by Christopher Broderick
November 24th 2017
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Portland State University President Rahmat Shoureshi teamed with Nike founder Phil Knight for their first meeting over Thanksgiving weekend during the PK80 basketball tournament honoring Knight's 80th birthday.
The meeting came courtside at Veterans Memorial Coliseum during the PSU's men's game against NCAA basketball powerhouse Duke University on Thanksgiving Day. The Vikings outscored the Blue Devils 49-45 in the first half, but Duke pulled away in the second half for a 99-81 victory.
"Our basketball team performed well on national television against the nation's No. 1 team," said Shoureshi, who added that Knight invited him to meet again in the new year.
The Vikings also played Friday in the tournament's consolation bracket but were edged 71-69 by the Butler Bulldogs. PSU Coach Barrett Peery's team is 4-2 going into Sunday's final tournament game against loser of the Stanford-Ohio State game later on Saturday