Portland State University’s men’s basketball team is set to host the Idaho Vandals on Thursday, February 19, in a game that marks the first nationally televised contest from Viking Pavilion since it opened in 2018. The matchup will air on ESPNU at 6 p.m., with Roxy Bernstein and Dan Dickau providing commentary. The Vikings currently lead the Big Sky Conference standings by two games over Montana State, with five regular season games remaining.
This week’s home stretch is crucial for Portland State (17-7 overall, 11-2 conference), as they look to secure their position atop the league. A win against Idaho would complete a season sweep after PSU previously defeated the Vandals 69-66 in Moscow on January 24. In that game, senior forward Terri Miller Jr. scored 29 points—20 of them in the second half—to help seal the victory.
The Vikings have been strong at home this season, posting a 9-2 record at Viking Pavilion and going 33-5 there over the past three seasons. Their only recent setback was a road loss to Northern Colorado last Saturday, where they struggled offensively and shot just .382 from the field.
Portland State features several standout players: Miller Jr., who leads the Big Sky in scoring (19.7 points per game); senior center Tre-Vaughn Minott, who tops the conference in rebounding (8.7 per game) and field goal percentage (.660); and senior guard Jaylin Henderson, averaging nearly 18 points along with four rebounds and almost six assists per contest.
Idaho enters Thursday’s matchup with a record of 14-12 overall and sits seventh in the Big Sky at 6-7. The Vandals are coming off a dominant win over Idaho State but had lost five of their previous six games. They are known for their offense, averaging nearly 80 points per game and leading the conference with an average of more than ten made three-pointers each outing.
Kolton Mitchell leads Idaho in scoring at nearly 14 points per game while also pacing his team in assists and three-point shooting. Freshman Jackson Rasmussen contributes over thirteen points per contest; Biko Johnson adds twelve; Brody Rowbury leads on rebounds.
Vikings head coach Jase Coburn is now in his fifth year leading Portland State and holds an overall record of 79-71; he has won eight out of ten meetings against Idaho during his tenure. Alex Pribble coaches Idaho and is currently in his third season.
The all-time series between these teams favors Portland State (25 wins to Idaho’s 18), including eight consecutive regular-season victories for PSU before falling to Idaho during last year’s Big Sky Tournament.
Statistically, Portland State has excelled defensively this year—they lead the conference not only in scoring defense but also field goal percentage defense (.407), three-point defense (.304), steals (7.5 per game), and turnovers forced (12.6). Offensively, when leading at halftime or reaching eighty or more points, PSU remains undefeated this season.
Several program records have been set or tied this year: Minott broke school marks for dunks both single-season (53) and career (100); PSU achieved its best-ever start to league play at seven straight wins; they tied their longest streak for consecutive home wins within conference play at fifteen; among other milestones related to player performances and team achievements across various categories.
Coach Coburn commented on his time with Portland State: “Coach Jase Coburn is now sixth in career wins as a head coach at PSU. Coburn is currently 79-70… Coburn has a 31-27 record in non-conference games in his five years at the helm of the Viking Ship.”
Thursday’s contest against Idaho will be followed by another home matchup versus Eastern Washington on Saturday before closing out regular-season play with road trips to Montana schools next week and then returning home for Weber State on March 2nd—all available via ESPN+ streaming services.
