MONTANA STATE BOBCATS (12-16, 7-8)
AT PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (16-12, 8-7)

Thursday, February 27, 2025, 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
 

OPENING TIP

There's no place like home. And that is where the Portland State Vikings will toil for the final three games of the Big Sky Conference regular season.
           
PSU, which has lost five of its last six road games - including two last week - should find comfort in the friendly confines of Viking Pavilion where they have won their last eight games in a row.
           
Portland State (16-12, 8-7) will have a vitally important home game this Thursday as it hosts Montana State (12-16, 7-8). PSU is tied for third place in the Big Sky Conference - a position it has held for several weeks - but is in danger of losing its footing. After two losses last week, the Vikings are tied with Idaho State (8-7) and lead the Bobcats and Idaho (both 7-8) by a single game. Third-place is PSU's best possible position in the final standings (Montana and Northern Arizona each have 13 wins) and with it comes a first-round bye in the Big Sky Tournament, Mar. 8-12, and a match-up with the league's number-six seed.
           
It is conceivable that four teams could be tied for third after Thursday's play (if MSU beats the PSU and Idaho beats Idaho State) but the Vikings don't plan on letting that happen. Despite the recent road losses, PSU has been excellent at home and boasts a perfect 6-0 Big Sky home record. The best possible outcome on Thursday would be a Portland State win and Idaho defeating Idaho State in Moscow. That would put the Vikings back in third place alone going into Saturday's play.
           
The Vikings also want to avenge a narrow 74-73 loss at Montana State on Feb. 1. In fact, despite a 2-7 Big Sky road record, PSU played every road opponent but one close in the losses. The point margins were 3, 3, 14, 1, 5, 8, and 2. Last Saturday, the Vikings led at Weber State for 36 minutes but were defeated, 60-58, on a buzzer beating jump shot by the Wildcats' Blaise Threatt.
           
Playing short-handed due to injuries in both games, the Vikings relied on the play of SR F Terri Miller Jr. who averaged 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in the two games. Miller scored a career-high 28 points at Idaho State and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds at Weber State.
           
Montana State had a single game last week, losing to first-place Montana at home, 89-85.  The Bobcats last played a road game on Feb. 8. They have gone 2-13 ont the road, 1-6 in Big Sky road games. Despite the sub-.500 record, MSU is still the three-time defending Big Sky Conference Tournament Champion.
           
Portland State will play Montana on Saturday, then Sacramento State on Monday. Those games will also be at home, where the Vikings are 10-1 this season. It will be an opportunity to create momentum going into the Big Sky Tournament.
           
Thursday's game with Montana State tips off at 7 p.m. at Viking Pavilion. Tickets are on sale at www.GoViks.com. The game will be aired on ESPN+ with live statistics at www.ViksLive.com.
 

THE BIG SKY: WHERE THEY STAND AND WHO THEY PLAY

#1 Montana                    13-2     2/27 at SAC; 3/1 at PSU; 3/3 EWU    
#2 Northern Colorado   13-3     3/1 at NAU; 3/3 at WSU
#t3 Portland State       8-7       2/27 MSU; 3/1 UM; 3/3 SAC
#t3 Idaho State            8-7       2/27 at UI; 3/1 at EWU; 3/3 NAU
#t5 Montana State      7-8       2/27 at PSU; 3/1 at SAC; 3/3 UI
#t5 Idaho                        7-8       2/27 ISU; 3/1 WSU; 3/3 at MSU
#7 Northern Arizona     7-9       3/1 UNC; 3/3 at ISU
#8 Eastern Washington   6-9       2/27 WSU; 3/1 ISU; 3/3 UM
#9 Weber State               4-11     2/27 at EWU; 3/1 at UI; 3/3 UNC
#10 Sacramento State  3-12     2/27 UM; 3/1 MSU; 3/3 at PSU
 

