The Portland State men’s basketball team continues to struggle away from the Stott Center this year. Road losses over the past week against the University of Portland and Oklahoma State University dropped the Vikings to 1-3 early in the 2012–13 season.
The Portland State men’s basketball team continues to struggle away from the Stott Center this year. Road losses over the past week against the University of Portland and Oklahoma State University dropped the Vikings to 1-3 early in the 2012–13 season.
Karl kuchs/VANGUARD STAFf
Learning curve:Portland State is off to a rocky start on the road.
On Wednesday, Portland State headed north to the Chiles Center to square off against the Pilots in a crosstown showdown. Forward Renado Parker and guards Dre Winston Jr. and Michael Harthun all scored in double figures, but the Vikings as a team shot under 36 percent from the field and were just 2-for-15 behind the three-point line.
The Vikings were undone by a Pilot offense fueled by Tanner Riley’s perfect 8-for-8 effort off the bench, and an improved defensive effort in the second half by Portland State couldn’t stave off the 81-60 defeat.
After the eight-mile midweek road trip across the Willamette, the Vikings flew nearly 1,900 miles to face the 20th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater. In front of 8,219 fans at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Sunday, Portland State fell behind early and never caught up to the hosts, falling 81-58.
The Vikings shot 39.6 percent as a team from the field, better than the 34.5 percent average that Oklahoma State has been allowing opponents this season. Against one of the best defensive teams in the nation, however, Portland State was simply
outmatched.
Winston Jr., Portland State’s leading scorer this season, was stymied by the Cowboy defense and held completely off the stat sheet in a 0-for-5 performance. Harthun and Parker scored 12 points each to lead the Vikings, and Gary Winston added 11 off the bench.
The Vikings also had few answers defensively against Oklahoma State. Cowboy guard Markel Brown finished with 23 points along with five assists and five rebounds to lead his team’s offense. Forward Le’Bryan Nash added 20 points as the Pokes pulled out to an early 31-12 lead and coasted from there.
“They are as good as advertised, and we saw it close-up,” said head coach Tyler Geving. “Their length is such an issue, you are at a mismatch from the get-go. When they have that size advantage on the wing, they are tough to beat.”
Portland State wraps up its four-game road swing this Saturday at Loyola Marymount University. The trip to Los Angeles offers the last opportunity in 2012 to break a five-game road losing streak dating back to last season. The Vikings return to the Stott Center on Dec. 12, when they host Oregon State University.
