#6 IDAHO VANDALS (13-18, 8-10) vs.
#3 PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (19-12, 11-7)

Big Sky Conference Tournament Quarterfinal, Idaho Central Arena, Boise, ID
Monday, March 10, 2025, 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT
Television/Live Stream: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Tony Parks • Analyst: Joe Cravens
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
 

OPENING TIP

On the strength of one of its best seasons in the past decade, the Portland State Men's Basketball team will head into the Big Sky Conference Tournament on Monday in its quest for a title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
           
The Vikings finished the regular season at 19-12 overall, 11-7 and third place in the Big Sky. PSU has the most wins since 2017-18 (20-14) and the best finish since placing third in 2011-12.
           
What lies ahead is an exciting week of Big Sky Tournament basketball. Or at least that is what the Vikings are planning for.
           
Portland State opens the tournament facing number-six seed Idaho (13-18, 8-10). PSU swept the Vandals this season, winning 75-63 in Portland and 76-69 at Idaho. The two teams have never played one another in a Big Sky Tournament game before.
           
The Vikings have made their mark this season with defense, leading the Big Sky in fewest points allowed (65.8), field goal percentage defense (.419), three-point percentage defense (.274), steals (7.4) and blocked shots (4.4) in league games. PSU will need to validate those numbers against a strong offensive team in Idaho. The Vandals average 74.0 points, shoot .353 from three-point range, make 9.5 threes per game, and shoot .752 from the free throw line. Idaho leads the league in three-pointers made.
           
Portland State has been good on offense as well, averaging 75.7 points and shooting .476 from the field. Much of that success is generated from a defense that creates opportunities. Vikings opponents shot .425 for the entire season while PSU set a school record with 156 blocked shots and led the Big Sky with 8.3 steals in all games. The Viking also boast a +3.8 rebounding margin.
           
Up and down the roster almost every Viking has stepped up with big games throughout the season. Four players average in double figures led by SR G Jaylin Henderson (13.1 ppg, 54 3-pt FG). SR F Terri Miller Jr. has come on strong in league play, averaging 14.4 points and 5.7 rebounds (11.9/5.3 for the season). SR F Isaiah Johnson has been a steady force with 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, a .545 field goal percentage and rock solid defense all season.
           
SR G Qiant Myers has come on to lead the Big Sky in assists this season with 6.1 per game while averaging 10.6 points and blocking 20 shots. SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott is the Vikings most improved player with 7.7 points, a team-leading 7.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game to rank second in the Big Sky.     
           
Portland State and Idaho will square off on Monday night at Boise's Idaho Central Arena for a Big Sky Tournament quarterfinal game. It is the first time the two have ever met at the Big Sky Tournament. PSU is 6-9 all-time Big Sky Tournament quarterfinal round games, including 3-8 at neutral sites. The Vikings are 14-18 all-time in the Big Sky Tournament with titles in 2008 and 2009.
           
Tip-off is 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT. The game can be seen on ESPN+. The winner will advance to a Big Sky semifinal on Tuesday against one of three possible opponents: Montana, Eastern Washington or Northern Arizona.
 

2025 Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Championship Schedule

 
First Round, Saturday, March 8 (ESPN+)
Game 1: #9 Weber State (11-21, 5-13) vs. #10 Sacramento State (7-24, 3-15) – 5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT
Game 2: #7 Northern Arizona (17-14, 8-10) vs. #8 Eastern Washington (10-21, 6-12) – 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT
 
Quarterfinals, Sunday, March 9 (ESPN+)
Game 3: #1 Northern Colorado (23-8, 15-3) vs. Game 1 Winner – 5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT
Game 4: #2 Montana (22-9, 15-3) vs. Game 2 Winner – 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT
 
Quarterfinals, Monday, March 10 (ESPN+)
Game 5: #4 Idaho State (15-14, 10-8) vs. #5 Montana State (14-17, 9-9) – 5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT
Game 6: #3 Portland State (19-12, 11-7) vs. #6 Idaho (13-18, 8-10) – 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT
 
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. IDAHO

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State has won seven straight in the series and 10 of the last 11 games over Idaho. The Vikings lead the all-time series, 24-17, and the Big Sky series, 14-7... the teams have never faced one another in the Big Sky Tournament.
• EARLIER THIS SEASON: Jan. 11, 2025 at Viking Pavilion, PSU 74, UI 63: The Vikings took advantage as big men Tre-Vaughn Minott and Terri Miller Jr. made the difference. The tandem combined for 33 points and 16 rebounds and controlled play inside. Miller had 17 points, on 8-13 field goals, and eight rebounds. Minott was a perfect 7-7 from the field and 2-2 at the line for 16 points, eight rebounds and a blocked shot. Their performance fueled a 45-25 rebounding edge and .517 to .382 shooting advantage.... Jaylin Henderson scored 14 points with six rebounds and four assists. Qiant Myers added 11 points, four rebounds and seven assists... Jack Payne led the Vandals with 15 points and seven rebounds. Kolton Mitchell scored 14 points with seven assists... the Vikings held Idaho to 7-34 from three-point range (.206). Feb. 6, 2025 at Idaho: PSU 76, UI 69: Ahead by 25 points with 7:57 left in the game, the Vikings appeared home free. But Idaho, the top three-point shooting team in the Big Sky Conference, started hitting shots. Coupled with the Vikings struggles at the free throw line down the stretch, it made for a much closer score at the end... PSU got a big performance from senior forward Isaiah Johnson, who turned in a career-high 22 points on 10-13 shots from the field. He added seven rebounds and three steals as the Vikings turned the Vandals over 21 times... Terri Miller Jr. scored 14 points with six rebounds, and Cole Farrell came off the bench for 13 big points. .. The Vikings shot a sturdy 27-54 from the field, but were only 19-32 at the line (.594). Idaho shot poorly early on, but rallied late in the second half. The Vandals hit nine three-pointers after intermission, with several coming late, and a total of 12 in the game... Idaho finished at 22-56 shooting (.396), hitting 12-32 from three-point range (.375). Titus Yearout led the way with 14 points.
• 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 62-63. He is 7-1 against Idaho... the Vandals are coached by Alex Pribble (California, 2007) in his second season. He has a 24-39 record overall and is 0-4 against the Vikings.

 

SCOUTING THE VANDALS

• The University of Idaho is located in Moscow, ID. The Vandals were 11-21 last season, 5-13 and ninth in the Big Sky Conference. Idaho has been a member of the Big Sky from 1963-96 and 2014 to present. Idaho has won four Big Sky regular season championships, four Big Sky Tournament championships, and made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
• Idaho is 13-18 this season, 8-10 and tied for sixth place in the Big Sky Conference. The Vandals average 74.0 points and allow 75.6 points per game. They shoot .442 from the field, .353 from three-point range and .752 at the free throw line. Idaho leads the Big Sky in three-point field goals made with 9.3 per game.
• Kolton Mitchell lead a very balanced scoring attack at 11.3 points and leads the team in assists (3.4).Kristian Gonzales averages 11.1 points per game... Tyler Mrus averages 10.1 points and ranks second in the Big Sky in three-point field goal made with 71.

 

HOT SHOTS

• FRONT RUNNERS: With a 13-1 home record, Portland State trailed in only five of 14 home games this season, winning wire-to-wire in nine games. In a total of 560 minutes played in Viking Pavilion, the Vikings trailed for only 67 minutes and 59 seconds. And the Vikings' lone home loss came by a single point.
• DEFENDING THE BIG SKY: Portland State leads the Big Sky in scoring defense (69.3), field goal percentage defense (.425), blocked shots (5.0), steals (8.3), turnovers forced (14.5) and turnover margin (+1.7)... in Big Sky games, those numbers are even better with PSU allowing only 65.8 points, .419 shooting, .274 three-point shooting, with 4.4 blocks and 7.4 steals to lead in each category.
• DEFENDING THE SHIP: Portland State held home opponents to 60.4 points per game, .370 field goal shooting and .260 three-point shooting. The Vikings forced an average of 14.7 turnovers, making 6.1 blocked shots and 9.0 steals per game. PSU had a +19.0 scoring margin at home.
• ZAY'S DAY... AND WEEKEND: Portland State jumped on the back of its most experienced player, SR F Isaiah Johnson, to pull out the season finale win over Sacramento State. When nothing was going right for the Vikings in the first half Johnson took over, scoring 17 of his game-high 21 points to get the Vikings back into the game. He also finished with nine rebounds and three steals... in the final three-game home stand - all wins - Johnson led the Vikings with 16.7 points, had 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and shot .543 from the field.
• BLOCK PARTY: Portland State has established a new school record with 156 blocked shots for the season in 31 games. The previous mark was 153 in 32 games in 2006-07... PSU averages 5.03 blocks per game this season to lead the Big Sky... 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... 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 1.80 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 125 games as head coach, Coburn has started 42 different lineups... of the 50 active players on Coburn's four teams, 40 have started - including 9 of 11 this season. 
• TRENDY: Portland State is 14-3 when leading at halftime... the Vikings are 15-4 when out-rebounding an opponent and 16-3 when out-shooting an opponent... PSU is 7-6 in games decided by six points or less.
• THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Portland State went 13-1 at home this season its best record ever at home in the Big Sky era (also 13-1 in 1998-99 and 2007-08)... the Vikings won the last 11 in a row, and the only loss came by a single point... PSU's Big Sky Conference home record was perfect (9-0), something accomplished only three times previously (1997-98, 8-0; 2004-05, 7-0; and 2007-08, 8-0), but never done with a 10-team conference.

