Sports briefs

Vikings’ flashy guard earns Big Sky’s top billing

After a week of spectacular late-game heroics and game-winning shots, Portland State junior point guard Jeremiah Dominguez was honored with the Big Sky Player of the Week award Monday.

Dominguez, the first Viking to win the award this season, shined in the final moments against the Grizzlies, knocking down two free throws with 5.7 seconds remaining to seal Portland State’s 70-68 victory over Montana Thursday.

In the nail-biting win, Dominguez was the key offensive facilitator for Portland State, dishing out five assists and amassing 26 points that included a stellar 4-of-9 shooting performance from the three-point arc.

The 5-foot-6 guard’s encore performance versus Montana State Saturday was not as clutch, but it was just as impressive. Dominguez was an all-around contributor, scoring 28 points, nabbing five steals, snatching four rebounds and giving out two assists on the night.

Illustrating his propensity to raise his game in the final 20 minutes, Dominguez scored 45 of his two-game total 54 points in the second half. The Salem native currently leads Portland State in scoring (13.6), steals (2.1), assists (4.9) and three-pointers made at 49 on the season.

Women’s golf squad under new direction

Kathleen Takaishi was named the new Portland State women’s golf coach Monday, ending a vacancy of the head position that lasted just over two months.

Taking over the reigns of the program immediately, Takaishi will try to prepare the Vikings for the 2008 spring season, which begins against Fresno State on Feb. 25.

Portland State plucked Takaishi from Oregon State, where she had been the women’s assistant golf coach for four years. Before her work on the Beavers’ staff, Takaishi spent a season-and-a-half as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s teams at the University of California, Riverside.

Takaishi also knows her way around the links as a player. After wrapping up her collegiate career with all of Oregon State’s women’s golf records and a 25th place finish at the 1998 National Championship Tournament, Takaishi moved on to the Futures Tour, where she competed on the professional level for three years.

Former head coach Felicia Johnston resigned after seven seasons in November, because she wanted to spend more time with her family, including husband, Shane, and son, Connor, who was born this past summer.

Portland State invited back to ESPNU BracketBusters

For the second consecutive season, Portland State men’s basketball will partake in the ESPNU BracketBusters festivities. As announced Monday evening, the Vikings will head south to face off against Cal State, Fullerton on Feb. 23.

Since the matchup will be played in Fullerton, Calif. this time around, the Titans, of the Big West Conference, will be forced to travel to the Stott Center to play the Vikings at home next season.

Last season the Vikings lost their ESPNU BracketBuster matchup to Cal Poly 92-87.

Fellow Big Sky squad Northern Arizona, currently tied for second place in the conference standings, is slated to host Wichita State of the Missouri Valley Conference on Feb. 23.