2025 Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Championship Schedule

 
First Round, Saturday, March 8
Game 1: #9 Seed vs. #10 Seed – 5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
Game 2: #7 Seed vs. #8 Seed – 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
 
Second Round, Sunday, March 9
Game 3: #1 Seed vs. Game 1 Winner – 5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
Game 4: #2 Seed vs. Game 2 Winner – 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
 
Third Round, Monday, March 10
Game 5: #4 Seed vs. #5 Seed – 5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
Game 6: #3 Seed vs. #6 Seed – 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
 
Semifinals, Tuesday, March 11
Game 7: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner – 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT (ESPNU)
Game 8: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner – 9:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. PT (ESPN2)
 
Championship, Wednesday, March 12
Game 9: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner – 9:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. PT (ESPN2)
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. MONTANA STATE

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Montana State leads the all-time series, 42-28, and the Big Sky series, 35-25.... Portland State leads 18-11 in Big Sky games played in Portland.... Montana State has won seven of the last eight meetings, including a Feb. 1 game in Bozeman... Portland State has beaten the Bobcats in all four meetings in the Big Sky Tournament.
• EARLIER THIS SEASON: Feb. 1, 2025 in Bozeman, MSU 74, PSU 73: A frenetic late rally came up just short for Portland State as the Vikings by a single point. PSU trailed 70-58 with 3:09 to play in the game, but created chaos on the defensive end, forcing Montana State into seven turnovers down the stretch. Jaylin Henderson scored seven of the Vikings final 15 points and his three-pointer with 0.9 seconds left pulled PSU within 74-73. The Vikings needed a miraculous play to pull off the comeback and almost got it. The Bobcats struggled to inbound the ball and had to call a timeout. Finally, they were able to get the ball in and end the game... Remarkably, the Vikings scored nine points in the final 32 seconds. However, among the flurry of Bobcat turnovers in the last three minutes, they managed to make 4-4 free throws. Tyler Patterson made two with 18 seconds left. That proved to be just enough to hold off the Vikings... Terri Miller Jr. had his second straight 25-point game and kept the Vikings alive in the second half. Miller made 10-16 shots from the field, 4-4 at the line, had six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. Henderson added 17 points and three steals for the Vikings. Qiant Myers scored 14 points with four assists... Patrick McMahon scored 21 points with nine rebounds off the bench to lead the Bobcats.
• 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 59-63. He is 1-6 against Montana State... the Bobcats are coached by Matt Logie (Lehigh, 2003) in his second season. Logie is 29-34, including 2-1 against the Vikings.

 

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS

• Montana State is an original member of the Big Sky Conference. The Bobcats have won five regular season Big Sky Championships, five Big Sky Tournament titles and made seven NCAA Tournament appearances.
• The Bobcats were 17-18 last season, 9-9 and fifth place in the Big Sky Conference. They won the Big Sky Tournament for the third season in a row, advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
• This season, Montana State is 12-16 overall, 7-8 and tied for fifth place in the Big Sky. The Bobcats average 72.0 points and allow 70.6 points per game. MSU shoots .449 from the field, .341 from three-point range and .732 at the line. The Bobcats make 8.3 three-pointers per game, but have a -3.4 rebound margin.
• Junior forward Brandon Walker leads the team in scoring at 14.7 points per game and rebounding at 4.8 per game while shooting .527 from the field. Senior forward Max Agbonkpolo averages 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds.

