The Pilots (2-5) are looking to continue their success at the Chiles Center with two games this week. Portland hosts the Portland State Vikings (2-5) on Wednesday and the Oregon State Beavers on Saturday. Both games are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off. The Oregon State (2-2) game is one of three Pilot home games to be televised this season on KPDX-UPN 49. The Beaver game will also be shown on KVAL in Eugene.
The Pilots picked up a 99-95 victory against Long Beach State at the Chiles Center on Sunday. Senior point guard Pooh Jeter scored 24 of his season-high 28 points in the second half as the Pilots came back to win after trailing by four at halftime. Down 74-66 with nine minutes to play, Jeter took control of the game and scored 13 points during a 17-0 Portland run covering three minutes. For the game, UP shot a season-high 61 percent from the floor, including 40 percent from behind the three-point arc. Five Pilots scored in double figures as senior guard Darren Cooper notched 19, sophomore forward Marcus Lewis scored 15, junior center Kevin Field added 14 and junior forward Ben Sullivan finished with 13.
Jeter leads the Pilots this season averaging team-highs of 15.7 points and 3.9 assists per game. Marcus Lewis is the only other Pilot scoring in double figures with a 12.7 average. Field is averaging a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game.
Portland returns its top five scorers and four starters from a 2004-05 team which finished 15-15 overall and 4-10 in the West Coast Conference. The Pilots have been picked to finish third in the WCC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, while Jeter was named one of the league’s top five returning players. Head Coach Michael Holton is in his fifth year at the helm and posts a 45-78 (.366) overall record.
About Portland State
The Vikings enter Wednesday’s game with a 2-5 overall record. The game at the Chiles Center is the seventh road game for Portland State this season, with the Vikings posting a 2-4 record away from the Stott Center.
PSU is coming off a 65-62 home-opening loss to Middle Tennessee State last Saturday. The Vikings led 36-28 at halftime, but struggled with their shooting in the second half (6-27) and lost in the closing moments. The Vikings last four losses - two of which have been to nationally-ranked opponents - have been by eight, six, nine and three points.
Senior guard Jake Schroeder leads four Vikings scoring in double figures with a 13.0 per game average. The leading rebounder is Tyler Hollist who is averaging 6.3 boards off the Viking bench.
Head coach Ken Bone is in his first season at the helm of the Vikings. Previously, he was an assistant for the Washington Huskies.
Portland leads the all-time series with the Vikings 30-13. In the most recent meeting, five Pilots reached double-figures in an 84-72 win on Dec. 5, 2004, at the Stott Center.
About Oregon State
The Beavers are 2-2 this season with their next game coming against the Pilots on Saturday. Sophomore forward Marcel Jones had 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead Oregon State to a 69-63 win Saturday against UNLV at Gill Coliseum. The Beavers overcame a 22-point first-half deficit and forced the Runnin’ Rebels into a 4-for-31 shooting performance in the second half. UNLV didn’t get a second-half field goal until 9:30 remained in the game.
OSU also beat Prairie View A&M this season, while losing to Louisiana Tech and Fresno State. Sophomore forward Sasa Cuic is averaging 14 points this season to lead four Beavs averaging double figures. Cuic is also grabbing 6.8 rebounds per game as three OSU players are pulling down more than six boards per game.
Jay John is in his fourth season as head coach at Oregon State and led the Beavers to their first winning record in 15 seasons last year with a 17-15 mark.
Oregon State leads the all-time series against the Pilots 49-15. In the most recent meeting on Dec. 1, 2004, UP trailed by as many as 19 points in the second half but battled back and had a chance to win late before falling 66-63 at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis. Pooh Jeter scored a game-high 27 points, 22 in the second half.
