In what has been one of the more up-and-down seasons in Vikings history, it seems only fitting that their conference, the Big Sky, is in similar upheaval.
With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Vikings sit tied for ninth in the conference—yet are just one game away from third place.
Talk about a close race.
A season that started with such promise plummeted in a mid-season slump, bounced back with a flurry of dramatic wins in January and, fittingly, comes down to a weekend showdown with Weber State and Idaho State in the first week of March.
Ironically, it was those two opponents on a cold weekend in early January that helped propel Portland State to its strong finish. On the fateful road trip one player was lost and another, Gary Winston Jr., was finally given an opportunity to shine.
All he’s done is become the Vikings’ most dynamic player.
Since taking a bigger role following the team’s Jan. 4 loss at Weber State, Winston has been lights out, averaging 14 points per game in the team’s last 13 contests—including a career-high 26 against Southern Utah.
The top seven teams in the conference make the Big Sky Tournament, which means there is still plenty of work for the Vikings to do. Unfortunately for them, that task is made even harder by a visit from conference leaders Weber State, a perennial thorn in PSU’s side.
The Vikings have two road games left before Weber and Idaho State come calling—North Dakota and Northern Colorado—and must get at least one of those to stay in contention for a top-seven spot.
Assuming the Vikings make it, you have to like their odds.
In postseason play, in all sports, games become more tense and the pace of play generally slows down. For the Vikings—who have steady leaders in Tim Douglas and Winston—they could fly into the conference tournament at just the right time. It’s often said that the hottest team, not necessarily the best team, will make the most noise in the postseason.
If the Vikings make it, odds are they will have won at least three of their final four, undoubtedly gaining an enormous amount of confidence along the way.
A hungry team, under-the-radar and playing with confidence? That’s a recipe for success.