 

NOT SO HOT

• CLOSE, BUT...: Of Portland State's seven Big Sky road losses, four were one-possession games. The point margins were 3, 3, 14, 1, 5, 8, and 2 for an average of 5.2 points. The double-figure loss to Montana is the only such loss by the Vikings in three months (Dec. 4).
• 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 only passed .700 in four games this season.

 

SHOOT YOUR SHOT

• HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS, PART 1: SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott is near a school record for field goal percentage in season. He is currently at .664... 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 (44). No wonder he has such a great shooting percentage. However, even if you take the dunks out, he is shooting .510 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 120 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 .476 as a team this season... leading the way are SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott (.664), SR F Isaiah Johnson (.545), SR F Hayden Curtiss (.538), JR F Isaac Brice (.600) and SR F Terri Miller Jr. (.509).

 

SCHOOL RECORDS THIS SEASON

Dunks in a season, team: 120
Dunks in a season, individual: Tre-Vaughn Minott, 44
Dunks in a game, individual: Tre-Vaughn Minott, 5 vs. Idaho, 1-11-25
Consecutive Field Goals Made: Tre-Vaughn Minott, 12 (tied), 1-9 to 1-16-25
Blocked Shots in a season, team: 156
 

SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL

• Nov. 7: PSU 131, Evergreen State 84: The Vikings rolled to the third-most points in school history over lower division Evergreen State. PSU shot .684 from the field and .517 (15-29) from three-point range. JR G Ismail Habib scored a career-high 29 points (10-16 FG, 9-11 3-pt) and SR G Qiant Myers handed out 14 assists to go with 10 points. Eight Vikings scored in double figures.
• Nov. 12: PSU 85, San Diego 76: Portland State raced to a 51-33 halftime lead behind another brilliant shooting performance (.600), but needed to hold on as San Diego cut a 21-point lead to four with 1:55 to play. The Vikings made 9-10 free throws down the stretch and finished at .517 from the field overall in the win. SR G Jaylin Henderson scored a game-high 23 points (8-17 FG, 2-5 3-pt, 5-9 FT), including 10 straight for the Vikings late in the second half. SR F Terri Miller Jr. added 15 points, six rebounds and four steals.
• Nov. 24: PSU 79, Wofford 74: The Vikings came back from a 12-point second-half deficit to secure the win. SR G Jaylin Henderson and JR G Ismail Habib made four straight three-pointers in the final 3:13 of the game. SR F Isaiah Johnson scored a career-high 21 points (9-12 FG, 3-5 FT) with nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot.
• Nov. 30, PSU 71, Utah Tech 68: PSU held off a late charge by the Trailblazers to win their second home game of the season and improve to 4-3. The Vikings led for over 39 minutes in the contest, but Utah Tech was able to tie the game late. SR G Jaylin Henderson had a big game with 22 points (9-14 FG, 4-7 3-pt), while SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds.
• Dec. 14, PSU 110, Northwest Indian 48: Portland State shot .605 from the field, won the rebound battle, 57-30, and had seven players in double figures in a rout of the Eagles. SR G Shane Nowell scored a season-high 17 points with six rebounds in the win. SR F Terri Miller Jr. had a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals in only 16:49 of game action.
• Dec. 18, PSU 81, Pacific 76: The Vikings led for nearly 35 minutes and by as many as 20 points in picking up the road win. PSU shot .469 from the field, won the rebound battle (42-37) and blocked a season-high nine shots while holding the Tigers to .345 shooting. SO G Cole Farrell posted a career-high 18 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3-pt, 4-6 FT) with five rebounds, three assists and two steals. SR F Isaiah Johnson (12 pts, 11 reb) and SR G Qiant Myers (10 pts, 11 ast) each had double-doubles.
• Dec. 21, PSU 59, Bakersfield 58: In their lowest scoring game of the season, the Vikings still pulled out a win. Despite a season-high 25 turnovers, they shot .538 (21-39) from the field... PSU trailed by 12 at halftime, but made 17-25 shots (.680) in the second half to come back. SR F Isaiah Johnson led the way with 14 points and six rebounds. The Vikings held Bakersfield to .377 from the field and forced 20 turnovers.
• Dec. 31, PSU 96, Walla Walla 39: The Vikings won their fourth straight game in the non-conference finale. PSU shot .525 from the field and held their opponents to .281 shooting, while out-rebounding them, 49-31. SR G Jaylin Henderson led five Vikings in double figures with a career-high 24 points. SR F Hayden Curtiss came off the bench for 15 points (7-9 FG, 1-2 3-pt), nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
