head Coach. Coburn's overall record is 48-56. He has never faced Pacific... Dave Smart (Queen's University) is in his first season as Head Coach at Pacific. He previously was a collegiate head coach in Canada where he won 656 games.

 

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

• The University of the Pacific is a member of the West Coast Conference located in Stockton, CA. The Tigers were 6-26 last season, 0-16 in the WCC. New Head Coach Dave Smart was hired in March 2024.
• This year, the Tigers have compiled a 5-7 record, including 3-1 at home. Pacific averages 71.3 points and allows 69.7 points. The Tigers are shooting .439 from the field while holding opponents to a .410 mark. They manage only a .280 mark from three-point range, but have out-rebounded opponents by an average of 6.6 per game.
• Senior forward Elias Ralph has led the Tigers in scoring (17.4), rebounding (8.3) and blocked shots (15)... junior guard Elijah Fisher is averaging 16.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game... junior guard Lamar Washington is in double figures with 10.9 points per game. He leads the team in assists at 6.8 per game.

 

HOT SHOTS

• SHOOT YOUR SHOT: PSU is shooting .495 as a team this season (first in the Big Sky, 28th-best in the nation). Yes, we are barely 1/3 of the way through the season, but the Vikings have not shot above .448 over the last seven seasons. The school record for a season is .492, set by the 2004-05 Big Sky Conference regular season champion team... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott leads the way at .686 (24-35) from the field. SR F Isaiah Johnson has also been excellent at .641 (41-64), and SR F Hayden Curtiss is shooting .571 (32-56, including 8-19 three-pointers)... in limited minutes, JR F Isaac Brice is at .588 (10-17).
• JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT: SR F Terri Miller Jr., accomplished something that has only occurred once before in Portland State history: he logged a triple-double. Miller scored 11 points (5-8 FG) with 10 rebounds and 10 assists (plus three steals and a blocked shot) in only 16:49 against Northwest Indian College.
• BIG-MAN BOOST: Portland State's big men, SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott and SR Fs Hayden Curtiss and Terri Miller Jr. combined for 30 points (14-22 FG), 21 rebounds, 11 assists, seven steals and four blocked shots in a combined 48 minutes against Northwest Indian... Curtiss (11) and Miller (14) were good off the bench for the Vikings in the previous game against Denver. They combined for 42 minutes played, 25 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, no turnovers and hit 10-15 shots from the field.
• BLOCK PARTY: Portland State had a season-high eight blocked shots against Utah Tech (11/30) and matched that against Northwest Indian (12/14)... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott has had a career-high four blocked shots twice this season (Wofford, Denver)... the Vikings lead the Big Sky in blocks (5.8), Minott ranks second, individually (2.00).
• DUNK YOU VERY MUCH: The slam game has been strong for the Vikings this season. PSU has a team-total of 46 throw-downs (4.6 per game). SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott (15) and SR G Jaylin Henderson (11) lead the way.
• EVEN STEVEN: Head Coach Jase Coburn has a 22-22 record in non-conference games in his four years at the helm of the Viking Ship. That includes a respectable 9-15 road record in those games.
• SHARING THE WEALTH: Portland State has had seven different leading scorers in 10 games played this season.
• LEADERS: Portland State currently leads the Big Sky Conference in scoring (84.8), field goal percentage (.495), assists (17.1), turnovers forced (15.2), turnover margin (+2.5), blocked shots (5.8), bench points (30.9) and free throw attempts (21.4)... SR G Qiant Myers leads the Big Sky in assists (6.8).

 

NOT SO HOT

• YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS: While Portland State's field goal shooting has been strong, the free throw shooting has floundered, particularly in recent games. PSU was a season-worst 7-17 against Northwest Indian (.412). In the last three games, PSU is a mere 28-57 (.491)... A 14-26 mark, including misses in the last seven attempts, against Denver was costly in one-point loss (12/7)... for the season, PSU shoots .626 at the line and has had only one game better than .688.
• THE PENDULUM SWINGS: Portland State averages 97.2 points in five wins, 72.4 points in five losses.