Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
4-5,1-1Big Sky
Tarleton State
5-3,0-0WAC
Wildcats Outlast Tarleton State, Advance to 3-0 At Home
12/11/2021 6:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball
On Saturday afternoon, the Weber State Wildcats were forced to dig deep which allowed them to outlast the Tarleton State Texans, beating them 64-54 and propelling their home record to 3-0 on the year.Â
It wasn't always pretty, but the ending was glorious as the 'Cat defense stifled the Texans throughout the second half allowing just 8 points from the field and not a single free throw. It's no surprise that defense is what carried them to a win, it's not only a point of emphasis but also is what head coach Velaida Harris and the Wildcats pride themselves upon. WSU calls their defense "Ronda", but today it carried the label "turning point".Â
In the opening quarter, the Wildcats slightly struggled because they weren't locked in defensively. There were late closeouts and a heavy dosage of fouls that allowed the Texans to get to the line five times. But those five free throws attempted in the opening frame were the final ones that they'd attempt throughout the remainder of the game as the 'Cats ramped up the intensity while also making sure to avoid picking up silly fouls. TSU scored 21 in the opening quarter which was their highest of the night as they were unable to notch more than 13 points in a period throughout the rest of the way.Â
Despite their early defensive struggles, Weber State still was able to remain engaged on the offensive end as they finished the first quarter with 16 points on the board before outscoring TSU 14-13 in the following period. In that second quarter, WSU was defending better and only allowed 5-12 shooting from the field but still, the Texans were able to shoot 3-5 from beyond the arc which helped them sit on a 34-30 lead going into halftime.Â
From that point on, the Wildcats were dominant.Â
After the teams exchanged big baskets early in the third, the 'Cats began to slowly capture momentum as their defense began to give Tarleton headaches. They were only able to muster up 9 points throughout the quarter while Coach V's squad added 14 to their total which gave them a 44-43 lead heading into the final frame. That lead came courtesy of an Aloma Solovi steal and eventual finish as she played the passing lane perfectly then raced down the floor and got the lay-up to go.Â
In the fourth, WSU made their presence felt as they not only led wire to wire but looked scary while doing so. The scoring kicked off Torbert set Emri Lovell up for a mid-range jumper and then Lovell found Torbert for a three-pointer.Â
Suddenly, the 'Cats were leading 49-43 but it didn't stop there. TSU eventually tacked on a couple of points which were matched by Ava Williams and Jadyn Matthews. Later in the quarter while leading 53-51, Torbert came away with back-to-back buckets which were followed up by lay-ups from Williams and Solovi along with a three-point dagger from Kori Pentzer.Â
"We got 7 out of 8 stops before that timeout... it's just about the enthusiasm and the effort that we put towards defense" said Coach Harris.Â
This barrage put the Wildcats up 64-51 and allowed them to eventually secure a 64-54 victory when time expired.Â
After the game, Coach Harris called Torbert the staple of their defense. Her impact was not only felt on defense with her three blocks and steal but also on the offensive end as she finished with 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. While there were plenty of lessons that could be taken away from the win, she instead reflected back upon their two road contests against Big Sky foes.
"I learned that when we are really locked in on the scout and in shoot-around on the day of the game that we can compete with anybody," said Torbert.Â
The Wildcats saw double-digit scoring contributions from Matthews who had 16, and of course, Torbert who had 12; but they surprisingly saw a 15-point outing from Kori Pentzer despite her missing their previous contest due to injury. She powered through any rust she might've felt by playing 28 minutes and shooting 5-10 from the field.Â
Her availability has been limited throughout the past three days but Coach Harris credits both Torbert and Laura Taylor for their ability to step in and provide meaningful minutes during moments when Pentzer was off the floor.Â
Next, the Weber State Wildcats will battle New Mexico State on Saturday, Dec. 18 at noon on ESPN+ as they welcome an unfamiliar foe to Ogden but do battle against a very familiar face.Â
