MONTANA GRIZZLIES (12-9, 6-2) at
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (13-5, 7-0)

Thursday, January 29, 2026, 7 p.m. • Viking Pavilion (3,094), Portland, OR
Live Stream: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Matt Richert • Analyst: Devon Pouncey
Live Stats: www.Vikslive.livestats.us
 
Portland State wraps up the first half of Big Sky Conference play at home this week in what will be the two most important games of the season so far. The first place Vikings (7-0) will host third-place Montana (6-2) on Thursday followed by second-place Montana State (7-1) on Saturday at Viking Pavilion.
     
The Vikings (13-5, 7-0) have been as good as they can be - or perhaps as good as they have ever been - with a perfect record through the first seven games of league action. With wins at Eastern Washington (65-61) and Idaho (69-66) last week, PSU has its longest win streak in 18 years (7). The 2007-08 squad had a stretch of nine straight wins during its Big Sky Championship season.
 
In addition, Portland State goes after another milestone in the game against the Grizzlies. PSU has won 15 consecutive Big Sky home games, tying the school record set between Jan. 3, 1998 and Feb. 18, 1999. A victory on Thursday would set a new standard of 16. Interestingly, the closest PSU came to losing that win streak came last year in an overtime win against Montana, 79-76 - the 11th game in the streak.
     
Certainly, one or two wins this week will be very difficult to come by. Montana is the defending Big Sky Conference Champion and was picked first in the Big Sky Preseason polls this year, just ahead of the Vikings. Montana State has an excellent resume as well as it sits just one-half game behind the Vikings going into this week's action. The Bobcats will play at Sacramento State on Thursday before facing PSU.
     
Portland State comes into this week's action with some dominant players leading the way. SR F Terri Miller Jr. leads the Big Sky in scoring (19.6), including a 22.3 average in Big Sky games. Last week he averaged 25.5 points in the two road wins. Miller was key to victory in both games. He scored seven points with a blocked shot and an assist in the final 1:47 to help the Vikings hold on for the win at Eastern Washington. Then, he had 20 of his game-high 29 points in the second half at Idaho when teammate SR G Jaylin Henderson missed significant playing time due to foul trouble.
     
Speaking of Henderson, he has been the spark plug for the Vikings, averaging 17.6 points, 6.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
     
On the inside, SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott has averaged 11.3 points, a Big Sky-best 8.8 rebounds, shot .647 from the field and blocked 20 shots.
     
Portland State's defense has been stellar as it currently leads the Big Sky Conference in scoring margin, rebounding margin, field goal percentage defense, blocked shots and turnovers forced.
     
Montana (12-9, 6-2) comes to Viking Pavilion with an impressive offensive squad. The Griz shoot .501 from the field, .362 from three-point range and .780 at the free throw line. They are led by uber-talented guard Money Williams, who is right behind Miller in scoring at 19.0 points and 5.4 assists per game.
     
The Vikings are 7-1 at home this season, 31-4 over the past three seasons, and of course have that 15-game Big Sky win streak at The Ship. Montana has won its last three games, is 4-5 on the road, and carries a lot of swagger into the contest. It should be a classic matchup.
     
Thursday's game tips off at 7 p.m. at Viking Pavilion. Tickets are available at www.GoViks.com. The game can be seen on ESPN+. Live stats can also be found at GoViks.com.
 

COMING UP

Saturday's game against Montana State may very well be for first place depending on the outcome of Thursday's games. Tip-off against the Bobcats is 2 p.m.
     
The Vikings turn around to play another home game on Monday night, facing Idaho State at 7 p.m. All Big Sky Conference games can be seen on ESPN+.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. MONTANA

