After a month of rigorous practice and incorporating new faces into the team of the reigning conference champions, Portland State began its season with a 101-78 exhibition victory over Western Oregon on Wednesday.
Propelled by a 22-4 run at the end of the first half, the Vikings took a 54-41 lead into halftime, and despite several strong performances by Western Oregon seniors Travis Kuhns and Sam Kelly, who both had over 20 points, the Vikings were able to keep the game out of reach.
The Vikings were led by a pair of new faces in the exhibition game: Sophomore transfer Phil Nelson led the Vikings with 21 points while junior transfer Jamie Jones controlled the paint with 14 points and a handful of rebounds.
Two of the Vikings’ returning players, team captains Tyrell Mara and Jeremiah Dominguez, also had solid performances.
The victory will not count towards Portland State’s season record but should give the Vikings an opportunity to work out some of the preseason kinks before they head to Houston, Texas to face Rice on Nov. 15.