2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Sports Articles
Viks crowned Big Sky champs
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Against Montana State Thursday night, the Vikings shot their way to the Big Sky regular-season title, defeating the Bears 96-68 behind a school-record 70 percent shooting from the field.
With the win, Portland State (19-9, 12-2 BSC) clinches the right to host the Big Sky Tournament for the first time since 2005. The tournament is scheduled for March 11-12 at the Rose Garden, and ticket information is available at www.Goviks.com.
From mound to mask
Catcher Brandi Scoggins looks to guide the Vikings to another conference title and NCAA Tournament berth
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As a 10-year-old, Brandi Scoggins decided she had reached the apex of her brief pitching career.
The Portland State sophomore told her father and coach, Jim, that she no longer wished to practice pitching, even though she enjoyed plunking batters for fun. Jim Scoggins made a fateful deal with his daughter: He would buy her catching gear if she would dedicate a year to learning the position.
An underestimated venue
Three Portland State squads have captured the Stott Center's home-court magic, combing for a 31-1 record at home
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The majority of Portland State student athletes walk through the Peter W. Stott Center's main gymnasium unimpressed. It is small, seating a maximum of 1,500, and the student section is often bare. In short, the Stott Center is not a typical university arena.
Busted
Portland State's nine game winning streak was snapped in a matchup as part of the ESPN BracketBuster series Saturday
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The last time the Vikings finished a game with less than 70 points was Jan. 10, which was also the last time Portland State (18-9, 11-2 BSC) had lost a game. Well, that was until Saturday night.
Close to playing host
Portland State is just a victory away from securing the right to host the Big Sky Tournament
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Even following the Vikings' 85-69 defeat to California State Fullerton Saturday that halted their winning streak at nine games, securing the right to host the Big Sky Tournament is a mere formality for Portland State. The Vikings still own a two-and-a-half game lead over Northern Arizona and Weber State in the Big Sky standings with three conference games remaining on the schedule. While the loss to the Titans may have slightly diminished the Vikings' momentum by stopping the team's winning streak before it ever reached double figures, the loss does no damage to Portland State's bid to finish the season atop the Big Sky. Away matchups against Montana and Montana State are scheduled for the Vikings this week, while Portland State will finish up the regular season at home against Eastern Washington March 4. In order to clinch the right to host the Big Sky Tournament, the Vikings need to win only one of these remaining games or hope that Weber State comes up short in one of its final two games. "Right now there is a 99-percent chance of hosting the Big Sky Tournament," said athletic director Torre Chisholm. "Hosting the tournament will do a lot for recognition." Chisholm said he held discussions with his colleagues around the Portland State Athletic Department office concerning the Vikings probability of competing in the tournament, and even hosting it, prior to the beginning of the season back in November. The athletic director felt so confidently about Portland State hosting the Big Sky Tournament he began searching for available dates at the Rose Garden months ago. Chisholm also had faith in the women's basketball team, making arrangements around the same time to host the women's Big Sky Tournament. Unlike the vast majority of Big Sky schools, Portland State will be unable to host the Big Sky Tournament inside the confines of its home gym at the Peter W. Stott Center. Chisholm said his understanding is that this was a stipulation Portland State was forced to agree to before gaining entrance into the Big Sky Conference in 1996. Chisholm said he suspects the Stott Center is an unsuitable site to host the tournament because of its size restrictions, as it only sits 1,500 fans, and the prospects of poor broadcast quality due to the gym's configuration. "It's not the same home-court advantage," Chisholm said of playing at the Rose Garden. "We have a great home-court advantage that we are giving up. But playing at the Rose Garden adds a level of panache to the event." That panache Chisholm mentions will need to extend quite far to meet his expectations for the tournament, that is if the Vikings secure the right to host the post-season competition. Based on the attendance figures from Portland State hosting the Big Sky Tournament in 2005, Chisholm expects to draw at least 4,000 fans per night and hopes to eclipse 5,000 Viking fans in the Rose Garden for each night of action. And if Chisholm's plans to underwrite student tickets come to fruition, 500 Portland State students will attend the tournament cost free each night. While Portland State has seen a recent spike in attendance, specifically with the men's basketball game selling out against Weber State on Feb. 16, Chisholm said drawing fans is still an issue-and one he does not completely understand. "I've been very disappointed with our fans," Chisholm said. "We've been playing high-level basketball. And everyday we talk around the office about what we need to do in marketing, but, at some point, they need to support their team." If the Vikings squeak out one more victory to earn the right to host the Big Sky Tournament and defend their home floor with a conference title, Chisholm will be one step closer to achieving an aspiration for Portland State athletics. "One of my goals is to set a pattern of participating in the NCAA's at least once every four years," Chisholm said. "The Big Sky (championship) is just a step to where we want to be. The real recognition will come if we go to the NCAA Tournament."
