Vikings Open Stretch of Four Straight Road Games at Seattle U Saturday

TIPOFF
The Portland State men's basketball team celebrated last season's Big Sky regular-season title one last time before Tuesday's season opener as players and staff from last year's team received their championship rings. This year's group of Vikings then kept the good feeling going with a collective effort in a 111-59 victory over Lewis & Clark.

Head coach Jase Coburn noted the accomplishment of last year's team in his post-game comments, but also turned the page quickly to this year's team, saying it's now up to this group to write its own story.

How that story unfolds – or at least its first chapter – will come down to how the Vikings handle a tough stretch of four straight road games over the next 11 days. The Vikings will play four teams picked to finish in the top four of either the West Coast Conference (Seattle U, San Francisco and Saint Mary's) or the Pac-12 Conference (Colorado State) during that stretch. That gets underway Saturday with a 7 p.m. tipoff in the Redhawk Center against Seattle U.

The Redhawks have gotten the better of the Vikings in their last two trips up to Seattle. The Vikings fell to the Redhawks 83-71 at the Redhawk Center during the 2022-23 season, then dropped a 91-74 game at Climate Pledge Arena two seasons ago on Dec. 4, 2024.

Both teams like to hang their hats on their defense. The Redhawks led the West Coast Conference and ranked 20th nationally with 4.9 blocks per game last year. They also led the conference and ranked 15th nationally with 14.8 turnovers forced per game, while they were second in the WCC and 20th nationally with a +3.3 turnover margin.

The Vikings, meanwhile, led the Big Sky Conference in steals per game (7.6), scoring defense (70.3 points allowed per game), field goal percentage defense (.417) and turnovers forced per game (12.8).

The Portland State defense got off to a strong start Tuesday, as the Vikings held Lewis & Clark below 30 percent in both halves. The River Otters finished at just 27.9 percent (19-for-68) shooting for the game.

The Vikings helped their defensive effort by limiting the River Otters to one shot. They set a Viking Pavilion facility record with 67 total rebounds in the game, including 46 on the defensive end. Through one game, those numbers rank the Vikings first and second in the NCAA for total rebounds and defensive rebounds per game, respectively. Their plus-43 rebounding margin also ranks them second nationally.

Everyone contributed to the rebounding effort. Ten of the 13 Vikings who played recorded at least four rebounds while no one had more than eight. Fifth-year center KC Ibekwe led the team with eight rebounds while Emil Skyttä and Antonio Pusateri followed with seven each.

The even rebounding effort matched a balanced score sheet for the Vikings. Six players went into double figures between Ibekwe (17), Luke Kearney (17), Yaroslav Nikonov (14), Trevor Frank (13), Pusateri (10) and Nehemiah Pollard (10). As you might expect from those numbers, the Vikings shared the ball well, recording 24 assists on 37 field goals. Gantas Križanauskas led the way with eight assists, five of which came in the second half when the Vikings shot 71.0 percent (22-for-31) from the field. Besides Križanauskas, Nikonov and Skyttä had five and four assists, respectively.

The strong passing helped set up the Vikings for 11 three-pointers as they shot 39.3 percent from beyond the arc. For comparison's sake, the Vikings averaged 6.7 three-pointers per game while making 32.5 percent of their shots from the outside last season, ranking them 10th in the Big Sky in both categories.

Frank opened the game with the hot hand, making all four of his three-pointers in the first half. Kearney added two of his three in the second half, when Nikonov also hit both of his three-pointers. Križanauaskas and Dennis Johnson III added the other two with a triple each.

Seattle U figures to give the Viking offense more of a challenge Saturday. Among the Redhawks' returners was last year's WCC Defensive Player of the Year Will Heimbrodt. Heimbrodt led the WCC with 2.65 blocks per game last season, ranking him third nationally. Maleek Arington, another returner for Seattle U, led the WCC and ranked 15th nationally with 2.26 steals per game last season.

The Redhawks dropped a heartbreaker in their season opener at Hawai'i this past Monday. They erased what was once a 16-point deficit in the second half to lead late. But Hawai'i's Jaden Matingou hit the game-winning jumper in the final seconds to hand the Redhawks their first loss of the season.

So, they'll want to get back in the win column against the Vikings Saturday. It's up to the Vikings to write a different ending for themselves at the Redhawk Center.

