PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (16-6, 10-1) at
NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS (9-16, 3-9)

Thurs., Feb. 12, 2026, 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT • Walkup Skydome (3,300), Flagstaff, AZ
Live Stream: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Mitch Strohman
Live Stats: www.Vikslive.livestats.us
 

OPENING TIP

Portland State's wild ride through the Big Sky Conference continues this week with games at Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado. The Vikings take a five-game road winning streak - tied for the longest in program history - into a Thursday game with the Lumberjacks. They do so by the reach of Keyon Kensie Jr.'s long arm, as the junior guard made a game-saving play in the Vikings most recent road win, last Saturday at Sacramento State.
     
The Vikings (16-6, 10-1) defeated the Hornets, 74-73, to extend their overall win streak to three games and stretch their Big Sky Conference lead in the standings to 2 1/2 games over second-place Montana and Montana State (both 8-4). PSU fought back from a 10-point second half deficit, then survived to win when Kensie blocked a driving shot in the lane by the Hornets' Jahni Summers with one second left.
     
Portland State's five-game road winning streak matches the longest road winning streak in school history, dating back to 1954. PSU actually has a longer Big Sky road winning streak (stay with me here) of nine games covering the 2008 and 2009 conference seasons. It was broken into parts due to a few non-conference road losses.
     
With a 16th win on the season, PSU is now guaranteed a third-straight winning record. In the past two seasons, the Vikings were 17-15 and 19-13. That makes PSU 52-34 since the start of the 2023-24 season.
     
Portland State will look for that sixth straight road win in Flagstaff against NAU. The Vikings defeated the 'Jacks, 63-52, in Portland on Jan. 17. PSU features the Big Sky's leading scorer in Terri Miller Jr. (19.5 ppg) and leading rebounder in Tre-Vaughn Minott (8.7 rpg). The Vikings also lead the Big Sky in six defensive categories - most significantly, fewest points allowed (69.5), and field goal percentage defense (.406) and three-point defense (.306). PSU has a 7-4 road record overall this season.
     
Northern Arizona (9-16, 3-9) is tied for ninth in the Big Sky Conference standings. The Lumberjacks have won three of their last five games. They are 8-5 at home.        
     
Thursday's game tips off at 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT. It can be seen on ESPN+.
 

COMING UP

The Vikings move on to play at Northern Colorado on Saturday. PSU's next home game is Feb. 19 against Idaho. That game will air nationally on ESPNU and locally on Rip City Radio, 620 AM.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. NORTHERN ARIZONA

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Portland State leads the all-time series with Northern Arizona, 36-27, and the Big Sky Conference series, 34-26...PSU has won eight of the last nine games and 13 of the last 17 in the series... the Vikings are 10-17 in Big Sky games played in Flagstaff.
• EARLIER THIS SEASON: Jan. 17 at Viking Pavilion, PSU 63, NAU 52: Portland State won its fifth consecutive game and had its 15th consecutive Big Sky home win... Keyon Kensie led the Vikings with 20 points and eight rebounds... PSU's defense was tough holding NAU to .391 from the field. The Vikings also out-rebounded the 'Jacks, 39-28... Portland State was up by as many as 18 points before settling for the 11-point win... Northern Arizona got 11 points each from Brennan Peterson and Karl Poom.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Jase Coburn (Arizona State, 2006) is in his fifth 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 78-70. He is 8-1 against Northern Arizona... the Lumberjacks are coached by Shane Burcar (Ottawa, 2004) in his seventh season. He has an 84-127 career record, including 3-10 against the Vikings.

 

SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS

• Northern Arizona joined the Big Sky Conference in 1970. NAU has won four Big Sky regular season championships and two Big Sky Tournament titles, making two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.... last year, NAU was 18-16, 8-10 and sixth place in the Big Sky.
• This year, the Lumberjacks are 9-16 overall, 3-9 in Big Sky Conference games... NAU averages 72.5  points and allows 76.0 points per game... the 'Jacks shoot .471 from the field, .380 from three-point range and .677 at the free throw line. They rank first in the Big Sky in three-point percentage, but last in free throw percentage.
• Senior forward Zack Davidson leads NAU in scoring at 14.0 points per game, but has been out of action since early in Big Sky Conference play and will not compete this week... junior guard Ryan Abelman averages 11.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He has made a team-leading 47 three-point field goals.

