#6 PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (17-14, 8-10) vs.
#3 MONTANA GRIZZLIES (21-10, 12-6)

Big Sky Conference Tournament, Quarterfinal Round
Mar. 11, 2024, 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT, Idaho Central Arena, Boise, ID
Live Stream: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Tony Parks • Analyst: Joe Cravens
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com

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OPENING TIP

The madness begins next Monday night for Portland State as the Vikings take on Montana in a quarterfinal round game at the Big Sky Conference Tournament in Boise, ID.
     
Portland State finished out the regular season with a 72-57 victory over Idaho, earning the sixth seed in the Big Sky Tournament. That also earned them a date with number-three seed Montana (21-10, 12-6) on Monday night at 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT in a game that airs on ESPN+. The winner advances to the Big Sky semifinal on Tuesday night. The Big Sky Tournament Championship takes place on Wednesday, Mar. 13, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
     
PSU (17-14, 8-10) will make a run at its first Big Sky Tournament title since 2009 while coming off its most successful regular season in four years. The Vikings have the most wins (17) and most home wins (11) since 2019-20 (18 and 11).
     
Portland State is 6-8 all-time Big Sky Tournament quarterfinal round games, including 3-7 at neutral sites. The Vikings are 14-17 all-time in the Big Sky Tournament with titles in 2008 and 2009.
     
Portland State and Montana split the regular season series with each team winning on its home court. The Vikings beat the Griz, 72-46, in Portland on Jan. 25, then lost to the Griz in Missoula, 82-73 on Feb. 24. The quarterfinal round game marks only the second time the two teams have met in the Big Sky Tournament. PSU won the only previous meeting, 70-63, on Mar. 13, 2014 in a quarterfinal round game played in Ogden, UT.
     
Portland State enters the tournament having played extremely well at home (11-2) but struggling the past two months on the road (5-11). However, in neutral site games, the Vikings are 1-1, having beaten Cal Poly and lost to St. Thomas back in November at the Lancer Joust Tournament.      
 
SR F KJ Allen has paced the Vikings as the team's scoring (13.0) and rebounding (7.1) leader. He has scored over 20 points in three of the last five games and has seven double-doubles this season. Otherwise, the Vikings have a very balanced approach with 11 different players getting starts, 14 different starting lineups and 11 players averaging 10 minutes or more per game.
     
Montana has played extremely well throughout the season, having not lost back-to-back games since November. The Griz feature a talented offense that averages 77.3 points, shoots .483 from the field, .358 from three-point range and .800 at the free throw line, which ranks third-best in the nation. Star shooter Aanen Moody has led the team with 16.6 points per game, including a league-high 75 three-point field goals.
 

2024 Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Schedule

 
Saturday, March 9, 2024 (First Round) Games on ESPN+
Game 1: #9 Idaho (11-20, 5-13) vs. #10 Sacramento State (8-23, 4-14), 5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT
Game 2: #7 Northern Arizona (14-18, 7-11) vs. #8 Idaho State (12-19, 7-11), 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT
 
Sunday, March 10, 2024 (Quarterfinals) Games on ESPN+
Game 3: #1 Eastern Washington (21-10, 15-3) vs. Game 1 Winner, 5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT
Game 4: #2 Northern Colorado (19-12, 12-6) vs. Game 2 Winner, 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
 
Monday, March 11, 2024 (Quarterfinals) Games on ESPN+
Game 5: #4 Weber State (20-11, 11-7) vs. #5 Montana State (14-17, 9-9), 5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT
Game 6: #6 Portland State (17-14, 8-10) vs. #3 Montana (21-10, 12-6), 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT
 
Tuesday, March 12, 2024 (Semifinals)
Game 7: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 6:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. PT (ESPNU)
Game 8: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 9 p.m. MT/8 p.m. PT (ESPN2)
 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024 (Championship)
Game 9: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, 9:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. PT (ESPN2)
 

