PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (6-5)
at BAKERSFIELD ROADRUNNERS (6-6)

Saturday, December 21, 2024, 6:30 p.m., Icardo Center (3,497), Bakersfield, CA
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: https://gorunners.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
 

OPENING TIP

Portland State takes its momentum south in an attempt to complete a road sweep at Bakersfield. The Vikings have won two games in a row, including a satisfying 81-75 victory at Pacific in Stockton on Wednesday. Now, a four-hour bus ride down I-5 will find the Vikings playing the Roadrunners on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
           
PSU (6-5) meets Bakersfield (6-6), a member of the Big West Conference, for the first time in six seasons. The Vikings' would like to expand their modest two-game win streak to a season-best three in a row. In addition, the Vikings currently have the fourth-best non-conference record in the Big Sky. A win would guarantee a winning non-conference record in 2024.
           
The Vikings had the recipe for a road win at Pacific. Good offense in the first half (.528 shooting), perseverance in the second half after giving up a 20-point lead, and quality rebounding (42-37 edge) and defense (a season-high nine blocked shots holding the Tigers to a .345 FG%) all played a part.
           
Throw in PSU's ability to get top-notch play from anyone in the lineup on a given night and the Vikings are tough to beat. SO G Cole Farrell, who ranks ninth in minutes played this season, posted a career-high 18 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3-pt, 4-6 FT), five rebounds, three assists and two steals. He was one of five players to score in double figures as reliable SR F Isaiah Johnson had a double-double (12 pts, 11 reb, 4 blk) and flashy SR G Qiant Myers recorded his third points-assists double-double this season (10 pts, 11 ast).
           
All of those factors point to the team's versatility that Head Coach Jase Coburn lauded prior to the start of the season. Now with two games remaining in non-conference play, Coburn would like his team to polish it up for the start of Big Sky Conference games beginning Jan. 4.
           
 
The Roadrunners have also won back-to-back games following a thumping of University of Portland, 81-64, in the Rose City on Wednesday. They are led by a trio of top scorers, shoot well (.461/.411/.759) and have been dominant on the backboards with a +9.0 rebounding margin.
            Bakersfield is 4-0 at home this season while the Vikings are 2-3 in true road games.
 

COMING UP

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. BAKERSFIELD

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Bakersfield leads the all-time series, 4-2, including 3-0 in Bakersfield... the teams have not met since Dec. 20, 2018... the Roadrunners have won three straight in the series with PSU's last win in 2014.
• PORTLAND STATE vs. THE BIG WEST CONFERENCE: Portland State is 31-42 all-time against current members of the Big West Conference. Bakersfield is the only Big West opponent on the schedule this season for the Vikings... Head Coach Jase Coburn is 2-4 all-time against the Big West.
• 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 49-56. He has never faced Bakersfield as a head coach... Rod Barnes (Mississippi, 1988) is in his 14th year as Head Coach of the Roadrunners. He has a 201-218 record, including 3-2 against the Vikings.

 

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS

• Bakersfield is a member of the Big West Conference. The Roadrunners were 13-19 last season, 8-12 and 9th place in the Big West.
• This year, the Roadrunners are 6-6 overall... they average 76.4 points per game and allow 69.5 points per game... Bakersfield shoots well across the board at .461 from the field, .411 from three-point range and .759 at the free throw line. The team holds opponents to .415 from the field and has a +9.0 rebounding margin.
• Junior guard Jemel Jones leads the team in scoring at 15.9 points per game... junior forward Corey Stephenson averages 14.5 points and a team-best 5.8 rebounds while shooting .570 from the field... senior guard Marvin McGhee III averages 13.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and has made 33 three-pointers already this season (.402).

 

HOT SHOTS

• SHOOT YOUR SHOT: PSU is shooting .492 as a team this season (first in the Big Sky, 38th-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 .667 (26-39) from the field. SR F Isaiah Johnson has also been excellent at .616 (45-73), and SR F Hayden Curtiss is shooting .576 (34-59, including 8-19 three-pointers)... in limited minutes, JR F Isaac Brice is at .588 (10-17).
• IT'S COLE'S WORLD: You will find him at @W0rldCole on social media. The Vikings are just glad to find SO G Cole Farrell doing his thing on the basketball court. He turned in a career-best game in the win at Pacific with a career-high 18 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3-pt, 4-6 FT), five rebounds, three assists, two steals and some stellar defense. Farrell had a steal, two rebounds and eight points in the final five minutes of the game as the Vikings held off the Tigers... Farrell has averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in the last two games.
• DOUBLE-DOUBLE DOUBLE: Portland State had a pair of double-doubles of different varieties in the win over Pacific. SR F Isaiah Johnson got his first of the season with 12 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots. SR G Qiant Myers had his third of the season with 10 points and 11 assists.
• BLOCK PARTY: Portland State had a season-high nine blocked shots in the win at Pacific. PSU has had eight blocked shots on two occasions and currently leads the Big Sky with 6.1 send-backs per game... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott has had a career-high four blocked shots twice this season (Wofford, Denver) and ranks second in the Big Sky at 2.00 per game.
• DUNK YOU VERY MUCH: The slam game has been strong for the Vikings this season. PSU had six more dunks at Pacific for a team-total of 52 throw-downs this season (4.7 per game). SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott (17) and SR G Jaylin Henderson (14) lead the way.
• THAT WINNING FEELING: Head Coach Jase Coburn has a 23-22 record in non-conference games in his four years at the helm of the Viking Ship. That includes a respectable 10-15 road record in those games... PSU was 9-4 in non-conference play this season, and at 6-5 this season has a chance for another winning non-conference mark.
• SHARING THE WEALTH: Portland State has had seven different leading scorers in 11 games played this season.
• LEADERS: Portland State currently leads the Big Sky Conference in scoring (84.5), field goal percentage (.492), assists (17.1), turnovers forced (14.9), turnover margin (+2.5), blocked shots (6.1), bench points (30.5) and free throw attempts (21.6)... SR G Qiant Myers leads the Big Sky in assists (7.2) and ranks eighth in the nation.

