IDAHO STATE BENGALS (8-9, 3-3) AT
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (12-7, 4-2)

Saturday, January 25, 2025, 2 p.m., Viking Pavilion (3,094), Portland, OR
Live Stream: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Matt Richert • Analyst: Devon Pouncey
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
 

OPENING TIP

The momentum is building for the Portland State Vikings as they are now one-third of the way through the Big Sky Conference season. Following a 74-56 victory over Weber State on Thursday night, the Vikings have won eight of their last 10 games. PSU wants to keep that ship cutting the waters on Saturday when it hosts Idaho State in another Big Sky game.
           
PSU (12-7, 4-2) sits in third place in the Big Sky, one-half game behind Montana (5-2) and one-and-a-half behind first-place Northern Colorado (6-1). In addition to the eight-of-10 stretch, the Vikings want to maintain some other mini-streaks when they face the Bengals. Now 7-1 at home, PSU has won the last five home games. They have also won six straight Big Sky home games dating to last season. And of course, they have a modest two-game winning streak overall. Remarkably, the Vikings have not trailed at home in the last 82 consecutive minutes of action.
           
With a string of four straight games on the road coming up, another win at home seems essential for the Vikings.
           
There is no doubt that Portland State's recent run of strong play has been fueled by its defense. In that 10-game run, PSU opponents have averaged only 59.5 points, shot .376 from the field and a mere .227 from three-point range. The Vikings have forced 15.8 turnovers per game while making 9.6 steals and 5.0 blocks and managed a +8.3 rebounding margin. Those are all impressive numbers, especially when paired with PSU's efficient offense (76.1 points, .489 FG%) during those games.
           
Thursday's win over Weber State was no different. PSU held the Wildcats 20 points below their season scoring average and to .352 field goal shooting while blocking eight shots. On offense, PSU was 31-63 (.492) from the field as all five starters scored in double figures. SR G Jaylin Henderson and SR F Isaiah Johnson each had 14 points, while SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott had what is becoming a very common performance for him; 13 points (6-9 FG), 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.
           
Idaho State (8-9, 3-3) is a similar team to the Vikings in that it has excelled on the defensive end. The Bengals have a remarkable +11.8 rebounding margin and have gone back and forth with PSU as league leaders in blocked shots (currently 5.2 per game to 5.3 for PSU).
           
Despite a narrow loss Thursday night at Sacramento State, 75-71, ISU had impressive wins over Montana and Montana State last week. At 3-3 in league play, they are only a game behind the Vikings and could tie them in the standings with a win.
           
Saturday's game tips off at 2 p.m. at Viking Pavilion. Tickets can be purchased at www.GoViks.com. The game will air on ESPN+ with live statistics at www.ViksLive.com.
 

COMING UP

Portland State goes on the road for four straight games over the next two weeks including Montana, Montana State, Idaho and Eastern Washington.
           
PSU then returns home for five of its final seven regular season games starting with Northern Arizona on Feb. 13.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. IDAHO STATE

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series with Idaho State, 41-24, and the Big Sky series, 37-20... the Vikings are 22-7 against the Bengals in Portland... ISU swept the season series last year by a combined nine points... prior to that PSU had won six straight, nine of 10, and 13 of 15.
• LAST 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. Feb. 10 in Pocatello, ISU 68, PSU 65: Idaho State outscored Portland State 11-2 in the final four minutes of the game to come from behind and defeat the Vikings... PSU had one of its best shooting games of the season, hitting 20-40 from the field, 7-14 from three-point range and 12-14 at the free throw line. But 17 turnovers were the Vikings' undoing, including four in the final four minutes as the Bengals mounted the comeback... Bobby Harvey scored a season-high 17 points, hitting 5-7 from three-point range, for the Vikings. KJ Allen scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Miguel Tomley led the Bengals with 18 points. Brayden Parker added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
• 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 55-58. He is 5-2 against Idaho State... the Bengals are coached by Ryan Looney (Eastern Oregon, 1998) in his sixth season. Looney is 51-106 overall, 3-8 against the Vikings.

