Lewis & Clark opens in exhibition against Portland St.

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Courtesy: Portland State Athletics

PORTLAND, Ore. -- With NBA all-star and Big Sky alum Damian Lillard in the house, the Portland State Vikings pulled away from the Lewis & Clark Pioneers in Friday's exhibition, earning a 101-85 victory at the Peter W. Stott Center. In his Portland State debut, senior Cameron Forte led the charge with 32 points which included a 20-point first half. Forte was 16-20 from the field.

Jason Luhnow led the Pioneers with 24 points and Cannen Roberson added 20 points, as both players made eight field goals. Jonathan Boddie pulled down seven rebounds and scored eight points. Cory Coombe added eight points too, with freshman Kupa'a Harrison adding 10 points off the bench.

The Vikings had their hands full in the first half as the Pioneers started hot. Lewis & Clark started 4-10 from 3-point land on its way to taking the preliminary lead. The Pioneers led by as many as seven points and stayed on top until the seven-minute mark of the first half.

With one play, Forte got the Vikings rolling.

With Portland State trailing by a point, the Vikings created a turnover and Forte took off down the court in transition. He took the outlet pass, dribbled once and threw it down for the third of his four first-half dunks. That slam sparked a 14-2 run for the Vikings, giving them a 46-35 lead, and they led the rest of the way.

Forte's 32 points led all scorers. On the glass, Forte tied for the game lead with seven boards, and he also had four assists. For good measure, he blocked three shots – all in the second half.

Forte was one of four Vikings in double figures. Junior Bryce White finished with 20 points as he went 9-16. Sophomore forward Isaiah Pineiro scored an efficient 13. He was 3-6 from the field and 6-8 from the free-throw line, and he added seven rebounds. Senior Collin Spickerman chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds.

As a team, Portland State shot 55 percent from the field. The Vikings controlled the game in the post and in transition, off-setting the Pioneers three-point shooting. PSU outscored Lewis & Clark 60-20 in the paint and 20-0 in fast-break points.

Lewis & Clark starts the season on Nov. 13 hosting Valley Forge in the first game of the Bon Appetit NWC Tipoff Classic.