#4 MONTANA GRIZZLIES (16-15, 10-8) or
#5 NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS (20-11, 10-8) vs.
#1 PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (20-10, 13-5)

Big Sky Conference Tournament Semifinal, Idaho Central Arena, Boise, ID
Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT
Television/Live Stream: ESPNU • Play-by-play: Roxy Bernstein • Analyst: Ben Braun
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.livestats.us
 

OPENING TIP

The Portland State Vikings continue their march to what they hope will be their first Big Sky Conference Tournament championship since 2009 when they play in a semifinal round game Tuesday night at Idaho Central Arena in Boise. The Vikings will take on either Montana or Northern Colorado. Those two teams meet in a quarterfinal round game on Monday night in Boise.
     
Portland State (20-10) battled through a rugged quarterfinal game of their own on Sunday, defeating Idaho State, 85-78. The Vikings followed the lead of Big Sky Most Valuable Player SR F Terri Miller Jr. who went for 31 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in a tour de force performance. PSU led for 35 of the 40 minutes in the game, but could never pull away from the Bengals. Miller had seven points and an assist in a late rally to put the Vikings up by 11 with just over three minutes to play. PSU then hit 12-16 free throws down the stretch to close the game out.
     
SR G Jaylin Henderson had 20 points and three assists, and SR G Isaiah Williams scored a season-high 16 points and made six steals. Williams' performance was particularly valuable in the absence of JR G Keyon Kensie Jr., who sat out the game due to injury.
     
Miller's 31 points and Williams' six steals were both PSU records in a Big Sky Tournament game (34 total games).
     
Portland State's win was its 20th of the season, marking PSU's fourth 20-win campaign in its 30-year Big Sky history, and the first since 2017-18. The Vikings, who won their first Big Sky regular season title in 2008, are looking for their first tournament title and NCAA bid since 2009.
     
The Big Sky semifinal appearance will be the first by a Viking team since 2022, Head Coach Jase Coburn's first season on the Park Blocks. Portland State is 2-7 all-time in semifinal games, Coburn is 0-1.
     
The Big Sky Tournament Championship is Wednesday, Mar. 11, at 9:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2.
 

THE VIKINGS

Jase Coburn, now in his fifth season as Head Coach (13 overall at PSU), has led the steady progression of the Viking program to its first Big Sky title in nearly two decades. The Vikings have gone from 7th to 6th to 3rd to 1st over the past four seasons, winning 6, 8, 11 and now 13 Big Sky games. Coburn was named Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year. The Vikings have gone from 12 wins to 17 to 19 and now 20 over the past four years. He has an 82-74 record overall at PSU.
     
The Vikings program has been led by the unquestioned talents of three seniors. SR F Terri Miller Jr. ranks in the top 10 in the Big Sky in five statistical categories and leads the Vikings with 19.3 points per game. He was named Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player. SR G Jaylin Henderson has been the dynamic presence leading the offense with 18.0 points and 5.9 assists per game and was named first-team All-Big Sky Conference. SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott anchors the best defense in the Big Sky Conference as the league's leading rebounder at 8.7 per game with 32 blocked shots. He averages 10.1 points and shoots .665 from the field. Minott is a two-time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year and second team All-Big Sky selection.
     
PSU leads the Big Sky Conference in scoring defense (70.1), field goal percentage defense (.415), steals (7.7), turnovers forced (12.7) and scoring margin (+6.9).
     
Portland State was 11-3 at home this season, 8-7 on the road, 1-0 in neutral site games.
 

PORTLAND STATE IN 2026 vs. POTENTIAL QUARTERFINAL OPPONENTS

vs. Montana: Montana is the only team to sweep the Vikings this season, beating them 64-60 in Portland (1/29) and 74-68 at Montana (2/28).
 
vs. Northern Colorado: The Vikings split the season series with UNC as each team won on its home court. The Vikings won 76-73 in Portland (1/15) and lost 77-65 in Greeley (2/14).
     
PSU is 1-1 all-time against Montana in Big Sky Tournament games, 1-2 against Northern Colorado.
 

