Portland State advanced to the Big Sky Tournament semifinals after an 85-78 win over Idaho State in Boise, ID, on March 8. Terri Miller Jr., the conference’s Most Valuable Player, led the Vikings with a career-high 31 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a blocked shot at Idaho Central Arena.
The victory moves Portland State to a 20-10 record for the season. The team will face either Montana or Northern Colorado in the semifinal round on Tuesday night. The game was closely contested throughout, with Portland State leading for nearly 35 minutes but rarely by more than ten points as Idaho State kept pace.
Miller made significant contributions at key moments of the game, including scoring nine consecutive points early in the second half and helping extend the lead late before fouling out with just over three minutes remaining. Jaylin Henderson added 20 points and Isaiah Williams contributed 16 points and six steals to help secure the win down the stretch.
The Vikings overcame several challenges during the contest, including playing without Keyon Kensie Jr. due to injury and dealing with foul trouble among their starters. “I’m really proud of the resilience of this group. I’ve said it all year,” said Vikings Coach Jase Coburn. “We were in foul trouble and had to play a lineup down the stretch that we had never played before. Everyone accepted the challenge and it was a true team win.” Henderson said: “Us, being in that situation, we gave our best effort and energy. Coach told us we would have adversity at some point in the game, and we hit that adversity, and I think we handled it really well.” Miller added: “We missed Keyon out there. He is a big part of our success… At the end of the day, people had to step up, and they did and we got the job done.” When asked about his performance Miller said: “It was a physical battle. (Idaho State) played a hard game and I felt like I just took advantage of the opportunities I had… If it’s a one-on-one, I’m going to take it. And if not, I’m going to kick it out to my teammates and trust them to make a play.”
Miller surpassed 1,000 career collegiate points during this game—947 at Portland State and 55 at Louisiana Tech—and set a new program record for most points scored by a Viking in a Big Sky Tournament game with his total of 31.
Looking ahead, Portland State will compete in Tuesday’s semifinal round as they continue their pursuit of a conference title.
