MEN’S BASKETBALL SUFFERS LOSS AT PORTLAND STATE IN LOW-SCORING AFFAIR

2/8/2009

PORTLAND, Ore. -- In a game that featured a combined 101 points and just 33 made field goals, Portland State took advantage of 10 three-pointers to eventually defeat Sacramento State, 59-42, in a Big Sky Conference men’s basketball game Sunday afternoon at the Stott Center. Both teams combined to shoot just 33.7 percent (33-for-98) and no player on either team scored more than 11 points.

An unfortunate trend in many of Sacramento State’s losses this season, the Hornets let another opponent take advantage of a big run to take a commanding lead. Today, it was Portland State, which used a 22-4 run spanning 9:43 of the first half to take a 30-12 lead with 2:11 remaining in the first stanza. During the run, five different Vikings combined to bury six three-pointers while the Hornets shot just 2-of-13, including seven consecutive missed field goal attempts at one point during the spurt.

The 22-4 run proved to be the difference in the game as Portland State eventually defeated Sacramento State by a 17-point spread. Neither team shot particularly well during the contest (Vikings shot 34.0 percent, Hornets shot 33.3 percent), and a big disparity in the game came at the three-point line where Portland State made 10-of- 29 from beyond the arc compared to just 1-of-9 for Sacramento State. The Hornets’ one three-pointer came from Antonio Flaggs in the second half and barely extended the team’s streak of 428 consecutive games with at least one made triple dating back to 2003.

Sacramento State’s defense limited Portland State to its second lowest scoring output of the season (59), and the Vikings converted on just two of their final 18 field goal attempts spanning the final 12:16 of the game. However, after the 22-4 spurt by Portland State in the first half, Sacramento State got no closer than within 14 points of the Vikings’ lead the rest of the afternoon.

With the loss, Sacramento State dropped its third straight and fell to 2-22 overall and 1-10 in the Big Sky. The Hornets, who have just five games remaining on the schedule, remained winless on the road this season and dropped to 9-19 all-time against Portland State. That includes a loss at home earlier this season to the defending conference champions.

With the victory, the Vikings (17-7, 8-3) improved to 9-1 at home this year and moved into a two-way tie for second place in the conference standings with Montana (8-3). Weber State remains in first place with a 9-1 record. The top six teams in the nine-member league qualify for the Big Sky Tournament, which begins on March 7.

In a game that was broadcast locally on Comcast SportsNet California, and on Altitude Sports & Entertainment, Portland State’s Kyle Coston’s 11 points were the most scored in the game, and the Vikings’ Julius Thomas added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Dominic Waters added nine points and Jeremiah Dominguez finished with eight for a Portland State team which used the three ball to account for over half (30) of the team’s final tally of 59 points.

Sacramento State was led by junior Justin Eller’s 10 points and eight rebounds in a team-best 32 minutes. Senior Loren Leath added 10 points and senior Randy Adams finished with five points and eight rebounds (six of those boards came in the first half). Flaggs had seven points and five other Hornets each contributed two points apiece.

The Hornets finished the game shooting 33.3 percent (16-48) from the field, 11.1 percent (1-9) from the three-point line and 60.0 percent (9-15) from the free throw line. Sacramento State’s 42 points matched the team’s second lowest scoring output of the season. After being outscored in the first half, 32-16, the Hornets were outscored, 27-26, in the second stanza. Portland State held a 41-33 rebounding advantage and scored 12 points off of 13 offensive rebounds.

Sacramento State returns to action next week for its final two home contests of the 2008-09 season when the team welcomes both Montana (Thursday, Feb. 12, 7:05 p.m.) and Montana State (Saturday, Feb. 14, 7:05 p.m.) to the Nest. Prior to Saturday’s game against Montana State, Hornet seniors Randy Adams, Loren Leath and Donald Thomas will be honored for their contributions to the program.