GAME DETAILS
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-0) VS. SEATTLE U (0-1)
INFO: Saturday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. PT, Seattle, Wash. (Redhawk Center)
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: GoViks.com/LiveStats
SCOUTING SEATTLE U:

The Seattle U Redhawks opened their season with a heartbreaking road loss to Hawai'i Monday. The Redhawks rallied from a 16-point first-half deficit to lead late, but Hawai'i's Jaden Matingou hit a pull-up jumper with one second left to give the Rainbow Warriors a 74-73 win over Seattle U.
The Redhawks come into the season with a lot of promise. West Coast Conference coaches picked them to finish fourth in what will be their second year in the league. The Redhawks went 8-10 and finished in a tie for fifth in the conference standings as league debutants last year. They finished the year 21-14 overall, including a trip to the third round of the NIT where they fell to Pacific (Calif.), 61-58.
The Redhawks returned a pair of preseason All-WCC selections from that team in Will Heimbrodt and Junseok Yeo. Heimbrodt was the WCC's Defensive Player of the Year last season when he set a program record with 90 blocked shots. He also averaged 12.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game a season ago. Yeo, meanwhile, averaged 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game for the Redhawks last year. He spent the summer playing with the South Korea National Team.
Heimbrodt and Mason Williams – who spent two years playing against the Vikings at Eastern Washington (2023-25) earlier in his career – tied for the team lead with 20 points against Hawai'i. Williams also led the Redhawks with 19 points in their 71-65 exhibition win over Oregon on Oct. 15.
Statistically, the Redhawks were a strong defensive team last year. Behind Heimbrodt, they led the WCC and ranked 20th nationally with 4.9 blocks per game. They also led the conference and ranked 15th nationally with 14.8 turnovers forced per game. They ranked well in other defensive categories, as well, as they were third in the WCC in field goal percentage defense (.418), scoring defense (67.3) and steals per game (8.0). They ranked second in the conference and 20th nationally with a +3.3 turnover margin.
Individually, Heimbrodt led the WCC and ranked third nationally with 2.65 blocks per game. Maleek Arington, another returner, led the WCC and ranked 15th nationally with 2.26 steals per game.

SERIES NOTES:

The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Redhawks, 10-8. But the Redhawks have had the upper hand lately, winning three straight games over the Vikings.
Portland State head coach Jase Coburn is 0-2 against the Redhawks and his counterpart Chris Victor. The Vikings lost 83-71 in 2022-23 and 91-74 in 2024-25. Both games were up in Seattle.
The Vikings' last win over the Redhawks was a 66-65 win at home on Nov. 15, 2011. Chehalis Tapscott hit the game-winning jumper with four seconds remaining while leading the Vikings back from a 65-58 deficit with 1:39 remaining in that game. The Vikings' last win in Seattle was the previous year when they capped their season with an 81-71 victory on March 10, 2011.

TIP-INS:

LAST TIME OUT: The Vikings opened their season with a 111-59 victory over Lewis & Clark Tuesday. Six different Vikings scored in double figures between KC Ibekwe (17), Luke Kearney (17), Yaroslav Nikonov (14), Trevor Frank (13), Antonio Pusateri (10) and Nehemiah Pollard (10).
UNSELFISH BASKETBALL: The Vikings assisted on 24 of their 37 field goals against Lewis & Clark. Freshman guard Gantas Križanauskas led the team with eight assists, five of which came during an extended 35-9 PSU run in the second half. Sophomore guard Yaroslav Nikonov added five assists while senior guard Emil Skyttä had four.
EFFICIENT OFFENSE: The Vikings shot 71.0 percent (22-for-31) from the field in the second half against Lewis & Clark as they ran away from the River Otters. The Vikings finished at 58.7 percent (37-for-63) for the game, which would have been their fourth-best mark last season.
THREE-POINT SHOOTING: The Vikings believe they have bolstered their shooting capabilities over the offseason. That has proven true through an exhibition and one counting game. The Vikings hit 10 three-pointers in their exhibition against Nevada on Oct. 25, then went 11-for-28 (.393) from deep against Lewis & Clark. Last season, the Vikings averaged 6.7 three-pointers per game while making 32.5 percent of their shots from the outside, ranking them 10th in the Big Sky in both categories.
CONTROLLING THE GLASS: The Vikings set a Viking Pavilion facility record with 67 rebounds against Lewis & Clark while out-rebounding the River Otters by 43 (67-to-24). Ten of the 13 Vikings who played in the game recorded at least four rebounds while no one had more than eight. Fifth-year center KC Ibekwe led the team with eight, while Emil Skyttä and Antonio Pusateri had seven each. The big opener means the Vikings head into Saturday leading the nation in total rebounds per game, while they rank second nationally in defensive rebounds per game and rebounding margin.
TRADEMARK DEFENSE: If there's one thing the Vikings have been known for under head coach Jase Coburn, it's their high-energy defense. They have led the Big Sky Conference in steals in four of their previous five years under Coburn. Last year, they not only led the conference in steals (at 7.6 per game) but also scoring defense (70.3 points allowed per game), field goal percentage defense (.417) and turnovers forced per game (12.8). The Vikings got out to a good start defensively Tuesday, holding the River Otters to just 27.9 percent (19-for-68) from the field. Lewis & Clark didn't crack 30 percent in either half.
DEEP BENCH: No Viking played more than 22 minutes in Tuesday's season opener. Gantas Križanauskas led the team at 21:22. All 13 players who were dressed for the game played at least five minutes.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Vikings head into a tough stretch with four straight road games over the next 11 days. They're all against teams picked to finish in the top four of either the West Coast Conference (Seattle U, San Francisco and Saint Mary's) or the Pac-12 (Colorado State). The Vikings were strong on the road last season, setting a new program record with six straight road wins between Jan. 1 and Feb. 12. The Vikings finished with six Big Sky road wins, tying another program record.
NOT SO HOT: While the Vikings got to the free throw line for 43 attempts Tuesday, they made just 26 of them as they shot 60.5 percent from the line. Yaroslav Nikonov and Luke Kearney were both 4-for-4 from the line while Gantas Križanauskas was 3-for-4.
NOTHING WRONG WITH A SECOND CHANCE: The Vikings outscored Lewis & Clark 25-0 in second-chance points Tuesday. That was a result of a 21-to-10 PSU advantage in offensive rebounds.
SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOT TO BLOCK THEM: The Vikings used their height advantage over Lewis & Clark to swat away seven shots Tuesday. The seven blocks came from seven different players.

