Portland State falls to Stanford

The Portland State men’s basketball team lost to Stanford on Sunday at Maples Pavilion. The 83-64 loss drops the Vikings to 1-4 on the season and raises the Cardinals to 4-3.

Both teams started hot before Stanford ran away with the game. Led by Landry Fields, who scored 25 points, the Cardinals had inspired effort from the field—converting 11 of their first 17 shots to create and early 27-13 lead.

Portland State rallied with consecutive three-pointers from senior guard Dominic Waters, sophomore guard Dane Johnson and junior guard-forward Paul Guede. A layup from senior forward Jamie Jones resulted in an 11-0 Vikings run that sliced Stanford’s lead to three with just over five minutes left in the half.

After the Viks tied the game at 38-all with only seconds left before the break, Stanford carried the momentum into the locker room by scoring five points in four seconds to close the half with a 43-38 lead.

Portland State stayed competitive in the first half by relying on three-point shooting—knocking down eight of 13 attempts from downtown, and 15 out of 23 overall. Waters led the way, sinking three of his four three-point attempts before the half, while dishing out four assists.

The Vikings’ hot shooting did not carry over to the second half, however. Portland State opened the second half hitting only five of 17 shots, and quickly found themselves victim to an 8-0 Stanford run. The spell of cold shooting lasted through the half, with the Vikings hitting only .379 from the field, including two of 11 from outside the arc.

Senior forward Jamie Jones and Waters provided the bulk of the Vikings’ second-half scoring. Jones chalked up six points and two boards, while Waters scored seven, including his only three-point attempt of the half. Both led Portland State in scoring with 16, while Waters added six assists to only one turnover.

Turnovers proved to be a major culprit in Portland State’s inability to capitalize on their hot first-half shooting, and prevented a second-half comeback. The Viks turned the ball over 10 times in the first half and six times in the second, while managing only 11 assists. Given the chance, Stanford capitalized by scoring 15 points off Portland State’s turnovers.

Despite a rough second half, several players finished with strong performances. Junior forward Phil Nelson finished with 13 points, while Julius Thomas grabbed 10 rebounds—two of them offensive. Overall, the Vikings hit 50 percent from the field, while Stanford shot .589.

The Vikings play cross-town rivals University of Portland at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Chiles Center. The Vikings have played only one game on the Park Blocks so far, opening the season with four of five games on the road, including two road games against Pac-10 teams.

DIGITS

7
The number of consecutive shots senior forward Jamie Jones converted on his way to a 16-point, two-board night.

10
Second-chance points made by Portland State, compared to Stanford’s nine.

-10
The Vikings’ net points off turnovers, after scoring only five to Stanford’s 15.
 
0
Portland State’s fast-break points, compared to Stanford’s six.

22
The Vikings’ points in the paint, compared to Stanford’s 40 near the basket.