VIKINGS vs. THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE THIS SEASON

#1 Eastern Washington, 15-3   0-2   L, 91-57 at EWU; L 90-77 at PSU
#2 Northern Colorado, 12-6     1-1   L, 90-61 at UNC; W, 82-72 at PSU (ot)
#3 Montana, 12-6                        1-1   W, 72-46 at PSU; L, 83-72 at UM
#4 Weber State, 11-7                 1-1   W, 69-66 at PSU; L 84-72 at WSU
#5 Montana State, 9-9              1-1  W, 94-91 at PSU; L, 72-67 at MSU
#6 Portland State, 8-10
#7 Northern Arizona, 7-11        1-1   L, 84-65 at NAU; W, 83-68 at PSU
#8 Idaho State, 7-11                   0-2   L, 69-63 at PSU; L, 68-65 at ISU
#9 Idaho, 5-13                              2-0  W, 77-72 at UI; W, 72-57 at PSU
#10 Sacramento State, 4-14    1-1    W, 58-51 at PSU; L, 73-61 at SAC
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. MONTANA

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Montana leads the all-time series with Portland State, 44-28, and the Big Sky Conference series, 36-19... in the past six seasons, Montana holds a 6-5 edge over the Vikings... the Vikings are 1-0 against Montana in their only Big Sky Tournament meeting in history (70-63, on Mar. 13, 2014 in a quarterfinal round game played in Ogden, UT).
• EARLIER THIS SEASON: Jan. 25, 2024 at Viking Pavilion, PSU 72, UM 46: Portland State trounced Montana in the first matchup of the season between the teams. Four players scored in double figures, led by a career-high 19 points from Ismail Habib as the Vikings knocked off the hottest team in the Big Sky Conference. Montana came into the game having won 11 of 13 games and with the best overall record in the Big Sky... In the opening moments of the game, the Vikings brought the energy, and then they brought a full court press. That proved to be a huge addition as they held Montana to a mere 46 points and 31% shooting. The Grizzlies were averaging 79 points and shooting 49% going into the game... Just as important was a return of Portland State's shooting touch. The Vikings shot 53% in the first half, 49% for the game, and hit 12 three-point field goals (50%)... Montana managed the Vikings' defense early by making six threes in the first 11 minutes, leading 20-16. They would score only 26 more points in the final 29 minutes of the game. Montana scored only 15 points in the second half as PSU held them to a season-low for a Viking opponent... Habib was 7-12 from the field, 4-7 from three-point range and 1-2 at the line for his 19 points. He handed off six helpers without making a turnover. In fact, the Viking team had only four turnovers on the night... Bobby Harvey scored 13 points. for the Vikings... Brandon Whitney and Josh Vasquez each scored 11 points to lead Montana. Feb. 24, 2024 at Dahlberg Arena, UM 82, PSU 73: A pair of contested three-point field goals by Aanen Moody in the final 2:15 of the game gave Montana the impetus it needed to break a tie with Portland State and roll on to the win. The Griz led the entire night, but the Vikings fought back to tie the game at 68 and 70 with under three minutes to play. That's when Moody hit a pair of difficult threes over the next minute of play to open up the game for Montana... The Vikings got an excellent performance from KJ Allen, who scored 24 points and matched his career high with 13 rebounds. But Portland State had trouble converting shots around the basket. PSU was a solid 9-20 from three-point range (.450), but only 11-36 on two-pointers (.306)... PSU was down 67-58 with just under six minutes to play. Threes by Habib and Bobby Harvey, followed by dunks from Isaiah Johnson and Kendall Munson brought the Vikings into a 68-68 tie. With 2:43 to play, Allen hit a pair of free throws to tie the game again at 70-70. After that, it was Moody's game as his three-pointers took back control for Montana... PSU finished at 20-56 from the field (.357). The Vikings out-rebounded the Griz, 36-35. But 27 fouls by the Vikings allowed Montana to overcome a second-half shooting drought and make 28-35 at the line overall.
•  COACHES: Vikings Coach Jase Coburn (Arizona State, 2006) is in his third season as Head Coach and is 43-50 overall. Coburn is 1-4 against Montana. He spent eight previous seasons on the Park Blocks as an Assistant and Associate Head Coach... the Grizzlies are coached by Travis DeCuire (Montana, 1994) in his ninth season. DeCuire has a career record of 198-122 and is 14-6 against the Vikings.

