Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Utah
Late Second Half Surge Sends Weber State Past Utah, 83-76, Wednesday Night in Ogden
12/3/2009 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Damian Lillard scored a career high 28 points, and Steve Panos added 20, leading Weber State to an 83-76 win over instate rival Utah in front of 5,779 in WSU's Dee Events Center. The win snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Runnin' Utes.
Utah rushed out to a 9-0 lead on a three-pointer by Kim Tillie and two by freshman guard Marshall Henderson. The Wildcats finally got on the board at the 17:05 mark on a three pointer by Nick Hansen. The Runnin' Utes took their biggest lead of the half, 28-14, on an old-fashion three-point play Carlon Brown with 7:34 remaining.
Weber State closed the half with a 10-2 scoring run capped off banked three-pointer from Darin Mahoney as the buzzer sounded making it 41-38 Utah at the half. It was only the fifth career three-point shot by Mahoney and his first career three-point shot made.
WSU made 14-27 first half shots (.519) and held the Utes to 14-29 (.483) but Utah was a perfect 9-9 from the free throw line.
The two teams jockeyed for position the first four minutes of the second half. The Wildcats finally tied the game at 15:59 on a lay up Lillard, and took their first lead of the game on another Lillard lay up at the 13:33 mark. From that point forward, it was a back and forth chess match. With 5:59 left Utah scored to go up five, 67-62 on two free throws from Carlon Brown and it appeared the Utes had regained control of the contest.
After Brown's free throws, Lillard drove the lane and missed, Utah rebounded and drove to the other end where a lay up by Chris Hines was blocked by Franklin Session and rebounded by Nick Hansen, Hansen hit Sessions who was streaking down court after the block and he pulled up and drained a three-pointer making it a 67-65 lead for Utah.
The Utes answered with a bucket from Luka Drca with 4:58 remaining. Following that hoop, Steve Panos hit a lay up which ignited a 9-0 scoring run by the Wildcats which was punctuated by a big three-pointer by Damian Lillard with 2:18 to go giving the 'Cats a 74-69 lead.
Utah closed to within three, twice, in the final two minutes. The Utes came back to within three with 37 seconds left on a driving lay up by Carlon Brown making it 77-74 for the Wildcats. The game then became a free throw shooting contest with Lilllard hitting 6-6 down the stretch, keeping the Utes at bay.
“That was a big win for us right now,” said WSU head coach Randy Rahe. “We've been playing hard, and at times very good, and I have been telling our team to keep playing hard and good things will happen and it did tonight.”
The Wildcats had been averaging more than 14 turnovers a game but had just five the entire game and zero in the second half.
“That's an unbelievable stat,” Rahe said, “I don't thing I have every had that happen to a team while I have been coaching, especially in a tough instate game. That's a tribute to our team being focused and ready to play.”
The Wildcats had great second half success despite shooting just 38 percent (14-37) from the filed and 2-9 from the three point line. They were, however, 15-17 from the free throw line (.882).
Utah, which falls to 3-4, was led by 6-11 forward Kim Tillie who scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Carlon Brown had 16 and Luke Drca added 12.
Lillard and Panos were WSU's only players in double figure scoring. Panos led the 'Cats with seven rebounds. Weber State is now 2-4 overall and opens Big Sky Conference play this coming Saturday, December 5 traveling to Sacramento State for an 8:05 tip (MST).
