Portland State Vikings Win First Conference Title in 18 Years

The Portland State Vikings are celebrating their first regular season conference championship in 18 years, capping off their best season since 2009.

The team finished with a 19-10 record and dominated their conference at 13-5, leading the Big Sky standings every single day of the 2026 season. They clinched the title outright on March 2nd after sharing the lead just days earlier.

Head Coach Jase Coburn has transformed the program over five seasons, steadily climbing from seventh place to conference champions. Under his leadership, the Vikings have increased their conference wins from six to 13, building a culture of excellence on Portland's Park Blocks campus.

Three seniors have powered this historic run. Forward Terri Miller Jr. leads the team with 18.9 points per game while ranking in the top 10 across five statistical categories. Guard Jaylin Henderson orchestrates the offense with 17.9 points and 6.0 assists nightly, recently surpassing 1,000 career points. Center Tre-Vaughn Minott anchors the conference's best defense, leading the league in rebounds with 8.9 per game.

That defensive prowess sets Portland State apart. The Vikings lead their conference in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, steals, and turnovers forced.

Why This Inspires

This championship represents more than just wins and losses. It's the culmination of steady progress, patient coaching, and three seniors who believed in the program's vision when success seemed distant.

Portland State opens tournament play Sunday in Boise against either Idaho State or Northern Arizona. The Vikings swept both teams during the regular season, including a dramatic overtime comeback from 17 points down against Idaho State.

A tournament championship would earn Portland State just their third NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. They last reached the Big Dance in 2009, when they won the conference tournament as a #13 seed.

The journey from middle-of-the-pack program to conference champions took five years of building, believing, and working. Now the Vikings are 90 minutes from potentially dancing in March again.