 

SCOUTING MONTANA

• Montana is an original member of the Big Sky Conference. The Grizzlies have won 10 regular season Big Sky Championships, 11 Big Sky Tournament titles and made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances.
• This year the Grizzlies are 21-10 overall, which matches Eastern Washington for the best record in the Big Sky Conference. They were 12-6 and tied for second in conference play. Montana averages 77.3 points and allows 71.3 points per game. The Griz shoot .483 from the field, .354 from three-point range and lead the Big Sky in free throw shooting (.800) and fewest turnovers (9.8).
• Senior guard Aanen Moody is the team's leading scorer at 16.6 points per game. He has made 75 three-point field goals and shoots .915 at the line. Senior forward Dischon Thomas averages 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Senior guard Brandon Whitney averages 10.3 points and leads the team in assists at 4.4 per game. Senior forward Laolu Oke averages a team-high 7.3 rebounds.

 

HOT SHOTS

• DOUBLING UP WITH KJ: SR F KJ Allen matched his career-high with 27 points (10-18 FG, 1-3 3-pt, 6-6 FT) and grabbed 10 rebounds in the season finale win over Idaho. That marked his seventh double-double of the season, which ties for sixth-most in a season in the Big Sky Conference era. The most in a season is 13, by Chehales Tapscott (2012-13)... Allen leads the Vikings in scoring (13.0) and rebounding (7.1). In Big Sky games, he averages 14.7 points and 7.7 rebounds.
• BOBBY 3-BALL: SR G Bobby Harvey leads the Big Sky in three-point field goals made per game (2.5)... with 74 three-pointers made, he ranks eighth all-time for a season at Portland State. The record is 89, by Jeremiah Dominguez (2008-09)... his 131 career three-pointers ranks 11th all-time.
• ON THE BLOCK: JR C Hayden Curtiss has 43 blocked shots this season to rank ninth for a season in PSU history. He is third in the Big Sky Conference... Curtiss' 63 career blocks at PSU ranks in seventh place all-time.
• WINNERS: Portland State's 17 wins marks the most wins of Jase Coburn's three seasons as a head coach. It also marks the most wins since PSU was 18-14 in 2019-20. The 11 home wins is also the most since 2019-20 (11-3)... PSU's .846 home winning percentage is it best in 15 seasons (12-1 in 2008-09)... In 28 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference, 17 wins is currently tied for seventh-most in the Big Sky era. The most wins is 23 (twice, 2007-08 and 2008-09 NCAA Tournament teams).
• THE BENCH BUNCH: The Vikings have been producing all season when they make substitutions. PSU has scored 818 bench points (26.4 per game) to rank 39th 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.
• NOT HOT... BUT INTERESTING: For the first time in NINE seasons, Portland State did NOT lead the Big Sky Conference in steals. The Vikings average 7.2 steals to rank second behind Montana State. Last season, PSU led the Big Sky with 7.1 spg. Here are the eight previous seasons when PSU DID lead the Big Sky: 2015-16: 8.5; 2016-17: 9.9, individual: Calaen Robinson, 2.35; 2017-18: 9.8; 2018-19: 8.3; 2019-20: 8.7, individual: Holland Woods, 2.06; 2020-21: 8.2; 2021-22: 9.3; 2022-23: 7.1.
• STRONG INDICATORS: Portland State is 11-2 when playing at home... 11-3 when leading at halftime... 10-4 when out-rebounding an opponent... 9-2 when out-shooting an opponent or shooting is even... 13-4 when scoring 70 or more points... 10-4 when starting a new lineup.
• LATE GAME HEROICS: Once again this season Portland State has had numerous close games and game-winning shots. Through 31 games, 15 have been decided by seven points or less. The Vikings are 10-5 in those games. PSU is 5-2 in games decided by three points or less and has won twice in overtime.

