POCATELLO - Claire Faucher played a good game in Portland State's win over Idaho State last season at Reed Gym? Really?

You'd never know, speaking to her about the Vikings' 81-63 victory on Valentine's Day.

For the record, all Faucher did was score 11 points and dish out 19 assists - yes, 19, a Big Sky single-game record.

"It didn't even really seem like that many, honestly," said Faucher, Portland State's junior point guard. "It was just exciting because our team was playing so well, and so I wasn't counting, ooh, there's one, there's two. I never think like that."

But fire off 19 assists she did; there it lies in the conference's record books. And anyone who has forgotten just how sharp of a passer Faucher is can attend a crash-course reminder of her wizardy when Idaho State hosts Portland State at 2:05 p.m. today at Reed Gym.

Faucher's point and assist averages have dipped slightly from last season, but both the Bengals and Vikings know her hands still tingle with plenty of ball-handling magic.

"You're not going to see too many point guards better than this in the country," Idaho State coach Seton Sobolewski said. "She's a phenomenal passer. She has 101 ways of getting the ball to people who are open. She's just got a great knack for the game."

Faucher has the resumé to prove it, too. She finished last season first in the nation with 8.8 assists per game and on top of the Big Sky's single-season chart with 274 total dishes. Those numbers earned her The Associated Press All-America honorable mention honors.

Nowhere were her skills on better display than during the Vikings' win over the Bengals on Feb. 14. Idaho State's run-and-gun style played right into the hands of Faucher, who orchestrates Portland State's own frenzied transition offense and couldn't have felt more comfortable handling the ball in space all game.

With the help of one dazzling pass after another from Faucher, the Vikings dropped in 67.6 percent of their first-half shots and cruised to a 55-32 halftime lead.

"She's a rare one," Portland State coach Sherri Murrell said. "Her vision is amazing. We call them 'thread the needle' passes. She's able to see the defenders, and if there's a little tiny space, Claire's going to find it."

The Vikings, by and large, have grown used to her array of gasp-inducing moves, having logged two-plus years on the practice court with her. But Faucher still managed to astonish them on the first play of the season this year.

Before the tipoff of Portland State's exhibition opener against Western Oregon on Nov. 1, Murrell drew up a play calling for the Vikings to race for the opposing hoop right after the jump-ball.

True enough, post Kelsey Kahle won the tip and deflected the ball into Portland State's backcourt. Faucher caught it facing her own basket and, in one swift motion, heaved the ball high over her head. It floated the length of the court and looped right into the hands of teammate Katia Hadj-Hamou underneath the goal, and she laid the ball in without a dribble.

"Most people, you'd say no to that, but Claire just has a vision and an instinct," Murrell said. "She literally has eyes behind her head. The whole place was just like, how did that happen?"

Thanks to plays like that, the Vikings aren't worrying about Faucher's less-guady numbers this year. She's averaging 9.5 points and 6.1 assists a game, a dip from 13.6 points and 8.8 assists last season.

Faucher also has fought hip and ankle injuries all year long. Those ailments have limited her to 26.1 minutes per game and prompted Murrell at times to play her at the shooting guard position, with freshman Eryn Jones taking over at the point.

If anything, the Vikings think Faucher is playing better this year than she ever has before. Faucher has sliced her turnovers from 4.5 a game last season to 3.4 this year. She's still slinging passes that coaches might advise against, but fewer and fewer of those crash out of bounds or into the wrong hands.

"Sometimes, I'm like, 'Go ball, get through there,' but I think I've matured a little bit," Faucher said. "I'm trying to make passes when I should instead of trying to force it all the time."

In any case, Faucher never really concerns herself much with numbers. All she knows is that she feels an uncontrollable urge to deliver the ball to her teammates whenever she sees them open and a slightly more controllable one when she sees them guarded. And she likes it when the ball zooms into their hands for a score.

As for her stats - 19 in a game and what-not - those she leaves to her teammates, coaches and parents to crunch and gloat over.

"I get credit for way too much," Faucher said. "We have a ton of players who bail me out of a lot of situations. I throw some crazy passes sometimes."

Portland State (10-5, 3-0 Big Sky) at Idaho State (5-10, 2-0)

When: 2:05 p.m. today

Where: Reed Gym

Watch: www.bigskytv.org

Listen: 91.1 FM KISU

What's at stake:

A win over one of the Big Sky's top teams would give Idaho State a tremendous boost in the standings.

Key matchup:

Portland State point guard Claire Faucher vs. Chelsea Pickering. Faucher torched the Bengals in an 81-63 win in February at Reed Gym by dishing out 19 assists. She piled up those numbers with Jenna Brown guarding her, but she now contends with Idaho State's best on-ball defender in Pickering.

Three things about Portland State:

n Forward Kelsey Kahle, who has won two Big Sky Player of the Week honors this year, has scored 20-plus points in four of her past five games. Weber State held her to just five points in Portland State's last game, though.

n The Vikings rank among the league's top two in most offensive categories. They're second behind Montana State in scoring at 70.3 points per game.

n Portland State has allowed opponents to shoot 35.3 percent from 3-point range this season, which ranks next to last in the Big Sky.

Happy ending if…

The Bengals once again enjoy balanced scoring throughout their lineup.

Sad ending if…

The Bengals can't contain Kahle and Faucher.

Bottom line:

Portland State swept Idaho State last season and probably expects to do the same this time around. Anything else would be an upset.