After going 0–2 at home in the first Big Sky Conference games against Montana State University and the University of Montana, Weber State University’s men’s basketball team hit the road, losing 74–56 against Portland State University on Jan. 23 and winning 87–81 against Sacramento State University on Jan. 25.
Portland
Portland State (12–7 overall, 4–2 Big Sky) jumped out to a quick start and never looked back, defeating Weber State 74–56 Thursday night at Viking Pavilion. The Vikings dominated the paint and capitalized on Weber State’s shooting struggles to secure their fourth win in the Big Sky Conference.
Portland opened the game with a 12–0 run in the first four minutes, and though Weber State responded with a 9–2 run to close the gap to five, the Wildcats could not pull ahead. On three occasions in the first half, Weber State trimmed the lead to 4 points, but the Vikings closed on a 7–2 run to take a 39–29 lead into halftime.
The Wildcats cut the deficit to five early in the second half, narrowing the score to 44–39 after a 9–2 run, but Portland State quickly extended the lead again with a 6–0 run, pushing it to 14 points with seven minutes left. The Vikings closed the game with a 10–2 run for the final margin.
Portland State shot 49% from the field and held Weber State to 35%. The Vikings dominated inside, outscoring the Wildcats 50–18 in points in the paint and outrebounding them 43–30. Portland State’s defense forced Weber State into difficult shots, and the Wildcats struggled to find offensive rhythm.
Blaise Threatt led all scorers with 22 points on eight-of-16 shooting and added seven rebounds and four assists in his return after missing two games due to illness. He was the only Wildcat to score in double figures. Miguel Tomley contributed 8 points, three assists and two rebounds.
Portland State improved to 4–2 in Big Sky play with the win, while Weber State dropped to 1–5. The Wildcats continued their road trip Saturday at Sacramento State.
Sacramento
Weber State rebounded from Thursday’s loss with an 87–81 victory over Sacramento State (6–14 overall, 2–5 Big Sky) Saturday afternoon at the Nest, snapping a three-game losing streak. Behind strong performances from Threatt and Viljami Vartiainen, the Wildcats claimed their second conference win of the season.
The Wildcats started the game with a new lineup, inserting Vartiainen, Dyson Koehler, and Alex Tew into the starting five alongside Threatt and Nigel Burris. The changes paid off as Weber State opened the game on an 18–7 run, fueled by Vartiainen’s hot hand. The sophomore guard scored 14 of his career-high 22 points in the first 12 minutes, finishing the game six-of-10 from the field and four-of-seven from the 3-point range.
Weber State led 42–34 at halftime, shooting 58% from the field and knocking down eight 3-pointers in the first half. The Wildcats extended their lead to as many as 21 points midway through the second half, powered by Threatt’s 26-point performance. Threatt finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals, shooting nine of 14 from the field and two of three from the 3-point range.
Sacramento State attempted a late comeback, cutting the lead to 7 points after an 11–0 run in the final minutes. Hornets guards Michael Wilson and Leo Ricketts combined for 24 points in the last six minutes, including five 3-pointers. However, Weber State held on by making eight free throws in the final 40 seconds to secure the win.
The Wildcats shot 55% from the field and went 11 of 22 from the 3-point range, while Sacramento State shot 46% overall from the field. WSU also outrebounded the Hornets 33–30 and recorded 15 assists.
Trevor Hennig added 12 points off the bench and Alex Tew contributed 11 points and four rebounds. Dyson Koehler chipped in with two 3-pointers and six rebounds.
The Wildcats improved to 8–13 overall and 2–5 in Big Sky play and will return home for a four-game stretch starting Jan. 30 against the University of Idaho at the Dee Events Center. Tipoff starts at 7 p.m.