PLAYER NOTES

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE: Sophomore guard Yaroslav Nikonov scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half while adding five rebounds and five assists Tuesday against Lewis & Clark…Through one game, he ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky for points (T-12th), assists (T-5th), free throw percentage (T-1st), three-pointers per game (T-15th), blocks per game (T-8th), assist-to-turnover ratio (T-11th) and defensive rebounds per game (T-7th)…Nikonov played in the Russian Superleague for the CSKA-2 team, the second-level team in the CSKA club, where he averaged 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game this past season.
KING OF THE CITY: Fifth-year center KC Ibekwe – whose nickname "KC" stands for King of the City – nearly had a double-double in only 16:25 of action Tuesday. He finished with 17 points and eight rebounds…He went 7-for-8 from the field and now ranks third in the Big Sky and 30th nationally in field goal percentage (.875)…He also ranks in the top five of the conference for points (17.0) and rebounds (8.0) per game…Five of his eight rebounds came on the offensive end, giving him a share of the conference lead and ranking him 22nd nationally in the category.
GANTAS HAS GANAS: Freshman guard Gantas Križanauskas came off the bench to record six points, eight assists and four rebounds against Lewis & Clark…Five of Križanauskas' eight assists came in the second half when the Vikings shot 71.0 percent from the field…The freshman now leads the Big Sky and ranks 18th nationally in assists per game…The eight assists also came against only one turnover, ranking him first in the Big Sky and fifth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio.
COOL HAND LUKE: Senior forward Luke Kearney showed a smooth stroke while tying for the team lead with 17 points Tuesday against Lewis & Clark. Kearney went 5-for-8 overall and 3-for-5 from three-point range against the River Otters...He now ranks among the Big Sky leaders in points per game (T-5th), field goal percentage (T-13th), free throw percentage (T-1st), three-point percentage (T-4th), three-pointers per game (T-7th), blocks per game (T-8th) and offensive rebounds per game (T-13th).
SKYTTÄ CAN SCOOT: Senior guard Emil Skyttä filled the stat sheet with seven points, seven rebounds and four assists Tuesday against Lewis & Clark…After one game, he ranks among the Big Sky leaders in rebounds per game (T-7th), assists per game (T-9th) and defensive rebounds per game (T-4th).
LET'S BE FRANK: Senior guard Trevor Frank made 220 three-pointers over the previous three years at NCAA Division II Dallas Baptist. So, it's only natural that he starts his PSU career with four three-pointers Tuesday against Lewis & Clark…He heads into Saturday's game at Boise State ranked tied for the Big Sky lead in three-pointers per game, while also ranking tied for 10th in three-point percentage (.500).
LAST IN GO-KARTS, FIRST IN BENCH POINTS: Senior forward Antonio Pusateri may have frustrated his teammates with his slow driving during a team-bonding trip to the go-kart track, but he made up for it Tuesday with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting and seven rebounds off the bench…Pusateri now ranks tied for seventh in rebounds per game, while he also ranks among the conference leaders in blocks per game (T-8th), offensive rebounds per game (T-13th) and defensive rebounds per game (T-7th).
WESTERN WASHINGTON DUO: Both transfers from NCAA Division II Western Washington – Nehemiah Pollard and Dennis Johnson III – played well in their Portland State debuts Tuesday…Pollard scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting to go with five rebounds…He now ranks among the Big Sky leaders in blocks per game (T-8th) and defensive rebounds per game (T-7th)…Johnson III, meanwhile, led the Vikings with two steals, ranking him tied for eighth in the conference through one game.

