Although the season is not officially underway, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team participated in a scrimmage against Portland State University on Sunday, Oct. 20 at the University of Las Vegas.
The game does not affect either team’s record; it merely serves as a neutral site for both teams to test lineups, observe their talent, and get an idea of how the team can improve before the season begins.
The event was a closed scrimmage and wasn’t streamed on any services.
AP polls have Portland State as the sixth-ranked team in the Big Sky Conference and SUU as the ninth-best team in the Western Athletic Conference. SUU is eagerly waiting for the season to start. For motivation, every locker has a picture of that last-place ranking.
First half
The first half of play was dominated by Portland, who ran an effective offense and connected on multiple three-point shots. SUU made lots of substitutions and kept fresh legs but was never able to get traction on the offensive side of the ball. No box score was kept, however, Southern Utah was down 20 at the half.
Second half
To start the second half, turnovers plagued the Thunderbirds, and they struggled to find any way to score. The team was without Hercy Miller, who was a top recruit, and his leadership was noticeably missed on the court. The game drew to a close with a dominating 96-68 win for the Vikings.
Extra game
An extra game was played for players who are redshirting and those who didn’t receive playing time in the initial matchup. The game was one 10-minute period that was again dominated by the Vikings 21-8.
Up next
Southern Utah will kick off their season on Monday Oct. 28 at home against Westminster University. You can also find the Thunderbirds at the Basketball Bash on Thursday, Oct. 24 for their annual rally.
Author: Preston Ferry
Photographer: Gannon Lovisa
Editor: Jack Paul
