HOUSTON, Texas - Depite giving up a lead late in the game, Portland State continued its winning streak with a 63-55 defeat of Texas Southern on Saturday night as three Vikings finished with double-digit points.
Texas Southern led after controlling the tip and slamming in the first two points of the game, but never had an advantage again as PSU out-hustled the Tigers throughout the first half of the contest.
Jamie Jones made his presence known early in the game, scoring six points in the first six minutes with strong play in the paint. Jones added 10 rebounds in the game, and finished with 13 points for his fourth double-double of the season.
After TSU tied the game at the 11:03 mark, the Viks went on a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to gain an 18-11 lead. Dominic Waters capped the run with a three-pointer, and added two rebounds and two assists in 10 minutes of play during the first half.
Although the Vikings held a commanding lead for the majority of the first 20 minutes, the Tigers started to pull closer as the half ran down, reducing Portland State's lead to nine points with two minutes left. Despite struggling to find the basket in the waning minutes, however, PSU went into the locker room with a 33-22 lead, capped off by a steal and lay-up by Jeremiah Dominguez as time expired.
After the break, the Vikings led by as many as 16 points but could not hold onto the lead as the Tigers came surging back to eventually tie the game.
After a Phil Nelson basket put Portland State up by a score of 51-35 with just under 12 minutes left in the game, the Tigers went on a 14-0 run over the next seven minutes and started applying full-court pressure to the Vikings.
Texas Southern would tie up the game twice in the final minutes, but could not regain the lead they had in the game's first minute.
As time ran down, Waters put in two crucial free throws to once again put PSU ahead, and the Vikings would not relinquish the lead again.
"That's the kind of player Dom is," Head Coach Ken Bone said of Waters' clutch shooting at the end of the game. "He's confident in his ability and he should be. He's a very good player, a very good shooter, and when he gets to the line we're very confident he can make those."
Julius Thomas had a crucial steal on a Texas Southern breakaway to help pull out the victory for PSU, and finished the game with four points and seven rebounds.
Nelson finished with 14 points, and Dominguez added a team-high 15 while also racking up a career-high six steals.
Portland State won the battle on the glass, out-rebounding Texas Southern 37-24, including 15 offensive boards to TSU's four.
"We are agressive," Bone said of his team's rebounding. "We probably shoot quicker than most teams, and because of that there's more opportunity for offensive rebounds. That's an area we have to be very strong in for the rest of the season."
Portland State's record moves to 10-3 on the year, and the Vikings have won their last three contests. PSU will travel to Waco for its next game, a 5 p.m. PST tip-off against Baylor on Monday.
GAME NOTES: Portland State shot nearly 54% in the first half but only 28.6% in the second ... each team was even with 19 turnovers ... PSU finished the game 12-17 from the free-throw line after going 0-2 in the first half.