 

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 four games, PSU is a mere 44-81 (.543)... 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 .630 at the line and has had only one game better than .688... the Vikings rank last in the Big Sky in free throw shooting.
• THE PENDULUM SWINGS: Portland State averages 94.5 points in six wins, 72.4 points in five losses.

 

FUN FACTS AND MEANINGLESS TRIVIA

• CONNECTIONS: SR G Jaylin Henderson and SR F Terri Miller Jr. were teammates at Louisiana Tech last season... JR F Isaac Brice is the son of a former Vikings assistant football coach, Alundis Brice (2007-08)... FR G Kelcy Phipps and SR F Isaiah Johnson attended the same high school (Bishop Montgomery) in southern California.
• BIG BRO IN THE BIG LEAGUE: SR G Shane Nowell's older brother, Jaylen, is a member of the NBA's Washington Wizards.
• TWO HANDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE: SR F Terri Miller Jr. is ambidextrous and will shoot with both hands during a game. He tends to shoot right handed from distance and left handed when playing inside. He said he doesn't think about the hand he shoots with, it just occurs naturally.
• TV ON THE RADIO: SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott can play seven musical instruments and also enjoys producing music. His mixes can be found on YouTube at Tellavision_topic.
• WE'RE NUMBER 3: The Vikings scored 131 points against Evergreen State in a win on Nov. 7. That was the third-most points in school history.
• C-NOTE: Head Coach Jase Coburn coached his 100th career game on Nov. 24 against Wofford. He is the ninth of 14 PSU Coaches all-time to reach that mark.
• IT MEANS NOTHING: Portland State was picked to place sixth in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches Poll and seventh in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Media Poll. The Vikings placed sixth in the Big Sky in 2023-24.
• GETTING STARTED: PSU is 12-17 in season openers since reinstating basketball and joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97... the Vikings are 25-4 in home openers over the same span.

 

SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL

• Nov. 7: PSU 131, Evergreen State 84: The Vikings rolled to the third-most points in school history over lower division Evergreen State. PSU shot .684 from the field and .517 (15-29) from three-point range. JR G Ismail Habib scored a career-high 29 points (10-16 FG, 9-11 3-pt) and SR G Qiant Myers handed out 14 assists to go with 10 points. Eight Vikings scored in double figures.
• Nov. 12: PSU 85, San Diego 76: Portland State raced to a 51-33 halftime lead behind another brilliant shooting performance (.600), but needed to hold on as San Diego cut a 21-point lead to four with 1:55 to play. The Vikings made 9-10 free throws down the stretch and finished at .517 from the field overall in the win. SR G Jaylin Henderson scored a game-high 23 points (8-17 FG, 2-5 3-pt, 5-9 FT), including 10 straight for the Vikings late in the second half. SR F Terri Miller Jr. added 15 points, six rebounds and four steals.
• Nov. 24: PSU 79, Wofford 74: The Vikings came back from a 12-point second-half deficit to secure the win. SR G Jaylin Henderson and JR G Ismail Habib made four straight three-pointers in the final 3:13 of the game. SR F Isaiah Johnson scored a career-high 21 points (9-12 FG, 3-5 FT) with nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot.Nov. 30, PSU 71, Utah Tech 68: PSU held off a late charge by the Trailblazers to win their second home game of the season and improve to 4-3. The Vikings led for over 39 minutes in the contest, but Utah Tech was able to tie the game late. SR G Jaylin Henderson had a big game with 22 points (9-14 FG, 4-7 3-pt), while SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds.
• Dec. 14, PSU 110, Northwest Indian 48: Portland State shot .605 from the field, won the rebound battle, 57-30, and had seven players in double figures in a rout of the Eagles. SR G Shane Nowell scored a season-high 17 points with six rebounds in the win. SR F Terri Miller Jr. had a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals in only 16:49 of game action.
• Dec. 18, PSU 81, Pacific 76: The Vikings led for nearly 35 minutes and by as many as 20 points in picking up the road win. PSU shot .469 from the field, won the rebound battle (42-37) and blocked a season-high nine shots while holding the Tigers to .345 shooting. SO G Cole Farrell posted a career-high 18 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3-pt, 4-6 FT) with five rebounds, three assists and two steals. SR F Isaiah Johnson (12 pts, 11 reb) and SR G Qiant Myers (10 pts, 11 ast) each had double-doubles.