2026 Big Sky Basketball tournament Championship Schedule
March 7-11 | Boise, Idaho | Idaho Central Arena

 
Saturday, March 7 - First Round – ESPN+
Game 1: #9 Idaho State 73 vs. #10 Northern Arizona 65
Game 2: #7 Idaho 68 vs. #8 Sacramento State 45
 
Sunday, March 8 – Quarterfinals – ESPN+
Game 3: #1 Portland State 85, #9 Idaho State 78
Game 4: #7 Idaho 78, #2 Montana State 74
 
Monday, March 9 – Quarterfinals – ESPN+
Game 5: #4 Montana (16-15/10-8) vs. #5 Northern Colorado (20-11/10-8) - 5:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. PT
Game 6: #3 Eastern Washington (13-18/11-7) vs. #6 Weber State (16-15/10-8) - 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT
 
Tuesday, March 10 – Semifinals - ESPNU
Game 7: Portland State (20-10) vs. Game 5 Winner - 7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT
Game 8: Idaho (19-14) vs. Game 6 Winner - 9:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. PT
 
Wednesday, March 11 – Championship - ESPN2
Game 9: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner - 9:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. PT
 

PORTLAND STATE'S BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

Big Sky Regular Season Championships
2004-05: 19-9/11-3 Big Sky (Head Coach Heath Schroyer), Lost Big Sky quarterfinal tournament game to Weber State
2007-08: 23-10/14-2 Big Sky (Head Coach Ken Bone), Beat Northern Arizona in Big Sky Championship, 67-51; #16 seed: Lost to Kansas (eventual national champion) in NCAA Tournament, 85-61 (Omaha)
2025-26: 20-10/13-5 Big Sky (Head Coach Jase Coburn), Semifinal game on Tuesday
 
Big Sky Tournament Championships
2007-08: 23-10/14-2 Big Sky (Head Coach Ken Bone), Beat Northern Arizona in Big Sky Championship, 67-51; #16 seed: Lost to Kansas (eventual national champion) in NCAA Tournament, 85-61 (Omaha)
2008-09: 23-10/11-5 Big Sky (Head Coach Ken Bone), Beat Montana State in Big Sky Championship, 79-77; #13 seed: Lost to Xavier in NCAA Tournament, 77-59 (Boise)
 

