Portland St. starts strong, holds off Utah St. for 83-79 win
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Bryce Canda and Michael Mayhew had 17 points apiece as Portland State charged out to an early lead and then held on to defeat Utah State 83-79 on Monday night to remain unbeaten.
Deante Strickland nailed a 3-pointer that led to Portland State (4-0) closing the first period on a 21-11 run to go into the break leading 45-29.
Utah State (2-3), which lost to No. 17 Gonzaga on Saturday night, started sluggish but got a spark in the second half, as the Aggies hit their first six shots, opening on a 15-5 run to close to 50-44 with 17:14 left. The Aggies took the lead when Sam Merrill, who had 18 of his career-high 23 points in the second half, made two free throws to lead 60-58 with 8:15 left.
Portland State retook the lead on two Traylin Farris free throws with 5:49 remaining. The Vikings made nine free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Ryan Holmes
- Chad Shepherd
- Tommy Nunez
2024-25 Mountain West Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 8-1 | - | 16-4 |
| Utah State | 7-1 | 0.5 | 17-2 |
| Colorado State | 6-2 | 1.5 | 12-7 |
| UNLV | 5-3 | 2.5 | 11-8 |
| San Diego State | 4-3 | 3 | 11-5 |
| Boise State | 5-4 | 3 | 13-7 |
| Nevada | 3-5 | 4.5 | 11-8 |
| Wyoming | 3-5 | 4.5 | 10-9 |
| San José State | 2-6 | 5.5 | 9-11 |
| Fresno State | 1-7 | 6.5 | 5-14 |
| Air Force | 0-7 | 7 | 3-15 |
2024-25 Big Sky Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | 6-0 | - | 14-5 |
| Montana | 5-2 | 1.5 | 12-8 |
| Portland State | 3-2 | 2.5 | 11-7 |
| Idaho State | 3-2 | 2.5 | 8-8 |
| Idaho | 3-3 | 3 | 8-11 |
| Montana State | 3-4 | 3.5 | 8-12 |
| Northern Arizona | 2-4 | 4 | 11-8 |
| Eastern Washington | 2-4 | 4 | 6-13 |
| Weber State | 1-4 | 4.5 | 7-12 |
| Sacramento State | 1-4 | 4.5 | 5-13 |
Men's College Basketball News
