PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (14-10, 5-6)
at IDAHO STATE BENGALS (10-14, 5-6)

Saturday, February 10, 2024, 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT • Reed Gym (3,040), Pocatello, ID
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com

OPENING TIP

For the second game in a row, Portland State will play an opponent on the road with the exact same Big Sky Conference record. This time, the outcome of the game is even more significant than before.
     
The Vikings and Idaho State are both tied for sixth place in the Big Sky with 5-6 league records as they are scheduled to meet up on Saturday. With seven games remaining in the regular season schedule, post-season positioning becomes more significant. The top six teams in the Big Sky standings will get a first-round bye in the post-season tournament, Mar. 9-13, in Boise. Teams seven through 10 will have to play an extra game to have any hope of making it through for a shot at a Big Sky Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Ipso facto, the outcome of the game between Portland State and Idaho State will straddle that dividing line with six games left.
     
In addition, PSU and ISU are only one game out of fourth place and two games out of third place, so there is plenty to be gained in the final weeks of the season.
     
PSU (14-10, 5-6) faced a Weber State team on Thursday with a matching record, but the Wildcats came out on top, 84-72. JR F Isaiah Johnson had a career-high 20 points and seven rebounds, but WSU simply out-shot the Vikings, .528-.391, from the field.
     
ISU (10-14, 5-6) has played well of late, winning its last two games, three of the last four and six of the last 10. Included in that stretch was a 69-63 win at Portland State. PSU was out-rebounded by a significant margin and flummoxed by Bengal guards Maleek Arrington and Miguel Tomley who combined for 31 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and five steals in the game.
     
Idaho State beat Sacramento State at home, 68-40, on Thursday. The Bengals are 6-3 at home overall. Portland State is 5-7 on the road this and will attempt to end a two-game losing streak.
     
Tip-off on Saturday is 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT and the game can be seen on ESPN+.
 

COMING UP

Portland State comes home next week to host Northern Colorado on Thursday, then Northern Arizona on Saturday. The Vikings then 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. IDAHO STATE

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series with Idaho State, 41-23, and the Big Sky Conference series, 37-19. That is the best PSU record against any Big Sky opponent... the Vikings are 13-12 in Big Sky games played in Pocatello, which is the best road record at any Big Sky opponent... Idaho State won the first meeting this season. Prior to that, PSU had won six straight against ISU, nine of 10 and 12 of 14... the Vikings are also 3-0 all-time in Big Sky Tournament games against the Bengals.
• EARLIER THIS SEASON: Jan. 11 at Viking Pavilion, ISU 69, PSU 63: Idaho State led by 14 points with six minutes to play before the Vikings rallied within two. But PSU couldn't come up with any magic in the final minute... Jorell Saterfield led the Vikings with 16 points in the game. Bobby Harvey added 13 points and five rebounds... Idaho State's guard play really hurt the Vikings. Bengal guards Maleek Arrington and Miguel Tomley did most of the damage for the opponents, combining for 31 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and five steals... Portland State actually out-shot the Bengals in the game, .434 to .386. But Idaho State was tough on the glass, out-rebounding PSU, 42-25. That included 17 offensive rebounds, 11 of which came in the second half.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Jase Coburn (Arizona State, 2006) is in his third season as Head Coach and is 40-46 overall. Coburn is 5-1 against Idaho State. He spent eight previous seasons on the Park Blocks as an Assistant and Associate Head Coach... the Bengals are coached by Ryan Looney (Eastern Oregon, 1998) in his fifth season. Looney is 49-91 overall, 2-8 against the Vikings.

SCOUTING IDAHO STATE

•  Idaho State is an original member of the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals have won four Big Sky regular season championships, four Big Sky Tournament Championships and made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Bengals are 10-14 this season, 5-6 in the Big Sky Conference. ISU averages 69.7 points per game and allows 68.9 points. The Bengals are one of the better rebounding teams in the league with a +2.1 rebounding margin, and they have matched the Vikings with a league-high 90 blocked shots.
•  ISU has a solid five-man starting lineup led by center Brayden Parker who averages 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots per game. Guard Miguel Tomley averages 12.5 points and has made a team-best 56 three-point field goals. Maleek Arrington averages 10.5 points and is third in the Big Sky with 4.9 assists per game.

WHO IS HOT

• 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. In his last four games, Zay has averaged 12.5 points and 6.3 rebounds. Despite making only nine starts this season, he is second on the team in scoring (9.9), rebounds (4.8), blocks (10), and leads in steals (25).
• 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 second in the Big Sky Conference in blocked shots at 1.6 per game and leads in Big Sky games at 2.3 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... PSU is tied for the team lead at 3.75 blocks per game.
• GOOD DECISIONS: Lately, when SR G Isiah Kirby has the ball in his hands, good things happen. Kirby has averaged 12.4 points over the last eight games on 38-79 from the field (.481). Kirby also has 24 assists in those eight games (3.0)... 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... Kirby shoots .468 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 668 bench points (27.8 per game) to rank 31st 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... 8-1 when leading at halftime... 8-1 when out-rebounding an opponent... 7-1 when out-shooting an opponent... 10-3 when scoring 70 or more points... 8-3 when starting a new lineup.
• LATE GAME HEROICS: Once again this season Portland State has had numerous close games and game-winning shots. Through 24 games, 13 have been decided by seven points or less. The Vikings are 10-3 in those games. PSU is 5-0 in games decided by three points or less.