Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Eastern Washington
Weber State Defeats Eastern Washington, 74-57 Thursday night in Ogden, Utah
2/12/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
OGDEN, Utah -- Steve Panos scored a career high 22 points and Daviin Davis came off the bench to add 19, leading the Weber State Wildcats to a 74-57 win over Eastern Washington Thursday night before 4,881 inside the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah.
Panos hit 7-10 shots from the field and was a perfect 8-8 at the free throw line. He and Darin Mahoney led the team with seven rebounds. Panos picked a good game for a career night picking up the slack from leading scorer Kellen McCoy who struggled hitting 1-8 from the field and scoring a season low three points.
"Steve had a terrific game tonight and it came at a good time," said WSU head coach Randy Rahe. "He didn't rush his moves tonight and played with calm steady demeanor. He also played a solid game on the defensive end as well."
Both teams began the game with near three minute scoring droughts. EWU's Milan Stanojevic broke the dry spell with a three-pointer at the 17:33 mark, but was immediately answered by WSU's Kyle Bullinger. That would be the Eagles' only lead of the game as the Wildcats methodically put themselves up 36-26 at halftime on the strength of 10 points a piece from Damian Lillard and Daviin Davis.
The Wildcats put the game away in the first six minutes of the second half with a 10-5 scoring run to take a 46-31 lead on a lay up by Lillard and built it up to 20 in the last minute. Panos had a perfect second half making 3-3 shots from the field and 7-7 from the line to get his 22 points. Damian Lillard added 15.
Eastern Washington was led by guard Adris DeLeon who came off the bench to score 15 points. Brandon Moore was the only other Eagle in double figure scoring with 11. Benny Valentine, the Big Sky's third leading score overall at 16.1 ppg, was held to just seven points on 3-9 shooting.
The win pushes the Wildcats to 16-8 overall and 10-1 in the Big Sky Conference. The win assures the Wildcats a place in the Big Sky Conference Post-Season Tournament. Weber State has now won seven straight games, the longest in Randy Rahe's three year tenure and the longest since the 2002-03 season when the Wildcats won 17 straight overall and all 16 games in Big Sky Conference play.
NOTES.... The win gives the Wildcats 10 league wins for the third straight season. ... WSU head coach, Randy Rahe, is now 52-34 (.605) overall and 31-12 (.731) in Big Sky Conference regular season games. .... Rahe is now 32-6 (.842) overall in the Dee Events Center and 21-3 (.875) in Big Sky Conference regular season games. ... Thursday night's win was the 350th at the Dee Events Center for the Wildcats.
