Portland State University’s men’s basketball team set a new school record with its sixth consecutive road win, defeating Northern Arizona 77-68 at the Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff. The victory surpassed a previous record that had stood since 1954.
The Vikings faced challenges in the first half due to turnovers, committing ten before halftime and trailing Northern Arizona 32-29. However, they were efficient from the field, shooting 57 percent. Northern Arizona managed only six turnovers and shot 48 percent during the same period.
The momentum shifted early in the second half when senior forward Terri Miller Jr. scored on back-to-back possessions and assisted on another basket. Portland State soon took control, leading by as many as ten points several times before finishing with a nine-point margin.
Miller led all scorers with 27 points and seven rebounds. Jaylin Henderson added 24 points, while Tre-Vaughn Minott contributed 14 points without missing a field goal attempt. Together, these three players accounted for 65 of Portland State’s total points.
Portland State finished the game shooting a season-best 62 percent from the field and dominated inside, scoring 42 points in the paint. They also converted over 81 percent of their free throws.
“NAU played their butts off tonight. Give them a lot of credit,” said Vikings Coach Jase Coburn. “But in the second half we starting playing Portland State basketball.”
With this win, Portland State improved to an overall record of 17-6 and remains atop the Big Sky Conference standings at 11-1, holding a three-game lead over Montana and Montana State with six regular-season games remaining.
The Vikings’ six road wins in conference play match their best performance from the 2007-08 season.
Northern Arizona entered having won three of its last five games but dropped to 9-17 overall and 3-10 in conference play after this loss. Diego Campisano scored 18 points for Northern Arizona, while Karl Poom came off the bench to add 21 points and six rebounds.
Portland State also out-rebounded Northern Arizona by a margin of six boards. Miller led all players with seven rebounds; Minott and Keyon Kensie Jr. each grabbed six.
Miller continues to lead the Big Sky Conference in scoring average this season (19.8) and recorded his eleventh game with at least twenty points. Henderson now has eight such games this year.
Portland State has now swept Northern Arizona for the season after winning their previous matchup on January 17 in Portland, part of nine victories over their last ten meetings against NAU.
The Vikings are scheduled to play next at Northern Colorado on Saturday; coverage will be available on ESPN+.