 

SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL

• Saterfield Gets Preseason Honors: SR G Jorell Saterfield was picked to the six-man Preseason All-Big Sky Conference team. Saterfield averaged 13.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and made 65 three-point field goals last season.
• Nov. 6, PSU 62, Air Force 55: The Vikings opened the season with a seven-point win on the road, beating Air Force for the second straight season. The Vikings out-rebounded the Falcons, 41-34, including 14 on the offensive glass for 16 second-chance points. SR G Jorell Saterfield had 10 points and seven rebounds. JR F Isaiah Johnson grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds.
• Nov. 9, PSU 82, UC Santa Barbara 76: Portland State knocked off defending Big West Conference Champion and preseason favorite UC Santa Barbara. After a close first half, the Vikings led for virtually the entire second half. Five players scored in double figures as PSU got 48 points in the paint and 22 on the fast break. The Vikings made 12 steals, forcing 18 turnovers.
• Nov. 12, PSU 70, Linfield 53: SR F KJ Allen sparked a sluggish Vikings team in the first half with back-to-back three-point plays and went on to lead the team to its third straight win. Allen had 18 points (6-8 FG, 6-7 FT), seven rebounds and five steals in the game. PSU made 12 steals and blocked seven shots in holding Linfield to 53 points.
• Woods Gets 1,000: SR F Hunter Woods reached 1,000 points in his collegiate career in the win over Linfield (11/12). Woods scored nine points in the game on three three-point field goals giving him 327 points in 34 games at Portland State and 676 points in 84 games at Elon.
• Nov. 17, PSU 66, California Baptist 63: SO G Ismail Habib buried a half-court shot at the buzzer to give the Vikings their fourth straight win to open the season. It was part of a 14-point comeback in the final nine minutes of the game. PSU took a 63-61 lead with 30 seconds left on a JR F Isaiah Johnson spin move inside. The Lancers tied it with 2.4 seconds left on a short jumper. Johnson inbounded to Habib who raced up court and let the shot go just before the buzzer. Johnson led the Vikings with 16 points (7-10 FG, 2-4 FT) as he, Habib and SR F KJ Allen sparked a 22-5 rally down the stretch.
• Nov. 18, PSU 73, Cal Poly 57: Portland State won its fifth game in a row for the best start in the Big Sky era and matching the best start ever for the program (5-0). The Vikings jumped to a double-digit lead early, pushed it as high as 25 in the second half and cruised to the win. SR F KJ Allen had the first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. PSU out-rebounded the Mustangs, 43-31, and held them to .373 shooting.
• Allen Named Lancer Joust All-Tournament: SR F KJ Allen was named to the Lancer Joust All-Tournament team on Sunday. He averaged 12.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting .458/.556/.667 as the Vikings won two of three games.
• Nov. 28, PSU 75, Portland 74: SO G Ismail Habib made a driving lay-in with 0.8 seconds on the clock to complete a 12-point comeback by the Vikings. Habib also hit a pair of three-pointers in the final two minutes as the Vikings improved to 6-1 - matching their best seven-game start in school history. Habib had 18 points (6-11 FG, 5-9 3-pt) and four assists, while JR F Isaiah Johnson added a career-high 18 points (7-12 FG, 4-5 FT) and 10 rebounds.
• Dec. 6, PSU 106, Lewis & Clark 60: The Vikings shot a season-high .581 from the field and posted a season scoring high in an easy win over the Division III Pioneers. The Vikings out-rebound LC 49-34 and commit only seven turnovers. JR C Hayden Curtiss set a new career-highs with 19 points (8-10 FG, 1-1 3-pt, 2-2 FG) and seven rebounds while blocking five shots. SR G Keshaun Saunders added 15 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3-pt, 1-1 FT) and three steals in 18 minutes off the bench.