Conway torches Bears for 31 points
Portland State remains perfect at home, after 82-60 win over Northern Colorado
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Rallying behind senior forward Delaney Conway's career-high 31 points, the Vikings (19-7, 9-4 BSC) blew out visiting Northern Colorado (11-13, 5-6 BSC) Thursday evening at the Stott Center 82-60.
Thrown toward success
Caressa Sims will compete in the USA Track and Field Indoor National Championship this weekend
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The first time Vikings track and field star Caressa Sims competed in the weight throw, she hurled the 20-pound ball just 26 feet.
Life without Roy
With its top player on the shelf, Portland's best bet is transitioning to "wait-until-next-year" mode
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You could tell something was wrong with Brandon Roy Sunday afternoon, as the Blazers squared off against the Boston Celtics in a disheartening 112-102 loss at the Rose Garden.
Unwelcome rest
Portland State returns to action this Saturday after a nine-day layoff
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In the midst of playing perhaps their best stretch of basketball this season, Portland State has been stuck in the one place they did not necessarily need to be this week: the practice gym.
Best in Oregon?
A look at how the Vikings would fare against Oregon's other Division I squads
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After defeating Montana State Thursday night to clinch the Big Sky regular-season title, Portland State will host the Big Sky Tournament at the Rose Garden, March 11-12. If the Vikings win the conference tournament, they will earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. However, if a lower seed upsets Portland State in the Big Sky Tournament, the Vikings could possibly earn a berth in the "other" national tournament--the NIT.
Spotlight Athlete of the week
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The Vanguard recently tracked down the speedy sprinter. Why did you come to Portland State? I really wanted a change. Minnesota is cold, and I know that Portland is cold also, but it is nice here. My coach [Kebba Tolbert] has coached many good sprinters and helped them improve, and I hoped that he could help me get better as well.
Men's basketball preview
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On average, junior guard Josh Akognon puts up 20 points a game for the Titans and is only five three-point field goals short of setting a new single-season school record. Junior point guard Jeremiah Dominguez leads the Big Sky in steals per game (two), free-throw percentage (.846) and three-point field goals made per game (2.46).
Sports briefs
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After scoring a career-high 31 points in Portland State's 82-60 victory over Northern Colorado last Thursday, senior guard Delaney Conway was named the Big Sky Conference's Player of the Week. Conway's 31 points came on a near perfect night on the hardwood. The Seattle native shot 11 for 12 from the field and went 4 for 4 beyond the three-point arc, as she led the Vikings to their school-tying 19th victory on the season.
