After falling to the California State University, Sacramento, 104–90 during a 1-game road trip on Feb. 2, the Weber State University men’s basketball team took on the University of Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona University at home.
Weber vs. Northern Colorado
First, the Wildcats took on the Northern Colorado Bears in a rematch of their Jan. 10 game, which the Wildcats won 76–71.
After starting the season 10–3 in non-conference play, the Bears looked like heavy favorites going into Big Sky Conference play, except they started their conference slate with one win and seven losses. After winning two straight games, they were fired up for their game against the Wildcats.
Northern Colorado, who were the best 3-point shooting team in the conference when they last played Weber State, went 1-for-14 from the 3-point line that game.
Unfortunately for Weber, they were without their best perimeter defender, Jace Whiting, who missed his second straight game due to a foot injury suffered against Idaho State University on Jan. 31. They were also missing guard Trevor Hennig for a second straight game due to illness.
This was the second game in a row a Wildcat legend sat front row, as New York Knicks forward Dillon Jones attended the game.
Whiting’s perimeter defensive presence was missed this game, as the Bears hit 11 3-pointers, including forward Ibu Yamazaki, who went 5-for-6 from deep.
The Wildcats, on the other hand, struggled to shoot from deep, going 2-for-17 from the 3-point line.
Each time the Wildcats seemed like they were going to come back, their defensive woes caught up with them, and the Bears kept the Wildcats out of reach, winning 88–74.
“We’ve got to be better defensively,” senior forward Nigel Burris said. “I also thought we were fatigued a little bit. We came out at the beginning of the game a little bit slow. We got to be better than that … we’ve got to find a way to get it done.”
Head Coach Eric Duft shared some advice Jones gave to the team after the game.
“I thought they gave everything they had,” Duft said. “Dillon Jones talked to the team afterwards and said, ‘Hey, you’ve got to put this one behind you … I loved your guys’ process, I thought you guys stayed together, you stayed committed to each other … just keep fighting.”
Weber vs. Northern Arizona
Two days after the loss against Northern Colorado, the Wildcats took on last-place Northern Arizona.
The two teams last met in Flagstaff on Jan. 8, where Weber won 78–65.
Hennig, who had not been present for the last two games, was back at the Dee Events Center in street clothes.
After a close first half, where there were seven lead changes and three ties, the Wildcats dominated in the second half, and won 72–53, becoming only the fourth team to hold a potent Lumberjack offense to under 60 points in a game this season. The only other teams to do so were the University of Arizona, the No. 1 ranked team in the country, power five school Arizona State University and Portland State University — the Big Sky Conference leaders.
“They came out shooting 80%, we knew that was going to calm down,” junior guard Tijan Saine Jr. said. “We just stayed for our principles and stayed solid, and it worked out … We figured out a way to get it done.”
“Just a great effort by our team tonight,” Duft said. “It’s been four games in eight days, we’re low on bodies, we’re without two of our better players. For these guys to have the energy and the connectivity to come in here tonight and play like that, just a testament to those guys.”
After a long stretch of games, the Wildcats will travel up north to play the University of Idaho on Feb. 12, whom they lost to 75–67 on Jan. 17. Then, they will travel across state lines to Cheney, Washington, to take on Eastern Washington University on Feb. 14, whom they beat 91–80 on Jan. 15.
The Wildcats return home for their last two home games of the season against Montana State University on Feb. 19 and the University of Montana on Feb. 21.
