Guide to the game: Big Sky Championship

X-factor

Portland State: Deonte Huff Guard

Call him a utility player, Mr. Everything or “Deonte Do It All,” because the 6-foot-4 guard is Portland State’s key to victory. Without bias, Huff fills every category of the stat sheet: points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, among several others. And, as usual, the first-team All-Big Sky performer must come up big in a multitude of areas for the Vikings to win the Big Sky championship and earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Northern Arizona: Josh Wilson Guard

Wilson is the handout man, distributing passes to anyone and everyone donning a Lumberjacks uniform. Finishing the season with a 5.43 assists-per-game average-a Big Sky best-Wilson will be a crucial player in jump-starting the Northern Arizona attack. Like any successful point guard, the junior must make the jobs of his teammates easier by finding them on fastbreaks and underneath the hoop for high-percentage scores.

Top performer

Portland State: Jeremiah Dominguez Guard

Chanting “M-V-P” would be appropriate for only one player at the Big Sky Tournament, and his name is Dominguez. He is Portland State’s 5-foot-6 point guard, a player deserving of more kudos in one season than most college athletes earn in a career. But, despite the individual honors, Dominguez’s most incredible accomplishment is leading the Vikings to the regular-season title. The only question is whether he will bring Portland State a Big Sky championship too.

Northern Arizona: Kyle Landry Forward

Check the Big Sky’s overall statistics and it is obvious Landry specializes in one thing above all else: basketball. Like Deonte Huff, Landry’s name is plastered throughout the stat book. The senior forward is second in scoring with 17.7 points per game and in field goal percentage at 59.6 percent. As if that was not enough, Landry also ranks third in rebounding, snagging eight boards a game. Portland State better find a way to contain him; otherwise, the Vikings will likely disappoint fans with a premature loss for the second time in four years.

Key matchup

Point guard: Jeremiah Dominguez vs. Josh Wilson

Dominguez gives up about six inches in height and a few assists to Wilson, though you can chalk up a win for the Big Sky MVP in almost every other head-to-head matchup. Dominguez is quicker and a better ball handler. At 14.4 points per game, Dominguez is a much more deadly scoring threat. Dominguez shoots at a much higher percentage both from the field and behind the three-point line. And Dominguez has a tendency to rise to the occasion with the game on the line. With that said, it should be an interesting, but not even, matchup.

Team strength:

Portland State: Three-point shooting percentage and three-point defense The Vikings rank first in both categories, shooting 39.2 percent from beyond the arc and holding teams to only 34.3 percent shooting. Jeremiah Dominguez leads the conference in three-pointers made with 77.

Northern Arizona: Field-goal shooting percentage and defense With a Big Sky-best 48.5 clip from the field, the Lumberjacks are an excellent shooting team that allows only 42.7 percent shooting from opponents. Kyle Landry owns the second-highest shooting percentage in the conference at almost 60 percent.

Team weakness:

Portland State: Free-throw shooting In nearly every other statistical category the Vikings are at least in the top four. However, free-throw shooting is the team’s only Achilles’ heel. Ranked seventh in the Big Sky, Portland State shoots 68.1 percent from the charity stripe, which could become a major pitfall down the stretch of a close game.

Northern Arizona: Turnovers and turnover margin While the Lumberjacks are explosive on the offensive end, they are also a bit careless. Northern Arizona has committed the third most turnovers in the Big Sky and is sixth in the conference in turnover margin with a subzero mark.

Keys to Viking victory

1. Attack on D Portland State may own the Big Sky’s most potent offense, but the Lumberjacks are a close second. At 74.6 points per game, the Vikings average a point more than Northern Arizona, which means Portland State’s defense needs to lock down on Kyle Landry, Josh Wilson and co. to be crowned Big Sky champions.

2. Maintain superb ball movement The Vikings and Lumberjacks are comparable in assists, as the conference-leading Northern Arizona edges Portland State by less than an assist per game. In order to win, Portland State must ensure more than two or three players touch the ball on each possession. And Scott Morrison’s ability to pass out of the post to shooters will be crucial.

3. Lean on the MVP down the stretch Throughout this season, it has been well chronicled that Jeremiah Dominguez is a clutch performer. Whether it’s his huge free throws against Montana or his sensational 26-point second half versus Montana State, Dominguez has proven he needs the ball with the game on the line. Vikings, give the Big Sky MVP his shot in the game’s latter moments–because he’s your best shot at victory.

4. Take advantage of the home digs The Rose Garden is the home of the Blazers, not the Vikings. However, for one night the red and black can step aside for the green and white of Portland State. The Garden might not have that comfortable feeling of the Stott Center, but the Vikings have a couple of advantages that opponents do not–familiarity with the arena, sleeping at home and, hopefully, a rabid cheering section. That might be enough.

Earlier tussles

1.5.08 Portland State vs. Northern Arizona Vikings win 80-66

In the first meeting of the season between the Big Sky’s most powerful offenses, an unlikely player stepped up to fuel the Vikings’ attack. On any ordinary day this player’s name is Kyle Coston, but on this day he could have been known as Mr. Perfect. The sophomore forward scored a career-high 22 points, going 6 of 8 from the field, 4 of 5 on three-pointers and 6 of 7 from the charity stripe.

The Vikings led by as many as 27 points in the second half. With only a 9-7 record at the time, the victory gave Portland State two straight wins and a sense of confidence versus Big Sky foes.

2.7.08 Portland State at Northern ArizonaVikings win 71-68

The tables were turned in this second meeting. Now, the Vikings were the Big Sky’s top squad. But sitting atop the conference standings did not change the outcome for Portland State, as the Vikings edged out Northern Arizona to notch a win in a hotly contested matchup.

Unlike their game against the Lumberjacks about a month earlier, when Kyle Coston poured in a game-high 22 points, the Vikings employed a balanced offensive attack. Three players finished in double figures, with Jeremiah Dominguez leading the pack with 14 points and six assists. With the win, the Vikings improved to 7-2 against Big Sky competitors.