When: 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 31What: Portland State (15-4, 5-1 BSC) at Montana (15-4, 5-1 BSC)Where: Adam Event Center in Missoula, Mont.On the air: Goviks.com (audio)
Probable starters:
Portland State G Claire Faucher G Kelly Marchant F Delaney Conway F Kelsey KahleC Kelli Valentine
Montana G Sonya Rogers G Mandy Morales F Johanna Clossmon F Brittney Lohman C Tamara Guardipee
Stars: Rogers, a crafty point guard, leads the team in scoring with 13 points a contest and shoots a stellar 49.7 percent from the field, good enough for third in the Big Sky. An intriguing matchup will be how well Rogers, the Big Sky’s second best three-point shooter at 47.8 percent, strokes from behind the arc against a Portland State team that leads conference in three-point shooting defense. Another player to watch out for is Clossmon, who averages respectable marks of 10 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Just a taste: The Vikings’ exceptional record reflects a formidable squad, though the truth of the matter is fans will know much more about this Portland State team following Thursday night’s matchup. Portland State has yet to face a team as balanced as the Grizzlies. Montana ranks second and third, respectively, in the Big Sky in scoring defense and offense, meaning the Vikings cannot afford to make any mistakes on either end of the court. Despite Montana’s nearly five-blocks-a-game average, Kahle will need to pound the ball in the paint for Portland State to reign victorious on the road.