NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS (15-9, 8-3)
at PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (14-11, 5-7)

Thursday, February 15, 2024, 7 p.m. • Viking Pavilion (3,094), Portland, OR
Live Stream: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Matt Richert • Analyst: Devon Pouncey
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com

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OPENING TIP

Portland State returns to Viking Pavilion this week with the hope that the home court will cure what is ailing the team. The Vikings, winners of three in a row just 10 days ago, lost three games last week and have dropped in the Big Sky Conference standings.
     
The Vikings (14-11, 5-7) are currently in seventh place in the Big Sky with six games remaining in the regular season. They seek a sixth-place or higher finish to avoid having to play a first-round game (and potentially four games) in the Big Sky Conference Tournament, Mar. 9-13. The good news for the Vikings is they are just one game out of a tie for fifth place (Montana State/Idaho State) and two games out of a tie for third (Montana/Weber State). With two home games this week, PSU is in a great position to start righting the Viking Ship heading toward the post-season.
     
Portland State will host Northern Colorado (15-9, 8-3) on Thursday at 7 p.m., then Northern Arizona (11-14, 4-7) on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Viking Pavilion. PSU will attempt to avenge road losses to both teams a month ago.
     
Last week, the Vikings lost to first-place Eastern Washington, on the road at third-place Weber State, then took another road loss at fifth-place Idaho State on Saturday. The loss to the Bengals, 68-65, came after leading for more than 30 minutes of the contest. ISU closed out the game on an 11-2 run to secure the victory. It was Portland State's first loss this season in a game decided by three points or less (5-1).
     
The positives for the Vikings were a 50% shooting mark from the field for the first time against a Division I opponent this season, and a season-high 17 points (6-9 FG, 5-7 3-pt) from SR G Bobby Harvey. SR F KJ Allen pitched in his fifth double-double of the season with 13 points (5-7 FG, 3-3 FT) and 10 rebounds.
     
In addition to a welcoming home court this week where PSU is 8-2, they hope to see the return of SO G Ismail Habib. The Viking point guard has missed the last four games with an ankle sprain. His status is still uncertain.
     
Northern Colorado has played well throughout the conference season and sits comfortably in second place in the Big Sky standings. Included in the Bears' 8-3 league record is a 90-61 victory over the Vikings on Jan. 20. The Bears have won two games in a row, four of five and 10 of their last 13. They bring a 4-6 road record to Viking Pavilion.
     
UNC has been a dominant offensive team all season, leading the Big Sky in scoring at 81.0 points per game behind Player of the Year candidate Saint Thomas (20.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.6 spg). Thomas leads the Big Sky in scoring and rebounding.
     
Both games this week will air on ESPN+ with live statistics available at www.ViksLive.com.
 

COMING UP

Among Portland State's final six regular season games are three at home and three on the road.Starting next week, the Vikings play three straight on the road: at Montana (Feb. 22); at Montana State (Feb. 24) and at Sacramento State (Mar. 2). PSU completes the regular season schedule at home on Mar. 4 against Idaho.
     
The Big Sky Conference Tournament runs Mar. 9-13 at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, ID. PSU could play its first game on Mar. 9, 10 or 11 depending on its place in the final Big Sky standings.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. NORTHERN COLORADO