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Montana leads the all-time series with Portland State, 46-29, and the Big Sky Conference series, 38-20... The Big Sky series is tied 15-15 in Portland... the teams split last season's series with each winning on their home court.
• LAST SEASON: Jan. 30 at Missoula, UM 92, PSU 78: The Grizzlies came out red-hot and got even hotter in the second half in the win in Missoula. Montana was 35-55 from the field (.636) including a blistering 17-23 in the second half (.739). The Griz hit from all over, making 10-15 three-pointers (.667) and 12-13 free throws (.923)... For their part, the Vikings also shot extremely well, making 31-56 from the field for a .554 mark. They hit 19-27 (.704) in the second half and it still wasn't good enough to catch the Griz... Qiant Myers scored a Viking-best 28 points on 11-18 from the field with four assists. Terri Miller Jr. posted 25 points, making 10-15 shots from the field. He also had seven rebounds... The Grizzlies had six players in double figures. Brandon Whitney led the way with 19 points, making 8-9 from the field. Mar. 1 at Viking Pavilion, PSU 79, UM 76 (ot): Montana's Money Williams was on a run late in the second half. He scored 16 points in a row for the Grizzlies and had them staked to a 10-point lead over Portland State with 4:30 to play. The Vikings were cooked. And then….the Vikings remembered they do not lose at home. PSU's much-ballyhooed defensive presence in the Viking Pavilion came forward and held Montana without a score on its final six possessions over four minutes, forcing three turnovers. The Vikings scored 10 in a row to get to overtime at 63-63, grabbed the lead in the extra session and won, 79-76, in front of a frenetic audience at Viking Pavilion... Terri Miller Jr. turned in a brilliant performance with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Seven of his points and three rebounds came in the overtime period. Qiant Myers added 19 points and five assists to the Vikings effort. Isaiah Johnson had 13 points and seven rebounds and Jaylin Henderson scored 11 points... For his part, Williams was brilliant as well. He scored 36 points with 33 coming in the second half and overtime. But the Vikings forced him into two missed shots and turnover in the Griz' final three possessions of regulation.
• 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 75-69. He is 2-6 against Montana... the Grizzlies are coached by Travis DeCuire (Montana, 1994) in his 12th season. He is 238-143 in his Montana coaching career, including 16-7 against the Vikings.

 

SCOUTING THE GRIZZLIES

• Montana is an original member of the Big Sky Conference. The Grizzlies have won 11 regular season Big Sky Championships, 12 Big Sky Tournament titles and made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances.
• The Grizzlies were 25-10 last season, 15-3 and tied for first in the Big Sky Conference.
• This season, Montana is 12-9 overall, 6-2 and third place in the Big Sky... the Grizzlies average 79.9 points and allow 72.8 points per game. They shoot .501 from the field, .362 from three-point range and .780 at the line... Montana leads the league in field goal and free throw percentage.
• Junior guard Money Williams averages 19.0 points, 5.4 assists per game and shoots .847 at the free throw line... senior forward Te'Jon Sawyer averages 11.1 points, a team-high 5.1 rebounds and shoots .634 from the field... Tyler Thompson averages 9.7 points and has made 51 three-point field goals (.432).

 