HEAD COACH JASE COBURN

GENERAL: Head coach Jase Coburn, the 2025-26 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, begins his sixth season leading the Vikings program. He was named Portland State's Head Coach on April 16, 2021. Coburn is the 14th men's basketball coach in PSU history and the seventh in the Big Sky era (1996-97 to present).
THAT WINNING FEELING: Head coach Jase Coburn is sixth in career wins as a head coach at PSU. Coburn is currently 83-75... Coburn has a 32-27 record in non-conference games in his six years at the helm of the Viking Ship. That includes a respectable 13-18 road record in those games... PSU is 24-14 in non-conference play since the start of the 2023-24 season... among Big Sky schools, he has had the most success against Northern Arizona (9-1), Idaho (9-2) and Idaho State (9-3) and the least success against Eastern Washington (2-8) and Montana (2-9).
THE CENTURY MARK: Head coach Jase Coburn needs 17 wins this season to become just the third Portland State head coach to reach 100 career wins for the Vikings. He'll join Sharkey Nelson (162 wins from 1953-65) and Tyler Geving (112 wins from 2009-17) in the 100-win club when he does. Coburn would become the second-fastest out of the three to 100 wins if he were to accomplish it this season. Nelson needed 168 games to reach 100 wins, while Geving needed 220 games. Coburn has coached 158 games counting Tuesday's opener.

