Idaho State at Portland State
PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The Portland State Vikings, riding high in the Big Sky Conference standings, will look to complete a regular-season sweep when they host the Idaho State Bengals on Monday night at the Stott Center.
The Vikings (14-6 overall) enter with a strong 6-2 conference mark and are coming off a 63-54 home win over Montana State. Portland State’s success has been fueled by guard Terri Miller, who is playing at an all-conference level. Miller is averaging 20.0 points, 5.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds over his last five games, including a triple-double of 14 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a Jan. 10 rout of Sacramento State.
Idaho State (10-12, 3-5) seeks to snap a four-game skid and avenge a 93-87 overtime loss to these same Vikings just one month ago in Pocatello. The Bengals are coming off a heartbreaking 81-79 road loss at Weber State on Saturday. In that game, forward Connor Hollenbeck delivered a career-high 27 points and seven rebounds in 36 minutes. Hollenbeck has been a bright spot, averaging 18.7 points over his last three contests.
The previous meeting suggests another tight affair. Portland State needed overtime to secure the six-point road win on Jan. 3, despite Hollenbeck scoring 22 for the Bengals. The Vikings have defended their home court well this season, while Idaho State has struggled on the road, dropping five of its last six away from home.
For Portland State, a win maintains pressure atop the conference. For Idaho State, it is a critical opportunity to stop its slide and gain a key road result before returning home for a two-game stint. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST.