PORTLAND, OR - Simpson men's basketball fell in an exhibition matchup to Portland State, 99-66.

The Red Hawks hung right with NCAA DI opponent Portland State in the first half leading by as much as four before the Vikings got hot.

The Vikings knocked down 14 three-pointers and finished the game just under 50% from the field while Simpson's sharp first-half dwindled in the second half shooting just 33% in the final 20 minutes.

"Only down 13 at halftime and no one in our locker room felt like we shouldn't be that close," Head Coach Todd Franklin said, speaking to the mindset during the intermission, "We had a few costly turnovers at the 13-minute mark that let it get out of reach, but I thought our guards did a great job at times against the full-court pressure for 40 minutes,"

The Red Hawks had three players finish in double digits led by Mason Johnson who continued his hot streak by scoring 21 points on 8-16 from the floor. Dylan Banks finished with 15 points and dished five assists while Brycen Wight notched 10 points, drilling a pair for bombs from beyond the arc.

"Nobody likes to lose, especially me, and I'm not big on moral victories but there are some really good things that we can take from this game as we head on into conference play," Franklin says "I'm super proud of these kids and their level of competitiveness tonight."

The Red Hawks now prepare for Segment 1 of the Cal Pac Conference tournament and will face the University of Saint Katherine and Benedictine Mesa in a round-robin tournament where the winner gets a bid to the NAIA National Tournament. The tournament begins on February 25th and runs into the 26th.