PRESEASON NOTES

POLL PREDICTIONS: The Vikings were picked to finish tied for fourth and fifth in the Big Sky Conference by league coaches and media, respectively. The Vikings were part of a clear top five in the conference. Montana State, Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington finished 1-2-3 in both polls. The Vikings matched Montana for fourth in the coaches poll but finished behind the Grizzlies in the media poll. That was only difference between both polls, as every other team slotted into the exact same spot across both predictions.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: Redshirt senior guard Koren Johnson received preseason All-Big Sky honors. Johnson made the team with Northern Colorado's Langston Reynolds, who was named preseason MVP, as well as Montana State's Jed Miller, Utah Tech's Ethan Potter, Eastern Washington's Andrew Cook and Alton Hamilton IV, and Southern Utah's Jaiden Feroah.
LAST SEASON RECAP: The Vikings were 20-11 in 2025-26, winning the Big Sky Conference regular season title for the first time in 18 seasons. It was the best record by a Viking team since a 23-10 finish in 2008-09… the Viking program has won three Big Sky Championships in 2004-05, 2007-08 and 2025-26. PSU won Big Sky Tournament titles in 2007-08 and 2008-09… Portland State's 20 wins tied for third-most in the Big Sky Conference era and were the most in eight years by a Viking team... the Vikings' 13 Big Sky wins ranked as second-most in school history (PSU was 14-2 in 2007-08)... PSU's six straight road wins (Jan. 1-Feb. 12) established a new school record. It broke a mark of five set between Jan. 21 and Feb. 15, 1954! (the Vikings' longest Big Sky road winning streak is nine games and stretched over two seasons - 2008 and 2009)... the six Big Sky road wins ties for most in a season (6-2 in 2007-08)... Portland State reached 7-0 in league play for the first time in its Big Sky. The Vikings had gotten to 4-0 twice previously (1997-98, 2004-05)... Portland State had a stretch for 15 consecutive Big Sky home wins (2/15/2024 to Jan. 17, 2026), tying a school record.
RETURNERS: In 2026-27, Portland State will have one of its smallest returning classes in program history. Three players return to the program… two of the returning players are forwards: SR Charles Chukwu (6-9, 4.2 mpg, 1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg) and SO Brayden Barron (6-6, 4.3 mpg, 0.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg); and one is a guard: SO Colt Ness (6-0, 5.6 mpg, 0.8 ppg, 1.1 apg)… unfortunately, an off-season injury will prevent Barron from playing in 2026-27.
NEWCOMERS: Among Portland State's newcomers are six post players and seven guards. Four are Division I transfers, five are Division II transfers and four are foreign club players… senior guard Emil Skyttä (6-5, 3.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg) is a transfer from North Dakota State. He also spent two seasons playing against the Vikings at Sacramento State (8.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.7 apg in 2024-25)… senior guard Trevor Frank (6-1, 10.3 ppg in 106 games) is a transfer from Dallas Baptist. He was a two-time Lone Star Conference Sixth Man of the Year and All-Lone Star Conference as a junior. Frank made 220 three-point field goals in 106 games… Dennis Johnson III (6-3, 12.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.4 spg) and Nehemiah Pollard (6-4, 15.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, 38 3-pt FG) are transfer guards from Western Washington… former Pac-12 Freshman of the Year senior Koren Johnson (6-1) brings his point guard bonafides to the Vikings via Louisville and Ole Miss… freshman guard Gantas Križanauskas (6-4) is a Lithuanian player who has played for the Rytas Vilnius Club… another international player is sophomore guard Yaroslav Nikonov (6-5), who has spent the past five years with CSKA Club in Moscow… fifth-year center KC Ibekwe joins the Vikings after previous stops at Pacific (2025-26), Washington (2024-25) and Oregon State (2022-24). Ibekwe led Oregon State in blocks both years he played for the Beavers, including 38 as a sophomore. He averaged 5.1 points and 4.0 rebounds while starting 22 of his 32 appearances as a sophomore at OSU…the Vikings look forward to the talents of senior forward Jaquay Randolph (6-10, 20.8 ppg, 15.4 rpg, .610 FG%) who led the nation in rebounding and double-doubles (25) at the NCAA II level. He also had a school-record 49 points in one game and grabbed 27 rebounds in another game for Southern Wesleyan… senior forward Antonio Pusateri (6-7, 16.7 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 37 blocks, .593 FG%) brings an inside presence from Lubbock Christian. He ranked second in the nation at the Division II level with 21 double-doubles, earning All-Lone Star Conference, Newcomer of the Year and NABC second team All-District. Pusateri led the Chaps to a 27-6 record and the NCAA playoffs… freshman forward Francesco Corato (6-8) is a native of Venice, Italy where he played for Umana Reyer BC… senior forward Luke Kearney (6-7, 1.7 ppg) is a transfer from Utah State. He played two prior seasons at Air Force. As a sophomore, Kearney averaged 8.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and hit a team-high 52 three-point field goals… also signing with the Vikings is freshman forward Alexandros Skliros (6-8), a member of the Greece U18 International team this past year.
HOME RECORD: As they enter their season playing in Viking Pavilion, Portland State can look back at a remarkable run at home. The Vikings were 11-3 at home last season and are 35-6 at home since the start of the 2023-24 season… Portland State had a stretch for 15 consecutive Big Sky home wins (Feb. 15, 2024 to Jan. 17, 2026), tying a school record… Portland State has lost only 17 non-conference home games in the last 17 seasons (76-17). PSU is 33-16 against Division I schools, and 43-1 against lower division schools over that span.

FUN FACTS, MEANINGLESS TRIVIA

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE: The Feb. 19, 2026, home game against Idaho had an attendance of 2,180, which was a new record for the eight-year-old Viking Pavilion. It marked the sixth time that a game had 2,000+ fans, and broke the old mark of 2,077, set in 2019 in a win over Montana State. Four of the top 10 attendances in Viking Pavilion history came during the 2025-26 season... it is worth noting that PSU has had larger home crowds when hosting games at Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Garden/Moda Center. The 2,180 fans marked the largest crowd since PSU drew 4,113 at the Rose Garden on Mar. 12, 2008, for the Big Sky Tournament Championship game win over Northern Arizona, 67-51.
2-0 ON ESPNU AT THE U: Portland State's Feb. 19, 2026, game against Idaho was televised on ESPNU (a 77-67 win). PSU games have been live streamed on ESPN+ in past seasons, but that was the first nationally televised basketball game at Viking Pavilion since it opened in 2018. PSU basketball had one previous home game televised on ESPNU – a Feb. 21, 2009, contest with Boise State (and 93-81 Viking win). That game aired from the old Stott Center gymnasium.
BB, B2B: Freshman forward Brayden Barron can claim championships in back-to-back seasons. Barron was an All-State player on the Oregon 6A state champion Sam Barlow Bruins in 2025. He was a Big Sky Conference champion in 2026.
UNITING NATIONS: Portland State has added six international players to its roster for 2026-27 – which is the most in one season in school history. Freshman forward Francesco Corato is from Italy, senior guard Emil Skyttä is from Finland, freshman guard Gantas Križanauskas is from Lithuania, freshman guard Yaroslav Nikonov is from Russia, fifth-year center KC Ibekwe is from Canada, and freshman forward Alexandros Skliros is from Greece. Ten others hail from the good ole' US of A.