Raising Hell - From the desk of Nathan Hellman
Vikings are Oregon's best bargain
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For years, Portland State athletics has been an afterthought in the consciousness of Oregon sports fans. In this state, you're either a Duck or Beaver. It's that cut and dry. It's that plain and simple. A major reason for this cold shoulder toward the Vikings is that Portland State has a history of losing. While the Ducks are fighting for Final Four berths and the Beavers are hoisting NCAA Baseball National Championship trophies, the Vikings are usually remarking, "We'll be better next year. Just wait." The long-time public sentiment is Portland State cannot compete with the Ducks or Beavers in athletics--not on the basketball court, football field or softball diamond. But this may be the first year the Vikings can claim they're better than both Oregon and Oregon State in one sport. And it's not a fringe sport--it is maybe Oregon's most popular sport: basketball. The Vikings have flourished this season, dominating Big Sky foes with an 11-2 record in conference play and sustaining a nine-game winning streak at one point. For Portland State, it's been a breakthrough season. While the Vikings have been blowing out teams and reeling off long winning streaks, the basketball gods have not been as kind to the Ducks and Beavers. Portland State sits atop the Big Sky standings, while the Ducks have compiled a pedestrian overall record and are the Pac-10's eighth-place team, and the Beavers are fading into near oblivion with a 0-15 mark against Pac-10 foes. There's no need for the Vikings and Beavers to suit up. It's more than evident that Portland State would crush their counterparts from Corvallis in a head-to-head matchup. But Oregon would be a different story. Even though the Ducks are ranked No. 56 in the RPI compared to Portland State's No. 115 ranking, a game between these two squads would be extremely close. Let's not fret over who would win. The truth of the matter is while Oregon has more talented players, the Vikings are a more cohesive team. So, the teams would likely split a series. But if you lead this rivalry away from the court and into the financial side of sports, there is already a clear and definite winner-and it wears green and white. The overall men's basketball budgets for Oregon's top Division I teams are as follows: Portland State at $788,328, Oregon State at $2,233,600 and, from last year's budget, Oregon at $3,854,636. Portland State might not have state-of-the-art facilities, flashy uniforms, high-priced coaches, first-class marketing gurus, an expansive travel budget or an arena that seats more than 1,500 fans. But the Vikings have more than a handful of wins, which have come at a small price. The Vikings have accrued 19 victories this season, meaning each one has cost only $41,490 toward the budget. That's outright cheap compared to the price tags on the Beavers' and Ducks' wins. With a respectable 15 wins, the Ducks have essentially paid $256,976 for each "W" this season. Oregon State is not even in the conversation for best team on the court, and nothing has changed here, as the Beavers' meager six wins have cost their athletic department $372, 267 per victory. Admittedly, it's arguable whether Portland State could defeat Oregon or Oregon State in an actual game of hoops. But one thing that's not arguable is whether the Vikings are winning the financial aspect of collegiate basketball. The Vikings have the most victories, and they've come at the cheapest price, making it even more amazing that Portland State has the best chance to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Just think how many wins these other two Oregon programs would have with merely $788,328. Yep, probably about one or two wins more than zero.
Men's basketball preview
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Andrew Strait scored 22 points and pulled down 10 boards in the Grizzlies' overtime win at Idaho State last week. The senior forward averages 15.1 points in Big Sky competition. For the Vikings, Deonte Huff is second on the team in scoring, at 14.5 points per game, and the senior forward should be a major cog in Portland State's offensive attack Saturday.
Women's basketball preview
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Despite struggling through an injury-laden season, the Eagles have had several of their young players step up and put up solid numbers. Junior Sydney Benson is averaging nearly a double-double at 11.6 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Nicole Scott provides interior defense for the Eagles with five blocked shots in each of her last two games. Freshman Tatjana Sparavalo comes off the bench, but still averages just less than 10 points per contest.
Weekend softball preview
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When: Friday through Sunday Friday: Alabama 1 p.m. Washington 3:30 p.m. Saturday: Nevada 9 a.m. Sunday: Nevada 9 a.m. Washington: 2 p.m. What: Husky Softball Classic Where: Seattle, Wash. On the air: www.Goviks.com (Audio) Coach's quote: It's a tough weekend.
Men's basketball preview
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Bobcat's senior guard Carlos Taylor scored 31 points versus the Vikings on Feb. 2, and leads the conference in scoring at 18.7 points per game. The Vikings are led by junior point guard Jeremiah Dominguez's 13.6 points per game and senior forward Denote Huff's 13.3.
