Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Portland State
'Cats are back home Saturday at 6:00 against Portland State
12/3/2021 11:56:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Wildcats are 7-0 on the season and opened Big Sky play with a win on Thursday.
• The 7-0 Weber State men's basketball team is right back in action Saturday night when the Wildcats host Portland State in the second Big Sky game of the season. The Wildcats and the Vikings will tipoff at 6 p.m. at the Dee Events Center. The game will be televised on ESPN+ and the ESPN app and will also be broadcast on the radio on 103.1 FM "The Wave". Live stats at WeberStateSports.com.
• Weber State improved to 7-0 on the season and opened Big Sky Conference play with a 67-44 win over Northern Arizona Thursday. Weber State shot a season-low 34 percent from the field but the Wildcats forced 28 NAU turnovers and WSU had 16 steals on the night.
• Dillon Jones led Weber State with 18 points, 12 rebounds and five steals in Thursday's win. It was his fifth double-double in seven games this season, which is tied for the fifth most in the nation this season. Jones leads the Big Sky and is 10th in the country in rebounding at 10.9 per game.
• As of Friday, Dec. 3, Weber State is one of just 14 teams in the nation that are still undefeated.
• Freshman transfer Dyson Koehler had his best game as a Wildcat in Thursday's win. He had career-highs of 15 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes of action, and knocked down two 3-pointers. He was also a perfect 7 of 7 from the free throw line.
• After struggling from the field in Thursday's win, Weber State is now ninth in the nation in field goal percentage at 51 percent. The Wildcats have shot 50 percent or better in four games this season.
• The 16 steals by Weber State is tied for the fourth-most ever in a game and the most steals by the Wildcats since 2010. The 44 points allowed is the fewest point allowed by Weber State in a Big Sky game since February 2011. It was the fewest points against Weber State by NAU in the shot clock era.
• Thursday's win improved Weber State's home winning streak to 13 games, which is tied for the 12th longest home winning streak in the country. In the 16 years under coach Rahe, Weber State is 180-39 overall at home and is 107-24 in Big Sky games.
• WSU improved to 18-0 under coach Rahe when holding opponents under 50 points in a game. Weber State is also 97-5 when holding opponents under 60 points.
• Weber State forced 28 turnovers by NAU in Thursday's win, which is the most turnovers forced by the Wildcats in the 16 seasons under coach Randy Rahe.
• The Wildcats are currently 14th in the nation in turnover margin at +5.9. The 'Cats have had fewer turnovers than their opponent in six of seven games.
• Portland State is 3-3 and 1-0 in Big Sky play after opening the conference season with a 63-55 win at Idaho State on Thursday night. The Vikings also have wins over Evergreen State and George Fox with losses to Oregon State, Portland and Iowa.
• PSU is fifth in the country in rebounding, averaging 44.5 rebounds per game. The Vikings are 11th nationally in offensive rebounds at 14.8 per game.
• The game will feature two of the top defenses in the Big Sky. Portland State is first in the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense, 3-point defense blocks and steals, and ranks second in rebounding. Weber State is second in field goal defense, 3-point defense and steals.
• Individually, James Jean-Marie is first in the conference and seventh in the nation in rebounding at 11.0, just ahead of Dillon Jones. He also is tied with Jones with five double-doubles on the year and Jean-Marie ranks second in the country in offensive rebounds. He is 10th in the Big Sky in scoring at 13.8 points per game.
• The Vikings are coached by first-year head coach Jase Coburn who was hired in April as head coach. He has spent the last nine seasons as an assistant coach at Portland State.
• Weber State holds a 42-17 all-time series lead over Portland State, but the Vikings have won three of the last four games in the series. The two teams split two games in Portland last season.
• In games in Ogden, Weber State is 23-4 all-time, but Portland State has won the last two and three of the last five games played at the Dee Events Center.
• Wildcat senior Michal Kozak played in his 122nd career game on Thursday night. The 122 games played is now tied with former teammate Jerrick Harding and Trevor Morris for the ninth most games played in WSU history. Kozak is 11 games away from setting the new Weber State record for career games played.
• Kozak also has 565 career rebounds, which ranks 18th in school history. He is also tied for fifth in WSU history in career blocks with 100.
• Weber State is ranked 10th in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll.
• The Wildcats have had the same starting lineup in all seven games this season.
• Weber State was picked to finish second in the Big Sky preseason polls. The Wildcats were 17-6 last season and tied for second in the conference at 12-3. WSU returns four starters and 10 players off last year's team. WSU also welcomed four new players, including three Division I transfers.
• Head coach Randy Rahe made history in the November 21 win over Green Bay, as he won his 300th career game as head coach of the Wildcats. Rahe is in his 16th season at Weber State and is WSU's and the Big Sky Conference's all-time leader in wins and games coached. He has a career record of 302-179 at Weber State and has led the Wildcats to five Big Sky titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances. He has coached six Big Sky MVP's, including NBA superstar Damian Lillard.
• The Wildcats will return to the road next week when they play at Washington State on Wednesday, Dec. 8, in just the second ever matchup with the Cougars.
• After that, Weber State will have four straight home games hosting Maine-Fort Kent on Dec. 11, Utah State on Dec. 15, BYU on Dec. 18 and Fresno State on Dec. 23.