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series with Northern Colorado, 23-14, and the Big Sky Conference series, 19-17... the Vikings are 9-6 in Big Sky games played in Portland... the Bears won the first meeting between the schools this season and have won five straight in the series overall, including two Big Sky Tournament matchups (2022, 2023).
• EARLIER THIS SEASON: Jan. 20 at Greeley, UNC 90, PSU 61: Northern Colorado got on a roll in the second half and never let up, beating the Vikings, 90-61. PSU led for the first 20 minutes of the game, but the Bears opened the second half on a 25-point run, effectively blowing the Vikings away. UNC out-scored PSU 54-22 after halftime... The Vikings got off to a good start, scoring the first seven points of the game. Forward Kendall Munson warmed up midway through the half and scored 10 straight points inside, getting PSU to a 27-18 lead. Ismail Habib gave the Vikings their largest lead at 33-23 on a pair of free throws with 3:30 left. The Bears closed out the half on a 13-6 run to pull within 39-36. That was an omen of things to come... Northern Colorado came out red-hot to start the second half, taking its first lead after a minute and proceeding on a 25-0 run. PSU missed its first 10 shots of the half while UNC made 10-13... Portland State shot a decent .455 in the first half, but that was flipped on its head in the second half when the Bears mounted their remarkable run and the Vikings couldn't find the mark. PSU was 7-28 in the second half (.250) and missed all nine three-point attempts... Conversely, the Bears made 18 of their first 24 shots after intermission. They finished at 33-64 for the game (.516). The Vikings were 22-61 (.361), including only 3-22 from behind the arc (.136)... UNC's Saint Thomas, finished with game-highs of 20 points, 13 rebounds and five assists... Munson was a lone bright spot for the Vikings, scoring a career-high 16 points on 7-9 from the field.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Jase Coburn (Arizona State, 2006) is in his third season as Head Coach and is 40-47 overall. Coburn is 2-5 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 58-55 overall, 6-3 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 is 15-9 overall, 8-3 and second place in the Big Sky Conference. The Bears have won two in a row, four of five and 10 of their last 13 games... UNC leads the Big Sky in scoring at 81.0 points per game while shooting .486 from the field, .357 from three-point range and .726 at the free throw line... the Bears allow opponents 77.8 points per game.
• Junior forward Saint Thomas, a transfer from Loyola Chicago, leads the Big Sky in scoring (20.0) and rebounding (10.0), ranks third in free throw percentage (.877), seventh in assists (3.5), fourth in steals (1.5) and eighth in blocked shots (21). Junior guard Dejour Reeves is averaging 14.3 points per game. Sophomore forward Brock Wisne averages 11.8 points and shoots .597 from the field. Senior guard Jaron Rillie is averaging 11.3 points and a Big Sky-leading 5.2 assists.

 

WHO IS HOT

• THREE-POINT THREAT: SR G Bobby Harvey matched a season-high with 17 points (6-9 FG, 5-7 3-pt FG) at Idaho State. It was his 13th double-figure scoring game of the season. Harvey leads the Vikings in three-point field goals (57) and ranks second in three-point percentage (.373). He also leads the Big Sky in three-point field goals made per game (2.38).
• DOUBLING UP: SR F KJ Allen had his team-high fifth double-double at Idaho State with 13 points (5-7 FG, 3-3 FT) and 10 rebounds. He leads the Vikings in scoring (11.6), rebounding (6.7) and three-point percentage (.417).
• ANOTHER BIG DAY FOR ZAY: JR F Isaiah Johnson scored a career-high 20 points (8-17 FG, 4-5 FT) with seven rebounds and two steals at Weber State (2/8). Despite making only nine starts this season, he is second on the team in scoring (9.7), rebounds (4.6), blocks (12), and leads in steals (26).
• BLOCK PARTY: JR C Hayden Curtiss had the biggest shot-blocking performance of his career with six in the win over Sacramento State (2/3). That was just one shy of the school record and he did so in 13 minutes of action. The 6-11 post ranks third in the Big Sky Conference in blocked shots at 1.6 per game and leads in Big Sky games at 2.1 per game... he also leads the team with a .508 field goal percentage... with 57 career blocked shots, Curtiss is now tied for 10th all-time in Portland State history.
• GOOD DECISIONS: Lately, when SR G Isiah Kirby has the ball in his hands, good things happen. Kirby has averaged 12.2 points over the last nine games on 41-86 from the field (.477). Kirby also has 28 assists in those nine games (3.1)... Kirby scored a career-high 20 points (6-11 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 5-6 FT) with four assists in the win over Montana State (1/27)... against Sacramento State (2/3) he had a career-high seven assists... he followed that with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals against Eastern Washington (2/5)... Kirby shoots .466 from the field this season to rank fourth on the team.
• THE BENCH BUNCH: The Vikings have been producing all season when they make substitutions. PSU has scored 680 bench points (27.2 per game) to rank 35th in the nation and first in the Big Sky... last year, the Vikings averaged 27.9 points per game off the bench to rank 12th in the nation.
• STRONG INDICATORS: Portland State is 8-2 when playing at home... 8-2 when leading at halftime... 8-1 when out-rebounding an opponent... 7-2 when out-shooting an opponent... 10-3 when scoring 70 or more points... 8-4 when starting a new lineup.
• LATE GAME HEROICS: Once again this season Portland State has had numerous close games and game-winning shots. Through 25 games, 14 have been decided by seven points or less. The Vikings are 10-4 in those games. PSU is 5-1 in games decided by three points or less.