HOT SHOTS

• WINNING: Portland State is now 7-0 in league play for the first time in its Big Sky history (30th year). The Vikings had gotten to 4-0 twice previously (1997-98, 2004-05)... the Vikings' win at Eastern Washington was its first at Reese Court since 2014-15. PSU had lost nine straight in that venue... PSU has won four in a row on the road. The school record for consecutive road wins is five (1954-55).
• BIG SKY OPPONENTS, WELCOME IN: The Vikings have been happy to welcome Big Sky Conference opponents into Viking Pavilion in recent seasons. PSU has won 15 straight Big Sky home games, dating back to the 2023-24 season, to tie a school record... over the past three seasons, PSU is 31-4 at home in all games.
• MILLER TIME: SR F Terri Miller Jr. proved last week that the second half is Miller time for the Vikings. Leading by a single point at Eastern Washington, Miller scored seven points with a blocked shot and an assist in the final 1:47 of the game, leading the Vikings to a 65-61 win. With SR G Jaylin Henderson on the bench with foul trouble for most of the second half at Idaho, Miller scored 20 of his game-high 29 points in a 69-66 win... earlier this season, Miller hit a three-pointer at Idaho State with three seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime and an eventual Viking win.... Miller currently leads the Big Sky in scoring (19.6) while ranked in the top eight in rebounds (6.4), assists (4.1) and shooting (.542)... in conference play he averages 22.3 points and 5.2 assists. 
• DUNK YOU VERY MUCH: SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott had four more dunks against Idaho last Saturday, increasing his season total to 45 in 18 games. That breaks the school record of 44 dunks set last year by... Tre-Vaughn Minott. He accomplished that feat in 32 games... Minott's 45 dunks account from more than half of his field goals (86)... with 92 career dunks he has passed Scott Morrison (91) for the Portland State record.
• THREE OUT OF FOUR AIN'T BAD: With apologies to the late, great Meatloaf (if you know, you know) SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott is proving three out of four ain't bad. Minott is shooting .750 from the field in league games to lead the Big Sky. Minott is 36-48 from the field while averaging 13.0 points, and Big Sky-bests of 10.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots in league games.
• AND THIS GUY IS NEARLY AS GOOD: SO G Kelcy Phipps is also shooting .722 (13-18, 4-6 3-pt FG) while averaging 4.7 points in league play... he shoots .545/.469 for the season. 
• IRON MAN: SR G Jaylin Henderson played the entire game in eight straight contests (330 consecutive minutes) before having to sit down in the second half at Idaho due to foul problems. His stretch of consecutive minutes played was 354. He leads the Big Sky in minutes (36.6) and ranks in the top 10 in the nation... Henderson averages 17.6 points and a team-leading 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals.
• CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARDS: Portland State has been dominant on the boards this season.  The Vikings have out-rebounded opponents by an average of 6.1 per game, 6.7 in Big Sky games, to lead the league... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott leads the Big Sky with 8.8 rebounds per game. JR G Keyon Kensie Jr. ranks third at 7.6 per game. And SR F Terri Miller Jr. is eighth with 6.4 rebounds per game.
• TRENDING: Portland State is undefeated when leading at halftime (9-0), out-rebounding an opponent (10-0) and scoring 80 or more points (7-0)... the Vikings are 12-1 when out-shooting an opponent.
• BIG SKY CONFERENCE LEADERS: Portland State leads the Big Sky Conference in field goal percentage defense (.409), blocked shots (4.3), scoring margin (9.2), rebound margin (+6.6), turnovers forced (13.2) and winning percentage (.722)... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott leads in rebounding overall (8.8) and in league (10.4) as well as field goal percentage (.750) and blocked shots (1.9) in league games.
• MORE GOOD STUFF THAT DOESN'T FIT ANYWHERE ELSE: JR G Keyon Kensie Jr. had his fifth double-double of the season against Eastern Washington (10 pts, 10 reb). He led the Vikings with 20 points and eight rebounds in the win over Northern Arizona... he has made 11-22 three-point field goals (.500) over the last eight games... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott ranks sixth all-time in blocked shots (81), second all-time in field goal percentage (.641) and first in dunks (92) at Portland State... JR F Charles Chukwu is 14-16 from the field this season (.875). Throw in his 30-game career at Tulsa a couple of seasons ago and Chukwu is a remarkable 30-39 from the field (.769) as a Division I player.
• STRANGE BUT TRUE: Although they are 13-5, the Vikings have only led at halftime in nine games (9-0) while trailing nine times (4-5).

 

SHIP SHAPE

• Portland State is 7-1 at The Ship this season... PSU has won wire-to-wire in two home games and has only trailed for 62:46 over seven games.
• The Vikings have won 15 straight Big Sky Conference home games dating back to the 2023-24 season... that ties the longest Big Sky home winning streak in PSU history is 15 (Jan. 3, 1998 to Feb. 18, 1999). Interestingly, those games were played at three different home venues: old Stott Gym (5), Memorial Coliseum (4), Rose Garden (6).
• PSU is 31-4 at home since the start of the 2023-24 season.
• With a 13-1 home record last season, Portland State trailed in only five of the 14 games, 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.

 
BIG SKY HOME COURT WINNING STREAK (15)
W. F.15.24 Northern Colorado*(ot)    82-72
W F.17.24..... Northern Arizona*       83-68
W M.4.24........................ Idaho*       72-57
W J.9.25 Eastern Washington* 64-59
W J.11.25......................... Idaho*       75-63
W J.23.25.............. Weber State*       74-56
W J.25.25............... Idaho State*       76-59
W F.13.25..... Northern Arizona*       58-46
W F.15.25... Northern Colorado*       82-71
W F.27.25......... Montana State*       69-52
W M.1.25............. Montana*(ot)       79-76
W M.3.25..... Sacramento State*       59-56
W J.10.26..... Sacramento State*       96-69
W J.15.26... Northern Colorado*       76-73
W J.17.26...... Northern Arizona*       63-52
 
Teams defeated: Northern Colorado (3), Northern Arizona (3), Idaho (2), Sacramento State (2), Eastern Washington (1), Weber State (1), Idaho State (1), Montana State (1), Montana (1)