Weber State University Athletics
Saturday, November 19
Ogden
1:00 p.m.
Weber State University
55
vs
44
Utah Valley
Photo by: Freddie Lacey
Defend The Dee: Wildcats Beat Wolverines in Home Opener
11/19/2022 5:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
OGDEN, Utah – Weber State basketball hosted its first home game of the 2022-23 in style by beating the Utah Valley Wolverines 55-44.
UVU got off to a hot start that included an 8-3 early lead over the Wildcats, but a first quarter that was highlighted by a pair of Laura Taylor three pointers and a buzzer beater from Jadyn Matthews helped aid the WSU rally. The Wildcats trailed 19-18 at the end of the first.
The two teams weren't able to make up any ground on each other by the end of the second quarter. Daryn Hickok scored a layup and a jumper in the second to help keep the 'Cats close, but UVU maintained its one-point lead at the half with the score at 25-24.
Weber State found a rhythm after heading to the locker rooms to talk things over. An early 8-3 run in the third frame gave the Wildcats a 32-28 lead. WSU capped off the third quarter with a fast break three pointer from Taylor that finished off the scoring for both teams. The tally after three: 41-30 in favor of the Wildcats.
Hickok continued the hot shooting from the outside to open the fourth quarter with a three pointer of her own. Following a made free throw from UVU, Amelia Raidaveta layed the ball in on two consecutive possessions to extend the lead to 17, and another layup from Matthews pushed the Wildcat advantage to 19 points.
A late UVU rally closed the gap to eight points with under a minute left, but the result hadn't been in doubt for a while. Weber State closed out the game with a 55-44 victory.
NOTABLES
-Matthews, for the third consecutive game, led the team in scoring (16) and rebounding (8).
-With 11 points, Taylor set a new career high.
-The Wildcats out-rebounded their opponent (36-33) for the third straight game.
-This was the first of four in-state games that the Wildcats host in the Dee Events Center this season.
QUOTABLES
"I think our kids always play hard, it's just about playing smart. I asked them at halftime if we were playing well and they said that we aren't. […] When we were in the huddle we were talking positive things. We were talking about how we can fix it. I really appreciate the way that they put their minds forward in trying to get the W. […] I love (Jadyn). I think she's grand and she knows I think that of her. She's always been a good player and we know that, but it wasn't in her mind that she was. Last year she got her bearings offensively. She's leading our team by example with what she's doing." – Velaida Harris
"I think we did a good job of execution on defense. In practice we've been harping on winning on the defensive end of the floor. We held them to 44 points and that's what I'm most excited about. […] I just want to win. I know we all have a chip on our shoulder, but for me personally I'm a senior. This is my year along with the others who have been here a long time. Going into every game I know what I have to do to produce for my team." – Jadyn Matthews
UP NEXT
The Wildcats head to Rhode Island for a tournament in Providence. Weber State opens the tournament on November 25 against Bryant at 1:00 MT.
TICKETS
Season and single match tickets are on sale and can be purchased online or by calling the Weber State ticket office at 801-626-8500.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Make sure to follow Weber State women's basketball on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to stay up to date with everything happening with the Wildcats.
UVU got off to a hot start that included an 8-3 early lead over the Wildcats, but a first quarter that was highlighted by a pair of Laura Taylor three pointers and a buzzer beater from Jadyn Matthews helped aid the WSU rally. The Wildcats trailed 19-18 at the end of the first.
The two teams weren't able to make up any ground on each other by the end of the second quarter. Daryn Hickok scored a layup and a jumper in the second to help keep the 'Cats close, but UVU maintained its one-point lead at the half with the score at 25-24.
Weber State found a rhythm after heading to the locker rooms to talk things over. An early 8-3 run in the third frame gave the Wildcats a 32-28 lead. WSU capped off the third quarter with a fast break three pointer from Taylor that finished off the scoring for both teams. The tally after three: 41-30 in favor of the Wildcats.
Hickok continued the hot shooting from the outside to open the fourth quarter with a three pointer of her own. Following a made free throw from UVU, Amelia Raidaveta layed the ball in on two consecutive possessions to extend the lead to 17, and another layup from Matthews pushed the Wildcat advantage to 19 points.
A late UVU rally closed the gap to eight points with under a minute left, but the result hadn't been in doubt for a while. Weber State closed out the game with a 55-44 victory.
NOTABLES
-Matthews, for the third consecutive game, led the team in scoring (16) and rebounding (8).
-With 11 points, Taylor set a new career high.
-The Wildcats out-rebounded their opponent (36-33) for the third straight game.
-This was the first of four in-state games that the Wildcats host in the Dee Events Center this season.
QUOTABLES
"I think our kids always play hard, it's just about playing smart. I asked them at halftime if we were playing well and they said that we aren't. […] When we were in the huddle we were talking positive things. We were talking about how we can fix it. I really appreciate the way that they put their minds forward in trying to get the W. […] I love (Jadyn). I think she's grand and she knows I think that of her. She's always been a good player and we know that, but it wasn't in her mind that she was. Last year she got her bearings offensively. She's leading our team by example with what she's doing." – Velaida Harris
"I think we did a good job of execution on defense. In practice we've been harping on winning on the defensive end of the floor. We held them to 44 points and that's what I'm most excited about. […] I just want to win. I know we all have a chip on our shoulder, but for me personally I'm a senior. This is my year along with the others who have been here a long time. Going into every game I know what I have to do to produce for my team." – Jadyn Matthews
UP NEXT
The Wildcats head to Rhode Island for a tournament in Providence. Weber State opens the tournament on November 25 against Bryant at 1:00 MT.
TICKETS
Season and single match tickets are on sale and can be purchased online or by calling the Weber State ticket office at 801-626-8500.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Make sure to follow Weber State women's basketball on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to stay up to date with everything happening with the Wildcats.
Players Mentioned
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