HOT SHOTS

• MILLER TIME ALL OVER AGAIN: SR F Terri Miller Jr., the Big Sky Conference's Most Valuable Player, came up big in the biggest game of the season (so far) on Sunday night. Miller matched his career high with 31 points (11-24 FG, 4-7 3-pt, 5-7 FT), added a game-high 10 rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block... as has been his habit, he was particularly good in the second half with 18 points. He averages more than 13 points in the second half of Big Sky games this season... the game marked the 14th time he has passed 20 points this season. He leads Portland State and ranks second in the Big Sky at 19.3 points per game... in two career Big Sky Tournament games, Miller is averaging 24.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals. He has shot 19-36 from the field (.528) and 5-9 from three-point range (.556).
• ZAY'S DAY: After missing the first seven games with injury, SR G Isaiah Williams has seen his role grow as the season has progressed. His perimeter defense has been a key for the Vikings, and he put it all together in the win over Idaho State, scoring a season-high 16 points (3-9 FG, 10-14 FT) and grabbing a team season-high six steals to go with three assists and three rebounds.
• IRON MAN: SR G Jaylin Henderson turned in his 11th complete game of the season against Idaho State, playing all 40 minutes and scoring 20 points (5-8 FG, 10-14 FT)... earlier this season, he 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 (37.2) and ranks eighth in the nation.
• 1K AND COUNTING: SR F Terri Miller Jr. became the third Viking this season to pass 1,000 career points. Miller's 31 on Sunday pushed him to 1,002 points (55 at Louisiana Tech, 947 at PSU)... SR G Jaylen Henderson passed 1,000 points in his collegiate career at Montana State (2/26). Henderson scored 107 points in his one season at Louisiana Tech. He has since scored 955 points at Portland State in two seasons for a total of 1,062... SR G Brycen Long passed 1,000 career points against Weber State (3/2). He has scored 72 points this season at PSU and previously had 24 at Arizona State and 908 points at Houston Christian for 1,004 in his career.
• DOUBLE-DOUBLES: SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott leads the Big Sky Conference with eight double-doubles... JR G Keyon Kensie ranks third with seven double-doubles. Terri Miller Jr. ranks sixth with five double-doubles (including a triple-double), with fourth being pts-reb and one being pts-ast... SR G Jaylin Henderson has three points-assists double-doubles this season, including two 20-10 games, and ranks eighth. 
• WINNING: PSU's 20 wins currently ties for third-most in the Big Sky Conference era (30 seasons)... the Vikings' 13 Big Sky wins rank 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 history (30th year). The Vikings had gotten to 4-0 twice previously (1997-98, 2004-05).
• SWEEPING: Portland State has swept season series from Idaho State (3-0), Sacramento State, Northern Arizona, Weber State and Idaho.
• DEFENSIVE PRESENCE: Portland State leads the Big Sky Conference in four defensive categories: scoring defense (70.1), field goal percentage defense (.415), steals (7.7) and turnovers forced (12.6).
• TRENDING: Portland State is undefeated when leading at halftime (14-0) and scoring 80 or more points (10-0)... the Vikings are 15-3 when out-rebounding opponents, 18-1 when out-shooting an opponent.
• STRANGE BUT TRUE: Although they are 20-10, the Vikings have led at halftime in only 14 games (14-0) while trailing 15 times (5-10) and tied once (1-0).
• DUNK YOU VERY MUCH: With five more dunks against Idaho State, Portland State has upped its total to 129 dunks for the season in 30 games. That breaks the school record of 123 dunks last season in 32 games... 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 60 dunks (previous record, 44). He has 107 career dunks, passing Scott Morrison (91) for that record... Minott's 60 dunks account for nearly half of his field goals (125). Not surprisingly, he shoots .665 from the field... also having big dunk seasons are SR G Jaylin Henderson (26) and SR G Keyon Kensie Jr. (28)... 10 different Vikings have dunks this season... PSU had a season-high 11 dunks against Northwest Indian (11/7). The school record for the team in a game is 13... Henderson had five dunks against Northwest Indian (11/7) to tie a school record set by teammate SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott last season in a game against Idaho. Minott tied it again with five dunks against San Francisco (11/12).

 

VIKINGS DOMINATE BIG SKY POST-SEASON HONORS

To the victors belong the spoils.
     
Portland State's Big Sky Conference Champion Men's Basketball Team embodies that old adage as the Vikings have come away with three major Big Sky Conference honors and three All-Conference selections in voting done by league coaches.
     
Terri Miller Jr. has been named the Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player. Tre-Vaughn Minott is a repeat winner of the Big Sky's Defensive Player of the Year. And Head Coach Jase Coburn has been named Big Sky Coach of the Year. Jaylin Henderson joins Miller on the Big Sky's first team All-Conference list, while Minott has been named second team All-Conference.
     
The awards are the Portland State's basketball program's biggest haul of honors since the last time PSU won the regular season league title (2007-08). This year virtually matches that season when Jeremiah Dominguez was Player of the Year and first team All-Conference, Deonte Huff was first team All-Conference, Scott Morrison was second team All-Conference and Defensive Player of the Year, and Ken Bone was named Coach of the Year.
     
Miller, a 6-8 forward from Fresno, CA, led the Vikings in scoring at 19.3 points per game, ranking second in the Big Sky. He is in the top 10 in the league in six statistical categories, including third in shooting (.508), fourth in steals (1.5), 10th in assists (3.5), seventh in blocked shots and double-doubles and 12th in rebounding (5.7). Miller had 14 20-point games on the season, and was a particularly adept second-half performer, averaging 13 points after intermission in league games. Miller had a triple-double in a win over Sacramento State and owns two of the three triple-doubles in school history. He was Big Sky Player of the Week on Jan. 27.
     
Miller becomes just the third Viking to earn Big Sky Most Valuable Player honors (Seamus Boxley, 2024-05; Jeremiah Dominguez, 2007-08).   
     
Henderson, a 6-3 guard from Wichita, KS, was an appropriate running mate to Miller and just as valuable to the Viking team, averaging 18.0 points, 5.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals. He ranked fifth in the league in scoring, second in assists and third in steals. Henderson also led the league in minutes played and became an iron man, at one point playing eight full games in a row without a rest. Henderson was also a Big Sky Player of the Week on Jan. 6. All that said, perhaps most noteworthy about Henderson were his highlight reel dunks that have him on the Watch List for the 2026 State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship at the Final Four.
     
