Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Montana
Wildcats take on Montana in Big Sky Quarterfinals Thursday
3/9/2022 5:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Tipoff at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday in Boise, Idaho.
• It's Tournament time for the Weber State men's basketball team and it's another matchup against a longtime rival. The Wildcats open action in the 2022 Big Sky Tournament Thursday afternoon with another matchup against Montana. The Wildcats and Grizzlies will tipoff at 2:30 p.m. from Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho. The game will be televised on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with Tony Parks and former Wildcat coach Joe Cravens on the call. Steve Klauke will have the call on the WSU radio broadcast on 103.1 FM "The Wave". Live stats at WeberStateSports.com.
• The Wildcats enter the conference tournament at 20-11 overall. WSU finished in a tie for third in the Big Sky at 13-7 and is the No. 4 seed in the tournament. Weber State is coming off a home loss to Southern Utah in the lone game last week.
• Montana is the No. 5 seed in the tournament and is 18-13 overall. The Grizzlies finished the regular season at 11-9 overall to finish in a tie for fifth in the league standings. Montana enters the conference tournament having lost four if its last five games.
• Weber State has played Montana more than any opponent in its history and the Big Sky Tournament has only added to the series. Thursday's game will be the 138th all-time meeting and will mark the ninth game in the last 13 Big Sky Tournaments between Weber State and Montana. The Grizzlies are 7-1 against the Wildcats in the tournament since 2010 and are 10-6 all-time in the tournament. The Grizzlies beat Weber State in 2021 and in 2019 in Boise. Weber State's only win in the last 12 tournaments was in the championship game in 2016 in Reno.
• The two teams split the season series this year with each team winning at home. The Grizzlies beat the Wildcats 74-72 on Jan. 1 in Missoula and the Wildcats won 80-75 on Feb. 3 in Ogden. In the two games, Koby McEwen averaged 28 points per game and Dillon Jones averaged 17.5 points ad 13.5 rebounds per game. McEwen had his WSU career-high of 32 points in the win in Ogden and Jones had double-doubles in both games, including 17 points and a season-high 16 rebounds in Missoula.
• Three Wildcats earned All-Big Sky honors, the league announced Tuesday. Senior transfer Koby McEwen was named the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year and earned first-team honors. Freshman Dillon Jones earned second-team honors and Seikou Sisoho Jawara was named to the third team.
• McEwen is the second-straight Wildcat to earn Big Sky Newcomer of the Year honors and he was a unanimous selection for Newcomer and first-team honors. McEwen is the ninth player in Weber State history to be named Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, including Isiah Brown who earned the honor last season. As a fifth-year transfer, McEwen joined the Wildcats last summer and started all 31 games for Weber State. Entering the conference tournament, he is fourth in the Big Sky in scoring at 18.2 points per game. He has scored in double figures in all but one game and has reached 20 or more points 13 times and 30 or more three times. McEwen is also sixth in the league in field goal percentage at 45.6 percent and ranks sixth in free throw percentage and seventh in steals. He is seventh in the nation in free throws made this season with 159.
• Dillon Jones was named to an all-conference team for the first time in his career after earning Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors last year. Entering the conference tournament, he has played in all 31 games for the Wildcats this season and leads the Big Sky, and is seventh in the nation in rebounding, averaging 10.6 per game. He has recorded 16 double-doubles this season, which is tied for the ninth-most of any player in the country. Jones has scored in double figures 21 times and has recorded double figures in rebounding 23 times. He has 330 rebounds this season, which currently ranks as the eighth-most in a season in Weber State history. Jones also ranks third in the Big Sky in steals and is averaging 12.1 points per game.
• This is the second-straight year earning All-Big Sky honors for sophomore Seikou Sisoho Jawara, who earned second-team honors last season. Sisoho Jawara is second on the Wildcat team and 16th in the Big Sky in scoring at 12.6 points per game. He has started all 31 games and has scored in double figures 17 times. He is also fourth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage, 10th in 3-pointers per game, and 10th in steals.
• Weber State has reached 20 wins again this season, marking the eighth time in 16 years under Randy Rahe the Weber State has won at least 20 games in a season, and the first since 2017-18. Senior Michal Kozak broke the WSU school record for career games played and has now played in 134 career games.
• This season the Wildcats are 19-0 when leading their opponent in field goal percentage and are 1-11 when trailing. The Wildcats are also 13-0 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field. WSU is also 14-1 when leading its opponent in 3-point field goal percentage. Weber State is 15-3 when leading at halftime and the Wildcats are 13-1 when scoring 80 or more points in a game.
• For the fourth-straight year, the Big Sky Tournament is being held in Boise, Idaho at the Idaho Central Arena. All games except the championship game will be on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The championship game will be on ESPNU and not on ESPN+. You must be a subscriber to ESPNU to watch the championship game.
Wednesday, March 9 (First Round)
#8 Sacramento State 57, #9 Idaho 54
#7 Portland State 66, vs. #10 Idaho State 52
#6 Eastern Washington 78, #11 Northern Arizona 75
Thursday, March 10 (Quarterfinals)
#1 Montana State vs. #8 Sacramento State 12 p.m. ESPN+
#4 Weber State vs. #5 Montana 2:30 p.m. ESPN+
#2 Southern Utah vs. #7 Portland State 5:30 p.m. ESPN+
#3 Northern Colorado vs. #6 Eastern Washington 8 p.m. ESPN+
Friday, March 11 (Semifinals)
Men's semifinal #1 5:30 p.m. ESPN+
Men's semifinal #2 8 p.m. ESPN+
Saturday, March 12 (Championship)
Championship 6 p.m. ESPNU
• This week marks the 46th Big Sky Conference postseason tournament and Weber State has participated in 44 of the 46 tournaments, the most of any team in conference history. The Wildcats have won the postseason tournament 10 times, the second-most in conference history and have advanced to the championship 17 times. WSU is 47-33 all-time in the tournament and is 33-10 in its first game of the tournament.
• This will be the 138th all-time meeting between the two schools, the most Weber State has ever played against any opponent. The Wildcats hold a 73-64 series lead, including this season. Montana has won four of the last six and nine of the last 12 against Weber State.
• Montana ranks 11th in the nation in free throw percentage and 16th in turnovers per game.
• The winner of Thursday's game will play the winner of No. 1 Montana State and No. 8 Sacramento State on Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the semifinals.
