GETTING INSIDE
The Big Sky Conference champions made a game of it for a half, but ultimately Xavier had too much talent.
The fourth-seeded Musketeers upstaged hot-shooting Portland State from downtown and defeated the 13th-seeded Vikings 77-59 on in a first-round NCAA Tournament game.
Jamie Jones scored 16 points and Andre Murray added 14, but the Vikings could not hold off a second-half surge from Xavier, which shot 8-for-19 from 3-point range.
Portland State, which entered the game averaging more than 25 attempts per game from beyond the arc, finished just 8-for-21. But the Vikes didn't hit a long one in the second half until less than seven minutes remained and the deficit was 20.
"I'm proud of the guys," Portland State head coach Ken Bone said. "I felt like we were focused and ready to go. We did the best job we could. I thought they left it all on the court, and we just happened to run into a very good Xavier team, which we knew ahead of time but they proved it tonight."
Xavier held Portland State to just .391-percent shooting from the field in the second half while the Musketeers continued to hit more than half of their shots.
"I thought we shot it decent," Bone said about the team's 3-point shooting. "You look at our stats and we shoot 38 percent, which is right where we usually are. What I didn't expect was for them to shoot so well."
Jeremiah Dominguez scored 13 points for the Vikings, all in the first half.
Looking ahead, a key question facing Portland State could be the fate of Bone. The Oregonian reported that Washington State wants to interview him for the coaching position that came open when Tony Bennett bolted to take the Virginia job. Bone has guided the Vikings to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and back-to-back Big Sky tournament championships.
NOTES, QUOTESFINAL RECORD: 23-10, 11-5, tied for second in Big Sky.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: The Vikings set 12 school records and finished the year with a flourish, despite the early exit from the NCAA Tournament. For the second year in a row Portland State won the Big Sky tournament. Last year, the Vikings lost 85-61 to eventual national champion Kansas in a first-round game that really wasn't as close as the score indicates. This season's loss to Xavier was certainly more competitive.
WHAT WENT WRONG: The Vikings won their final six games of the regular season, including back-to-back conquests in the Big Sky tournament, so it is difficult to place any substantial blame when examining the entire body of work. Mediocre shooting from the foul line was a problem, especially in the NCAA Tournament as the Vikes shot just 7-for-16 against Xavier.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "The future looks bright. Next year, we have a strong core back and I like the kids we've been able to recruit so far. We're competing with bigger programs on the basketball floor and for recruits. Hopefully, we're becoming more of an attraction to good high school players." -- Head coach Ken Bone following a 77-59 loss to Xavier in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
THE GOOD NEWS: The Vikings return many of their top players, including double-digit scorers Dominic Waters and Phil Nelson. Though Portland State faltered a bit in February and did not repeat as Big Sky regular-season champs, the Vikes rebounded in the tournament. And that's where it really matters.
THE BAD NEWS: Jeremiah Dominguez no longer suits up for the Vikings. The 5-foot-6 Dominguez was as dominant a player as there was in the Big Sky the last two seasons. He earned Big Sky Player of the Year honors as a junior and was a first team all-conference pick this year. He leaves the school second all-time at PSU in steals, tied for second in 3-point field goal attempts, and third in 3-point field goals made. His .435 3-point field goal percentage is the third-best in Vikings history. Dominguez played two seasons at Portland State after transferring from cross-town rival University of Portland.
KEY RETURNEES: Dominic Waters averaged 11.4 points and nearly three assists. Though he started only two games, he was one of the league's most dynamic performers and a second-team all-league pick. Phil Nelson averaged 10.8 points per game.
ROSTER REPORT:
--G Jeremiah Dominguez broke his own school record this season with 89 3-pointers. He was named first-team all-Big Sky for the second year in a row. Dominguez was selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District second team for District 6. Dominguez is one of 240 players around the nation in 24 districts to earn All-District honors.
--G Dominic Waters led the Big Sky in 3-point shooting (.436).
--F Julius Thomas set a school record in field-goal percentage (.643).
Previous Report: 03/29/2009
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