• Dec. 9, PSU 83, George Fox 77: SR G Jorell Saterfield had a near triple-double with 25 points (8-15 FG, 4-9 3 pt, 5-6 FT) and career-highs of 10 rebounds and eight assists to lead PSU to the win. JR C Hayden Curtiss (14 pts, 10 reb) and SR F Hunter Woods (12 pts, 11 reb) also had double-doubles.The Vikings were up 20 in the second half, but had to hang on for the victory. PSU out-rebounded the Bruins, 49-31.
• Dec. 18, PSU 75, Fresno State 72 (ot): SR F KJ Allen continued the buzzer-beating madness for Portland State, but hitting a three-point field goal on the final play of overtime to decide it. Allen scored eight points in a 10-point rally by the Vikings to close out the game. He had 15 points (4-10 FG, 3-3 3-pt, 4-4 FT) and eight rebounds. It marked the third buzzer-beater of the season for the Vikings as they improved to 9-3, matching a best-ever record in program history.
• Dec. 30, PSU 77, Idaho 72: The Vikings trailed by 11 in the first half and eight at halftime, but came back to win on the road again. SR F KJ Allen had a big game with 16 points (4-7 FG, 8-9 FT) and 11 rebounds to lead the way.  The Vikings out-rebounded Idaho, 41-35, forced 14 turnovers and were 22-29 at the free throw line. It was PSU's fourth straight win over Idaho, seventh in the last eight games, and ninth in the last 11.Jan. 11, PSU 69, Weber State 66: A mid-game 25-3 run by the Vikings pushed their lead over the Wildcats to 24 points in the second half. A five-minute scoring drought late in the game allowed the Weber State to catch up but PSU held on. SR G Isiah Kirby had a season-high 14 points (7-8), while SR F KJ Allen had his fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
• Jan. 25, PSU 72, Montana 46: The Vikings did everything right in their biggest win over Montana in 15 seasons. A full-court press held the Griz 33 points under their season average and held them to 31% shooting. On the other end, PSU shot 49%, matched their season-high with 12 three-point field goals and had a season-low four turnovers. SO G Ismail Habib tallied a career-high 19 points (7-12 FG, 4-7 3-pt, 1-2 FT) with six assists.
• Jan. 27, PSU 94, Montana State 91: In one of the great comebacks in program history, PSU rallied from 15 points down with 4:25 to play. The Vikings were down 12 with 2:01 left and eight with 1:06 to play. PSU went on a 24-6 run to close out the game, including 11-0 in the final minute. SR F KJ Allen had a career-high 26 points (7-12 FG, 4-4 3-pt, 8-10 FT) with seven rebounds. SR G Isiah Kirby went for a career-high 20 points (6-11 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 5-6 FT) and SR G Bobby Harvey scored a season-high 17 points (6-10 FG, 4-7 3-pt, 1-2 FT). The Vikings made a season-high 14-25 three-point field goals (.560).
• Feb. 3, PSU 58, Sacramento State 51: Four blocked shots in a span of 77 seconds by JR C Hayden Curtiss sparked a 20-4 second-half run for Portland State as it won its third game in a row. Curtiss had a career-high six blocks - one off the school record - in the game. SR F KJ Allen and SR G Jorell Saterfield came off the bench to score 15 points each as PSU improved to 8-1 at home.
• Feb. 15, PSU 82, Northern Colorado 72 (ot): Portland State gave up a 21-point second half lead, but made key plays in the final minute and ran away with the game in overtime. SR G Bobby Harvey had career-highs of 26 points, eight rebounds and six three-point field goals. The Vikings ended a three-game losing streak and improved to 9-2 at home.
• Feb. 17, PSU 83, Northern Arizona 68: SR F KJ Allen led the Vikings to their second straight home win and 10th home victory of the season with a career-high 27 points (8-12 FG, 11-13 FT) and nine rebounds. PSU led the game wire-to-wire while shooting .500 from the field, out-rebounding the Lumberjacks, 36-29, and making 12 steals.
• Mar. 4, PSU 72, Idaho 57: SR F KJ Allen matched his career-high with 27 points (10-18 FG, 1-3 3-pt, 6-6 FT) and grabbed 10 rebounds in leading the Vikings to their 17th win of the season. PSU also went to 11-2 at home. The Vikings forced 18 turnovers for 19 points and out-rebounded the Vandals, 39-25.