 

HOT SHOTS

• WINNING: This season Portland State reached 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)... PSU's five straight road wins ties a school record originally 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 Vikings' win at Eastern Washington (1/22) was its first at Reese Court since 2014-15. PSU had lost nine straight in that venue.
• DEFENSIVE PRESENCE: Portland State leads the Big Sky Conference in six defensive categories: scoring defense (69.5), field goal percentage defense (.406), three-point percentage defense (.306), steals (7.8), rebounding margin (+5.6), turnovers forced (13.2)... in Big Sky games, PSU allows only 68.5 points and .401/.308 shooting... in the current three-game winning streak, opponents have shot 58-157 (.369).
• BIG SKY CONFERENCE LEADERS: Speaking of leaders, Portland State leads the Big Sky Conference in field goal percentage defense (.406), three-point field goal percentage defense (.306), scoring defense (69.5), scoring margin (+8.9), rebounding margin (+5.6), steals (7.8), turnovers forced (13.2) and winning percentage (.727)... SR F Terri Miller Jr. leads the Big Sky in scoring (19.5), while SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott leads in rebounding (8.7).
• DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLES: JR G Keyon Kensie Jr. (14 pts, career-high 16 reb) and SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott (13 pts, 12 reb) each had double-doubles in the win at Sacramento State. Minott has seven double-doubles this season, which ties for first in the Big Sky. Kensie has six double-doubles (4th).
• MILLER TIME: SR F Terri Miller Jr. has made the second half of games "Miller Time," particularly in Big Sky Conference play. Miller averages 13.6 points in the second half of Big Sky games compared to 7.4 points in the first half. He has been in double figures in nine of 11 second halves... in addition, he comes up big when most needed. Leading by a single point at Eastern Washington (1/22), 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 (1/24), Miller scored 20 of his game-high 29 points in a 69-66 win... in a win over Montana State (1/31), Miller scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half... earlier this season, Miller hit a three-pointer at Idaho State (1/3) with three seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime and an eventual Viking win. He had 19 points in the second half of that game... Miller also had 19 points in the second half of a win at Weber State (1/1)... Miller scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half of a road win at Sacramento State (2/7)... He was Big Sky Player of the Week on Jan. 27. 
• IRON MAN: Earlier this season, SR G Jaylin Henderson had a stretch of eight straight complete games (330 consecutive minutes) before having to sit down in the second half at Idaho (1/24) due to foul problems. His total stretch of consecutive minutes played was 354. He leads the Big Sky in minutes (36.7) and ranks seventh in the nation.
• DUNK YOU VERY MUCH: SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott broke his own school record for dunks in a season and has set a new school record for dunks in a career. Minott now has 50 dunks (previous record, 44). He has 97 career dunks, passing Scott Morrison (91) for that record... Minott's 50 dunks account from more than half of his field goals (99). Not surprisingly, he shoots .651 from the field.
• CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARDS: Portland State has been dominant on the boards this season.  The Vikings have out-rebounded opponents by an average of 5.6 per game... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott leads the Big Sky with 8.7 rebounds per game. JR G Keyon Kensie Jr. ranks third at 7.4 per game.
• TRENDING: Portland State is undefeated when leading at halftime (12-0) and scoring 80 or more points (8-0)... the Vikings are 12-1 when out-rebounding opponents, 15-1 when out-shooting an opponent.
• MORE GOOD STUFF THAT DOESN'T FIT ANYWHERE ELSE: SO G Kelcy Phipps is shooting .710 (22-31) from the field in Big Sky Conference games, .571 from three-point range.... SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott ranks sixth all-time in blocked shots (88), second all-time in field goal percentage (.643) and first in dunks (97) at Portland State... And speaking of shooting, JR F Charles Chukwu is 14-17 from the field this season (.824). Throw in his 30-game career at Tulsa a couple of seasons ago and Chukwu is a remarkable 30-40 from the field (.750) as a Division I player.

 

NEW VIKING RECORDS

• Best undefeated start in Big Sky Conference Play: 7-0 (previous 4-0, twice)
• Consecutive Big Sky Conference Home Wins: 15, 2/15/2024 to Jan. 17, 2026 (tied)
• Consecutive Road Wins, Overall: 5, Jan. 1-Feb. 7, 2026 (tied)
• Most Dunks, Season: 50, Tre-Vaughn Minott (previous 44, Tre-Vaughn Minott, 2024-25)
• Most Dunks, Career: 97, Tre-Vaughn Minott (previous 91, Scott Morrison, 2005-09)
• Most Rebounds, Big Sky Conference Game: 20, Tre-Vaughn Minott (tied, Cameron Forte, 2016)