Minott, a 6-10 center from Montreal, is a repeat winner of the Big Sky's Defensive Player of the Year Award. He averaged 10.1 points and led the league in rebounding at 8.7 per game. Minott had 32 blocked shots to rank third in the Big Sky. He also had a league-leading eight double-doubles, a 20-20 game, and shoots a remarkable .665 from the field. Minott set school records for dunks in a season (60) and a career (107).
     
He is the third Viking to be Defensive Player of the Year and the second repeat winner (Seamus Boxley (2003-04 and 2004-05) and Scott Morrison (2007-08).
     
Head Coach Jase Coburn, now in his fifth season leading the Portland State program, is an apt selection by his peers as Coach of the Year. Coburn led the team to its best start in league history (7-0), a program record six consecutive road wins, and just the third regular season title in PSU's 30 seasons as a member of the Big Sky. Under his tutelage, Coburn's team has improved over the past four seasons from 6 to 8 to 11 to 13 wins in league play, and from 12 to 17 to 19 and now 20 wins (so far).
     
Although a fiery sideline leader, Coburn has also been named a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award for not only achieving success on the basketball court but by also displaying moral integrity on and off it as well.
     
Coburn is in his 13th season at Portland State after spending the first eight as an assistant coach and associate head coach. He has a career head coaching record of 82-74.
     

FUN FACTS, MEANINGLESS TRIVIA

• WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE: The Feb. 19 home game against Idaho had an attendance of 2,180, which is 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 have come this season... it is worth noting that PSU has had larger home crowds when hosting games at Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Garden/Moda Center. This was 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.
• MILESTONE GAMES: Portland State played its 400th home game since reinstating the basketball program and joining the Big Sky Conference 30 years ago (1996-97) in the win over Idaho State (2/2). PSU was 283-117 in those 400 games. 109 of the games were played in Viking Pavilion. PSU used other home venues during that time as well: old Stott gym (233), Moda Center (28), Memorial Coliseum (19) and Lewis and Clark College (12)... earlier this season, PSU won its 900th game in program history (65 seasons). PSU is 913-879 all-time...  also this season, PSU played its 100th game in Viking Pavilion (opened for the 2018-19 season), winning 70 of the first 100.
• 2-0 ON ESPNU: Portland State's Feb. 19 game against Idaho was televised on ESPNU (a 77-67 win). PSU games have been live streamed on ESPN+ in past seasons, but this 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.
• TWO HANDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE: SR F Terri Miller Jr. is ambidextrous and will shoot with both hands during a game. He tends to shoot right-handed from distance and left-handed when playing inside. He said he doesn't think about the hand he shoots with, it just occurs naturally.
• I WANT MY MTV: There is no one more musical than "TV", the Vikings own SR C Tre-Vaughn Minott. He can play seven musical instruments and also enjoys producing music. His mixes can be found on YouTube at Tellavision_topic.
• HE CAN ALMOST FLY: SR G Jaylin Henderson has a 47-inch vertical leap... Henderson has been named to State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship Watch List for the 2026 Final Four.
• HE CAN ALMOST FLY, PART II: JR G Keyon Kensie Jr. has a 46-inch vertical leap.
• HE CAN REACH THE TOP SHELF: SR C Tre-Vaughn has a 7-foot-6 inch wingspan.
• BB, B2B: FR F 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. Now he is a Big Sky Conference champion in 2026.
• CONNECTIONS: SR G Jaylin Henderson and SR F Terri Miller Jr. were teammates at Louisiana Tech in 2023-24... SR F Isaac Brice is the son of a former Vikings assistant football coach, Alundis Brice (2007-08).
• THAT WINNING FEELING: Coach Jase Coburn is now sixth in career wins as a head coach at PSU. Coburn is currently 82-74... Coburn has a 31-27 record in non-conference games in his five years at the helm of the Viking Ship. That includes a respectable 13-18 road record in those games... PSU is 23-14 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 (2-8).