The Portland State Vikings men’s basketball team made a statement on Saturday night, defeating the Cal Poly Mustangs 73-57 in a hard-fought matchup. The Vikings jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, leading by as many as 22 points in the second half.
Portland State was led by senior guard Deante Strickland, who scored a game-high 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. Strickland was also a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line and added four rebounds and three assists. Senior forward Jamie Orme chipped in with 14 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Holland Woods added 11 points and four assists.
The Mustangs were led by senior forward Mark Crowe, who scored a team-high 16 points to go along with seven rebounds. Junior guard Donovan Fields added 13 points and four assists, while freshman guard Job Alexander chipped in with 10 points and four rebounds.
The Vikings shot an impressive 48.3 percent from the field, while the Mustangs shot just 37.5 percent. Portland State also outrebounded Cal Poly 35-25 and had a decisive advantage in points in the paint (38-20).
The win was a big one for the Vikings, as it improved their record to 8-8 overall and 3-2 in Big Sky Conference play. Portland State will look to build on this momentum when they take on Idaho State on Thursday night.
