Into enemy territory

In the early minutes of the Vikings’ historic appearance in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament two weeks ago, the CBS cameras were rolling inside Qwest Center Omaha and so were the Kansas Jayhawks.

Playing in front of 17,839 people, the most to ever watch a basketball game in the state of Nebraska, Kansas forward Darrell Arthur skied for a thunderous dunk, and suddenly Portland State was down 11-3 and on the ropes.

Sensing the game was slipping away, Portland State head coach Ken Bone called for time. As his players huddled around him, the sea of blue-clad Jayhawks fans rose as one and filled the arena with deafening cheers.

Kansas, a No. 1 seed, was essentially playing a home game.

But for the Vikings, a slice of home was situated directly across the court from the visitors’ bench. More than 140 Vikings fans made the journey to Omaha, Neb., to experience Portland State’s first taste of March Madness for themselves.

Roy Koch and Lindsay Desrochers may be top-level administrators, but for a couple of hours on March 20, they were nothing but two of the Vikings’ biggest fans.

“I’m very glad I came,” Provost Koch said. “It’s a great experience. A lot of the longtime Viking faithful are really happy with our progress and our success. A pretty good turnout for the Vikings.”

Koch said the tournament appearance benefited not only the athletic department but also the university as a whole.

“For Portland State to be mentioned with the other 64 teams, it’s really another avenue for national exposure,” Koch said. “It’s really positive.”

Desrochers, the vice president for finance and administration, said she was impressed with how many fans turned out on such short notice.

“We might be few but we’re mighty. We’re happy with the attendance that we have. Last minute, it was an expensive flight, but we had a lot of people make it out and we’re happy,” she said.

Desrochers said she thought the tournament appearance was a boon for the city of Portland as well.

“I think overall it’s been a great exposure for the university, for the department and also the city of Portland,” she said. “It’s not just an athletic deal, it’s a whole university deal.”

It was not just administrators and staff that made the trip, though 22 did. Forty tickets were sold to players’ family members, while 50 tickets were sold to a party of donors. At least 15 tickets were sold to locals with PSU ties.

Adding to the atmosphere of big-time college athletics, Portland State even had a pep band that played a spirited version of the PSU fight song and several pop songs. The band was not comprised of PSU students, but that hardly mattered. Instead, they were Cal State Fullerton’s band and had been hired for the game.

Richard and Tom Fink, brothers and longtime boosters, traveled to Omaha from Portland and said they would not have missed PSU’s first tourney appearance.

“Oh, it’s great,” Richard, 57, said. “And the best thing is, we don’t have to say, ‘Wait till next year.'”

Tom, 59, whose son-in-law is a Kansas fan, said they made the trip because “it’s a first” for PSU.

“I’ve never been to the NCAA Men’s Tournament before. Plus, if your school’s here for the first time as well, it’s kind of a no-brainer,” he said. He added that he thought Qwest Center Omaha was a great basketball facility.

“We’ve been Portland State fans since we graduated,” Richard said. “This is the pinnacle. I think a lot of the credit goes to the Big Sky founders and the people who put up some big money to get us into the Big Sky.”

The fans that made the trip have the athletic department to thank for the good seats. Once the Vikings punched their ticket to Omaha, athletic director Torre Chisholm and his staff worked to secure seats for PSU fans directly across from the visitors’ bench.

“The challenge is, you find out so late in the process,” Chisholm said. “It was a heck of a challenge getting flights out. We weren’t able to get a booster package out, but we wanted to take care of the fans.”

Chisholm said one of the biggest disappointments of being a No. 16 seed was being so close to enemy territory, but that it was preferable to playing for a disinterested crowd.

“For Kansas fans, it’s a quick car drive,” he said. “One of the hardest things is to play in no environment. Most of the players would rather be in a hostile environment than a dead environment.”

The environment was not completely hostile, and the players took notice and appreciated seeing some friendly faces, including family members. Senior center Scott Morrison was one of several Vikings with family at the game.

“It’s nice,” he said before the game. “It’s going to be nice to see a little green in the blue.”

Morrison said his father, Alex, was perhaps more excited than half the Vikings team when they won the Big Sky Tournament. He was among the loudest PSU fans in Omaha.

“He was one of the first people down rushing the court [after the Big Sky tournament win],” Scott said. “He’s kind of living through me vicariously. He’s excited.”

Junior forward Tyrell Mara also appreciated the fan support, even if they were greatly outnumbered.

“It’s huge [to have fans here],” he said before the game. “We know we’re not going to see a lot of Portland State fans out there. They’ve got our backs out in the crowd. It’s just exciting.”

The Vikings lost the game 85-61, to no one but the most ardent fan’s surprise. However, the passionate fan support for the underdog surprised one Vikings player.

“I was really excited to see the Viking cheering section. I didn’t think it was going to be that big at all,” said sophomore forward Kyle Coston. “During warm-ups, our crowd was going crazy. I think that gave the guys a lot of energy.”