Weber State University Athletics
Saturday, February 18
Portland, OR
8:00 p.m. MT
Weber State University
15-13,10-5Big Sky
65
at
57
Portland State
12-16,6-9Big Sky
1st half1
2nd half2
FinalF
Weber St.
27
38
65
Portland St.
27
30
57
Photo by: Larry C. Lawson
Wildcats sweep Vikings with 65-57 road win
2/18/2023 11:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Dillon Jones had his 17th double-double to lead Weber State to its 10th Big Sky win of the season.
PORTLAND, OR - What a night it was for Weber State basketball. While Damian Lillard was in Utah winning the 3-point contest at the NBA All-Star game in a Weber State jersey, the Wildcat basketball team was in Lillard's hometown of Portland. And the Wildcats also came away victorious with a 65-57 win over Portland State Saturday night at Viking Pavilion.
Dillon Jones posted his 17th double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Wildcats to their 10th Big Sky win of the season.
Weber State is now 15-13 overall and 10-5 in Big Sky play with three conference games remaining.
The game saw eight ties and four lead changes but the Wildcats never trailed in the second half. WSU had a quick 10-0 run and jumped out to a 27-19 lead with 2:50 left in the first half. Portland State responded with an 8-0 run of its own to tie the game at 27-27 at halftime.
The 'Cats led by two at 54-52 with 2:53 to play when Dillon Jones scored seven-straight Wildcat points. He knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:28, later made two free throws, and scored on a driving layup with one minute left to give the 'Cats a four-point lead. Weber State scored the final six points of the game to secure the season sweep of Portland State.
Jones had 15 points in the second half on 5 of 9 shooting. He finished the game 8 of 13 from the field and 6 of 8 from the free throw line for his 23 points. In addition to the 13 rebounds, he also dished out four assists and had one steal. He has now reached 20 or more points seven times this season.
Steven Verplancken added 10 points on 4 of 11 shooting. Zahir Porter had nine points off the bench and Alex Tew also added nine points and seven rebounds.
The Wildcats shot 45 percent from the field and held the Vikings to 36 percent from the field. WSU also outrebounded Portland State 42-28.
"We played the game on our terms and didn't let them control the tempo and the guys were fantastic tonight," said WSU head coach Eric Duft. "Defensively we were locked in the whole night and had a good game plan and it was all about our effort and toughness. Great road trip and I'm really proud of our team for their energy tonight."
With the win, Weber State can not finish lower than fourth in the Big Sky standings. The 'Cats have won 10 or more Big Sky Conference games in seven of the last eight years and 15 of the last 17 years.
The Wildcats will return home for their final two home games this week, beginning Thursday night against league-leading Eastern Washington. The Eagles are 15-0 in Big Sky play and have clinched at least a share of the Big Sky title. They have the nation's longest winning streak at 17 games. Tipoff Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the Dee Events Center.
Dillon Jones posted his 17th double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Wildcats to their 10th Big Sky win of the season.
Weber State is now 15-13 overall and 10-5 in Big Sky play with three conference games remaining.
The game saw eight ties and four lead changes but the Wildcats never trailed in the second half. WSU had a quick 10-0 run and jumped out to a 27-19 lead with 2:50 left in the first half. Portland State responded with an 8-0 run of its own to tie the game at 27-27 at halftime.
The 'Cats led by two at 54-52 with 2:53 to play when Dillon Jones scored seven-straight Wildcat points. He knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:28, later made two free throws, and scored on a driving layup with one minute left to give the 'Cats a four-point lead. Weber State scored the final six points of the game to secure the season sweep of Portland State.
Jones had 15 points in the second half on 5 of 9 shooting. He finished the game 8 of 13 from the field and 6 of 8 from the free throw line for his 23 points. In addition to the 13 rebounds, he also dished out four assists and had one steal. He has now reached 20 or more points seven times this season.
Steven Verplancken added 10 points on 4 of 11 shooting. Zahir Porter had nine points off the bench and Alex Tew also added nine points and seven rebounds.
The Wildcats shot 45 percent from the field and held the Vikings to 36 percent from the field. WSU also outrebounded Portland State 42-28.
"We played the game on our terms and didn't let them control the tempo and the guys were fantastic tonight," said WSU head coach Eric Duft. "Defensively we were locked in the whole night and had a good game plan and it was all about our effort and toughness. Great road trip and I'm really proud of our team for their energy tonight."
With the win, Weber State can not finish lower than fourth in the Big Sky standings. The 'Cats have won 10 or more Big Sky Conference games in seven of the last eight years and 15 of the last 17 years.
The Wildcats will return home for their final two home games this week, beginning Thursday night against league-leading Eastern Washington. The Eagles are 15-0 in Big Sky play and have clinched at least a share of the Big Sky title. They have the nation's longest winning streak at 17 games. Tipoff Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the Dee Events Center.
Team Stats
Weber
PSU
FG%
.453
.362
3FG%
.250
.158
FT%
.737
.706
RB
42
28
TO
17
13
STL
5
5
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
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/ Men's BasketballG
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