 

SCOUTING THE BENGALS

• 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 8-9 on the season, 3-3 in Big Sky games. They are 2-7 in road games. ISU averages 74.9 points per game while allowing 67.8 points. They lead the Big Sky with a +11.5 rebounding margin and average 5.2 blocked shots per game.
• Sophomore guard Dylan Darling is the team leader in scoring (16.5) and assists (5.9). Senior guard Jake O'Neil averages 13.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Senior forward Isaiah Griffin scores 12.1 points per contest. Freshman center Evan Otten leads the Big Sky Conference with 2.6 blocked shots per game.

 

HOT SHOTS

• NO DOUBTING THIS DEFENSE: In the Vikings' 10-game run of eight wins, they have held opponents to 59.5 points per game, .376 field goal shooting, .227 three-point shooting and forced 15.8 turnovers per game. Only three of those opponents have shot above .400 from the field. The Vikings have averaged 9.6 steals and 5.0 blocked shots with a +8.3 rebounding margin in those games... the two losses were by a combined six points... PSU leads the Big Sky in fewest points allowed in league games (62.5), field goal percentage (.412) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.237).
• SHOOT YOUR SHOT: Portland State is shooting .484 as a team this season to rank second in the Big Sky behind Northern Colorado... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott leads the way at .723 (60-83) from the field (and 31-39, .795 in Big Sky games). He is currently on a school-record pace (Julius Thomas, .671, 2009-10)... SR F Isaiah Johnson has also been excellent at .571 (80-140, including .400 on three-pointers), SR F Hayden Curtiss is shooting .592 (45-76, including .423 on three-pointers) and JR F Isaac Brice is at .615 (16-26).
• FRONT RUNNERS: Portland State never trailed in the win over Weber State. They now have a stretch of 82 consecutive minutes without trailing at home. For the season, the Vikings have six home games in which they pulled off wire-to-wire wins, leading the entire way.
• TV RATINGS ARE HIGH: SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott continues to impress with his improved play this season and his Big Sky Conference numbers are his best yet. Minott is averaging 12.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in league games to lead the Vikings... He is shooting a remarkable 31-39 from the field (.795) to lead the Big Sky in league games. His 6-9 shooting performance against Weber State is impressive, but it marks the first time this season he has missed as many as three shots in a game... Minott has double-doubles in three of the six Big Sky games.
• Q RATING: SR G Qiant Myers had a Portland State career-high 19 points with seven assists at Northern Colorado (1/16). He followed that with 14 points and 11 assists in the win at Northern Arizona (1/18) for his fourth double-double of the season. In the last four games, Myers has averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists. He has made 11-16 field goals in the last two games (.688).
• BLOCK PARTY: Portland State had a season-high nine blocked shots in the win at Pacific (12/18) and has three games of eight blocks. PSU currently averages 5.3 send-backs per game to lead the Big Sky... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott has had a career-high four blocked shots three times this season (Wofford, Denver, Weber State) and ranks second in the Big Sky at 1.8 per game.
• LEADERS: Portland State currently leads the Big Sky Conference in scoring margin (+8.5), turnovers forced (15.3), turnover margin (+2.1), steals (8.7), blocks (5.3) and bench points (26.3) and ranks second in nine other categories... SR G Qiant Myers leads the Big Sky in assists (6.8) and ranks ninth in the nation... Tre-Vaughn Minott is shooting .795 from the field in league games to lead the Big Sky.

 

DUNK YOU VERY MUCH

Stuff, slam, smash, cap, flush... whatever you call it, the dunk is always the highlight of a college basketball game. This season, the Vikings are poised to obliterate the Portland State dunk record in the Big Sky Conference era (29 seasons, no such records were kept prior).
           
For the season, the Vikings have a school-record 92 throw-downs (4.8 per game) led by SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott (35) and SR G Jaylin Henderson (22). Last season, the Vikings had 58 total dunks in 32 games. Minott is on the verge of the individual record for dunks (40).
           
Here are the best seasons for slams in PSU history:
 
2024-25: 92 in 19 games (Tre-Vaughn Minott, 35)
2018-19: 84 - Sal Nuhu with a school-record 40
2019-20: 76
2015-16: 75
2021-22: 73
2004-05: 72