Boyle, Bears zero in on first Big Sky Conference tournament berth

GAME DAY NOTES: at Portland State
CONFERENCE NOTES: Feb. 16, 2009

GAME DETAILS:
Date: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009
Tip: 8:05 p.m. (MT)
Location: Portland, Ore.
   Venue: Stott Center (1,775)
Television: BigSkyTV.org
   Play-by-play: Tom Hewitt
   Analyst: N/A
   Sideline: N/A
Radio: 1310 KFKA (Greeley)
   Play-by-play: Troy Coverdale
   Web stream: 1310KFKA.com
Live stats: www.goviks.com
Series: PSU, 9-0
   Last: PSU, 57-43 (1-18-09)

SOME STORY LINES

• The Bears enter tonight’s game in complete control of their postseason fate. At 6-6 in the league, Northern Colorado can clinch its first Big Sky Tourney berth with two wins in its final four games. That run could start tonight in Portland.

• Winning tonight won't be easy, though. Portland State, a preseason conference-title favorite, has lost four of six games, and the Bears, who lost 57-43 to the Vikings earlier this season, haven't defeated PSU in nine previous tries.

• The Bears, however, do have reason to be optimisic. In that previous game, NC's 43 points were the fewest the Bears have scored in a conference game in 51 years. And yet, Northern Colorado was still in the game until a late run by PSU.

• The Bears finished 4-4 in February last season, which was the school’s first non-losing February since going 5-4 in February 1992. Northern Colorado is 3-1 this February following its 80-72 victory Thursday, Feb. 12, against North Dakota.

SERIES HISTORY
OVERALL: PSU, 9-0
HOME: PSU, 5-0
AWAY: PSU, 4-0
NEUTRAL: N/A

ABOUT THE VIKINGS

• Despite losing four of their last six games, the Vikings have already earned a berth in this year’s Big Sky Conference tournament. Portland State won the Big Sky last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament -- they lost to Kansas 85-61.

• Jeremiah Dominguez, the reigning Big Sky Newcomer and Player of the Year, leads the Vikings in scoring this season (12.3 ppg), minutes played (30.8) and three-pointers made (68). Dominguez has averaged 12 points/game in three games vs. the Bears.

• Portland State will step out of conference play Saturday afternoon (4:35 p.m. local) for an ESPN BracketBusters game agaisnt Boise State. It will be the first time ESPN has broadcasted a game from inside the Vikings’ Stott Center.