Bobcats and Vikings square off for Big Sky championship

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/11/2009 - Ogden, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One win away from claiming their second straight Big Sky Championship, the second-seeded Portland State Vikings will tangle with the sixth-seeded Montana State Bobcats at the Dee Events Center.

The Bobcats are a surprising title team, as they are coming off a remarkable upset over top-seed Weber State. Montana State defeated the Wildcats, 70-61, after posting a thrilling, 56-54 decision over Montana in the quarterfinals. MSU has captured the Big Sky title twice, but overall the team has struggled in this event, posting a meager 13-21 all-time ledger.

As for the Vikings, they are only 4-6 in this tournament, but the team is on the verge of grabbing its second straight championship. This season Portland State earned a first-round bye into the semifinals, where PSU defeated the Idaho State Bengals, 61-53. It was the fifth consecutive victory for Portland State, which finished second in the conference with an 11-5 record.

The Bobcats hold a solid 22-15 edge over Portland State in the all-time series, but the Vikings were victorious over Montana State in the last matchup, defeating the Bobcats, 64-58, in Portland.

The Bobcats have found themselves one game away from punching a ticket to the Big Dance, and that is shocking considering the team is averaging just 65.9 ppg, behind a lackluster 41.1 percent shooting effort. Will Bynum is currently pacing the team with 10.7 ppg and also is leading the team with 57 steals. Bobby Howard is contributing 10.4 ppg, despite shooting just 36.6 percent from the field, and Divaldo Mbunga has dominated the paint with 10.2 ppg, while also leading the team with 7.1 rpg and 56 blocks. In the team's victory over Weber State, the Bobcats scored 70 points behind a strong 45.1 percent shooting effort. Branden Johnson led the way with 16 points in the win, while Mbunga tallied a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Erik Rush contributed 11 points as well, while Bynum and Howard chipped in eight and five points, respectively.

Portland State did a tremendous job at the defensive end of the floor in its semifinal victory over Idaho State, as the Vikings held the Bobcats to a meager 34.5 percent shooting effort and just 53 points. PSU did not allow Idaho State to connect on any of its 13 attempts from long range, and also forced the Bengals into 14 turnovers.Andre Murray led the way at the other end of the court, scoring 21 points, while grabbing seven rebounds in the win. Phil Nelson added 14 points, while Jeremiah Dominguez tallied 10 points. Dominguez has been the top scoring threat on the season and is currently pacing the team with 12.6 ppg, to go along with a team-best 92 assists. Dominic Waters has been a dangerous threat from behind the arc, connecting on 46.1 percent of his three-point attempts, while averaging 11.7 ppg. Nelson is contributing 11.3 ppg on the year, while Murray is posting 11.1 ppg.

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