Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Montana-Western
Weber State Defeats Montana-Western, 94-84, in Dee Events Center "Three For All"
12/15/2007 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
OGDEN, UTAH - A Friday night game during the Christmas holidays, a late tipoff (8:05 due to WSU Fall Commencement earlier in the day), and a full slate of local high school games didn't bode well for a large crowd for the Weber State Wildcats. On top of that the opponent, Montana-Western, wasn't a Utah State or Utah for sure. But the 2,021 faithful fans who did show up were treated veritable "three for all" and a shooting display to rival the Christmas lights on houses surrounding the arena as the Wildcats and Bulldogs hit a combined 23-45 (.511) from the three-point arc and 178 points with the ?Cat prevailing 94-84.
Weber State placed five players in double figure scoring for the first time this season. KELLEN McCOY came off the bench to lead the Wildcat scoring parade with a career high 19 points including a perfect 3-3 from the three-point arc where the Wildcats connected on 10-20. Turns out they needed more than that to wart off the three-point bombing raid by the Bulldogs who launched 25 from the arc, connecting on 13, just two shy of the Dee Events Center record of 15. The Wildcats didn't have much of an answer for Bulldog guard CHAD MYERS who scored a game high 25 points hitting 8-9 from the field and a near perfect 6-7 from long range.
Coming into the contest with a four-game losing streak against power squad from Utah, Illinois, BYU and San Francisco all on the road over the last two weeks, the Wildcats jumped out to a quick 17-7 lead in the first four minutes with nine of those points coming via the three-point arc. DEZMON HARRIS hit two and BRODY VAN BROCKLIN added one during the scoring run.
The Bulldogs withstood the barrage and went on a 10-4 scoring run over the next four minutes cutting the margin to four at 21-17. The Wildcats then went to work and pushed the margin to 16 (46-30) with 1:29 left in the first half and on a tip-in at the buzzer by TREVOR MORRIS went into the locker room with a 48-35 half time lead. It was the most points scored in the first half this season by the Wildcats who were averaging just over 26 points in the first halves of games this season.
The Wildcats forged a 19 point lead (76-57) with 8:47 remaining on a three-pointer by McCOY. In a four minute span Montana-Western cut the lead to eight at 81-73 with 4:50 to go on a three-pointer by MYERS.
JUAN PABLO SILVEIRA connected on a long three-pointer with 3:53 left putting the ?Cats back up by 12 (86-74). The Bulldogs answered that with back-to-back three's by COLBY BLAINE and ZACK PITTS and a lay up by LAYNE GLAUS with 1:14 remaining and suddenly the Wildcats were looking at a slim 90-84 lead on the clock.
The Wildcats finally put the Bulldogs away on the next possession when GLAUS was called for an intentional foul on KELLEN McCOY. McCOY made both free throws with 1:03 left and WSU got the ball back. GLAUS then fouled DEZMON HARRIS who made one of two free throws.
Montana-Western finally missed a three-pointer and ARTURAS VALEIKA made of two free throws after being fouled with eight seconds left for the final margin of victory.
Montana-Western out scored the Wildcats 50-46 in the second half hitting 17-26 (.654) from the field including 9-13 (.692) from long range and ended the game making 27-49 (.551) overall and 13-25 (.520) on three pointers. The Bulldogs also made good at the free throw line hitting 17-22 (.773).
The Wildcats were 29-51 (.569) overall , 10-20 (.500) on three-pointers and 26-36 (.722) from the free throw line. They had a season high 16 ASSISTS and a season low NINE TURNOVERS. WSU came into the game averaging just over 11 assists per game and just over 18 turnovers a contest.
With the Fall semester over, the Wildcats have now put away the books for the holidays. Next up is a season rematch with Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday, December 18 at 7:05 p.m. (MST) in the Dee Events Center. The Wildcats defeated the Roadrunners 61-56 on November 19 in Bakersfield.