 

HOT SHOTS

• FRONT RUNNERS: With a 10-1 home record, Portland State has trailed in only three of 11 home games this season, winning wire-to-wire in eight games. In a total of 440 minutes played in Viking Pavilion, the Vikings have trailed for only 30 minutes and nine seconds. And the Vikings lone home loss came by a single point.
• BIG SKY LEADER: SR F Terri Miller Jr. has turned up his play in Big Sky Conference contests. He averaged 8.7 points prior to Big Sky play, but is up to 14.8 points in conference games for a season average of 11.9. At Idaho State, Miller turned in another career-high performance with 28 points (11-17 FG, 1-2 3-pt, 5-6 FT), adding four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot... he posted 14 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds at Weber State.
• ALSO ACCELERATING: SR G Qiant Myers has turned up the offense as well. Myers averages 12.8 points in Big Sky Conference games after averaging 7.9 points in non-conference games.
• BLOCK PARTY: Portland State had a season-high nine blocked shots in a win at Pacific (12/18) and has four games of eight blocks this season. PSU currently averages 5.2 send-backs per game to lead the Big Sky... PSU has 143 total blocks in 28 games (5.10). The school record is 153 in 32 games in 2006-07. The school record for blocks per game is 4.78, the same year... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott has had a career-high four blocked shots five times this season (Wofford, Denver, Weber State, Eastern Washington, Northern Colorado) and ranks second in the Big Sky and 33rd in the nation at 1.81 per game.
• EVERYBODY PLAYS, NEARLY EVERYBODY STARTS: On Head Coach Jase Coburn's teams everybody plays... and nearly everybody starts at some point as Coburn routinely adjusts lineups based on a myriad of factors. In his 122 games as head coach, Coburn has started 41 different lineups... of the 50 active players on Coburn's four teams, 40 have started. 
• TRENDY: Portland State is 13-3 when leading at halftime... the Vikings are 12-4 when out-rebounding an opponent and 14-3 when out-shooting an opponent... PSU is 5-6 in games decided by six points or less.
• LEADERS: Portland State currently leads the Big Sky Conference in turnovers forced (14.8), turnover margin (+1.8), steals (8.6), blocked shots (5.1), field goal percentage defense (.429) and fast break points (12.2)... SR G Qiant Myers leads the Big Sky in assists (6.1) and ranks 17th in the nation... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott ranks 34th in the nation in blocked shots (1.81).

 

NOT SO HOT

• CLOSE, BUT...: Of Portland State's seven Big Sky road losses, four have been one-possession games. The point margins were 3, 3, 14, 1, 5, 8, and 2 for an average of 5.2 points. Last Saturday, the Vikings led at Weber State for 36 minutes but were defeated, 60-58, on a buzzer beating jump shot by the Wildcats' Blaise Threatt.
• SHORT BENCH: Portland State has been without SR F Hayden Curtiss in 11 of the last 12 games due to an ankle sprain. SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott missed last Saturday's game with a knee injury, leaving the Vikings with only eight available players.
• YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS: While Portland State's field goal shooting has been strong, the free throw shooting has floundered. For the season, PSU shoots .632 at the line, which is last in the Big Sky Conference, and has had only four games better than .688.

 

SHOOT YOUR SHOT

• HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS, PART 1: SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott is on pace to set a school record for field goal percentage in season. He is currently at .672 (.692 in Big Sky play)... along the way, he also tied the school record for consecutive field goals made (12), set twice previously... the current school record is .671, set by former NFL star (yes, NFL star) Julius Thomas in 2009-10. JT also holds the second and third spots in the field goal percentage list (.643, 2008-09 and .639, 2006-07), and of course the career shooting record (.663, 2006-10).
• HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS, PART 2: SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott (yes, him again) has set a new record for dunks in a season (42). No wonder he has such a great shooting percentage. However, even if you take the dunks out, he is shooting .506 from the field... Minott's five dunks in a single game, Jan. 11 vs. Idaho is also a school record... the previous record for a season was 40, by Sal Nuhu in 2018-19.
• HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS, PART 3: The Vikings have 116 dunks this season, smashing the school record of 84, set in 2018-19 in 32 games.
• HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS, PART 4: Portland State is shooting .481 as a team this season to rank third in the Big Sky... leading the way are SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott (.672), SR F Isaiah Johnson (.545), SR F Hayden Curtiss (.584), JR F Isaac Brice (.600) and SR F Terri Miller Jr. (.504).