Portland, OR – If it was artwork, Portland State's 90-61 victory over Evergreen State was certainly no Monet. But it was a win and that is what the game is all about.
 
The Vikings overcame a sluggish start on offense to pull out its 14th consecutive home win at Viking Pavilion. The victory was the second of the week at home and improved PSU's record to 3-2 on the season. 
 
Portland State was shooting over 52% from the field going as a team into the game, and better than 40% from three-point range. So, a date with a lower division opponent seemed like a solid bet for a big scoring performance. Things didn't turn out that way, at least initially, as the Vikings couldn't take advantage of the smaller Geoducks. Midway through the first half, PSU was 7-29 from the field (.241) and holding on to a tenuous two-point lead.
 
Portland State finally got going, making eight of 12 to close out the half with a 40-27 edge. The Vikings were only 15-41 from the field (.366) and 3-15 from distance (.200) at the break. But they held a 35-18 rebound advantage, with 15 on the offensive glass.
 
The second-half proved to be different as the Vikings made 18-30 shots (.600) from the field and pulled away for the 29-point win.
 
Jaylin Henderson had his third 20-point game of the season with a game-high 24 on 7-11 from the field and 9-9 at the line. He also matched a pair of career-highs with seven rebounds and seven assists. Sophomore guard Kelcy Phipps, making his first start, scored a career-high 17 points, hitting 5-8 three-point field goals. Terri Miller Jr. hauled down a career-high 14 rebounds to go with 17 points, while Keyon Kensie Jr. added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
 
PSU had a massive edge on the backboards at 58-31. But the Geoducks stayed close in the first half by taking care of the ball (they committed only 10 turnovers for the game) and hitting some timely three-point field goals (finishing with 11 overall). 
 
The Vikings ended up at a respectable .465 shooting from the field, while Evergreen State shot 22-67 overall (.328). 
 
The Geoducks were led by 11 points from Kenzel Massey and 10 points from Jacob Laff.
 

GAME NOTES

• Sophomore guard Kelcy Phipps, playing in his 33rd game as a Viking, made his first career start.
• Tre-Vaughn Minott had a season-high 13 rebounds in the game and is averaging a team-best 8.6 for the season.
• This was the 100th game for Portland State men's basketball at Viking Pavilion since the facility opened in 2018. The Vikings are 70-30 all-time in The Ship.
• The Vikings have won 14 straight games at Viking Pavilion over the past calendar year… PSU is 27-3 at home over the last three seasons… the Vikings are 12-0 against lower division schools under Head Coach Jase Coburn.
• Portland State is off until next week when it plays at Utah Tech in St. George, UT. That game is Tuesday night and it can be seen on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. PT.