• Jan. 9, PSU 64, Eastern Washington 59: Portland State scored for the final seven points and got two key blocked shots in the last minute of the game to come back from a nine-point second-half deficit. SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott had a career-best game with 13 points (5-6 FG, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. SR S Terri Miller Jr. led the team with 16 points and seven rebounds.
• Jan. 11, PSU 75, Idaho 63: Big men SR F Terri Miller Jr. (17 pts, 8 reb) and SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott dominated inside as the Vikings led wire-to-wire. PSU out-rebounded the Vandals, 45-25, and out-shot them .517 to .382. It was PSU's sixth win in seven games and fourth in a row at home.
• Jan. 18, PSU 80, Northern Arizona 69: An efficient offensive performance allowed the Vikings to lead for 38 minutes and pick up a key road win. PSU shot .466 from the field, .467 from three-point range, .792 at the line and committed a season-low four turnovers. SR G Qiant Myers posted his fourth double-double of the season with team-highs of 14 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3-pt, 3-4 FT) and 11 assists. He was one of five Vikings to score in double figures.
• Jan. 23, PSU 74, Weber State 56: PSU put on another masterful defensive performance holding Weber State 20 points under its season average and to .352 field goal shooting while blocking eight shots. The Vikings led wire-to-wire in the win 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 tallied 13 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.
• Jan. 25, PSU 76, Idaho State 59: The Vikings posted another wire-to-wire win behind a career effort from SR G Jaylin Henderson. It was PSU's ninth win in 11 games and sixth in a row at home. Henderson posted a career-high 31 points (12-18 FG, 3-6 3-pt, 4-4 FT) while SR F Terri Miller Jr. added 14 points (6-9 FG, 2-2 3-pt), a career-high 11 rebounds and three assists. The Vikings held Idaho State to .313 shooting from the field and 3-20 from three-point range.
• Feb. 6, PSU 76, Idaho 69: SR F Isaiah Johnson led the Vikings with a career-high 22 points (10-13 FG, 1-1 3-pt, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds and three steals. PSU shot .500 from the field and forced Idaho into 21 turnovers. The Vikings led for over 36 minutes of the game, were up by 20 at halftime and had a largest lead of 25 points. The win broke a two-game losing streak.
• Feb. 13, PSU 58, Northern Arizona 46: Portland State allowed the fewest points to a Division I opponent in four full years, limiting NAU to 13-56 shooting (.232), blocking eight shots, making seven steals and winning the rebound battle, 42-34. SR F Terri Miller Jr. had a game-high 15 points and SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds in the win. PSU improved to 9-1 at home.
• Feb. 15, PSU 82, Northern Colorado 71: Portland State knocked off first-place Northern Colorado with another wire-to-wire home win - its eighth in a row at Viking Pavilion and ninth straight Big Sky home win. PSU shot .508 from the field, .474 from three-point range and .722 at the line. SR G Jaylin Henderson had 21 points and career-highs of seven rebounds and seven assists.
• Feb. 18, Jaylin Henderson Named Big Sky Player of the Week: SR G Jaylin Henderson scored a game-high 21 points with career-highs of seven rebounds and seven assists in a Feb. 15 Vikings win over first-place Northern Colorado (82-71). Henderson had one of his best games of the season against the Bears, and in the Vikings' two wins over the past week he averaged 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocked shots.
• Feb. 27, PSU 69, Montana State 52: The Vikings dominate inside as SR F Isaiah Johnson scores 16 points and SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott grabs 17 rebounds. PSU out-rebounds the Bobcats 43-25, blocks five shots and holds a 48-28 edge on scoring in the paint. It was the Vikings' ninth straight home win and with 17 wins guarantees a second straight winning record.
• Mar. 1, PSU 79, Montana 76 (ot): Down 10 points with four minutes to play, Portland State mounted a furious rally, holding Montana scoreless on its final six possessions to send the game to overtime. SR F Terri Miller Jr. scored seven points with three rebounds in the extra session as PSU pulled away. Miller had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the game as the Vikings knocked off the first-place Griz.
• Mar. 1, Vikings Set New School Record For Blocked Shots: With six blocked shots in a win over Montana, Portland State set a new record for blocks in a season with 154 in 30 games. The previous record was 153 in 32 games, set in 2006-07. PSU has led the Big Sky Conference in blocked shots all season.
• Mar. 3, PSU 59, Sacramento State 56: Portland State completed a perfect Big Sky Conference home schedule with a win over the Hornets. The Vikings finished 9-0 against Big Sky teams at home, won their 11th straight home game, and are 13-1 overall, matching the Big Sky era record. SR F Isaiah Johnson led the way with 21 points (8-15 FG, 2-5 3-pt, 3-5 FT), nine rebounds and three steals.