Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Montana State
Wildcats return home to host Bobcats Thursday
2/8/2023 11:26:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Weber State and Montana State tipoff at 7 p.m. at the Dee Events Center.
• After four-straight games on the road, it's back home for the Weber State men's basketball team as the Wildcats host two longtime rivals this week, beginning Thursday night against Montana State. The Wildcats and Bobcats will tipoff at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Dee Events Center. The game will be televised throughout Utah on KJZZ TV with Dave Fox, former WSU head coach Joe Cravens, and Tim LaComb calling the action. It will also be streamed on ESPN+.
Weber State radio broadcast with Steve Klauke and former WSU standout and Big Sky MVP David Patten will be on 103.1 FM "The Wave". Live stats at WeberStateSports.com and the Weber State Wildcats app.
• Weber State is 12-12 overall and 7-4 in Big Sky play. The Wildcats are coming off an 88-54 loss at Northern Colorado on Monday night, the last game of a four-game road trip. WSU is currently third in the Big Sky standings.
• Montana State is 17-8 overall and 10-2 in Big Sky action, currently second in the conference standings. The Bobcats have won five-straight games heading into Thursday night. MSU won the conference regular season and tournament last year. The Bobcats beat Weber State 67-52 earlier this season in Bozeman.
• Wildcat sophomore forward Dillon Jones recorded his 14th double-double of the season on Monday night. Jones leads Weber State in points, rebounds, assists and steals. He is first in the nation in defensive rebounds at 10.0 per game and ranks ninth in the country in overall rebounds at 10.8 per game. His 14 double-doubles this season are tied for the fourth most in the nation. He has scored in double figures 19 times this season and ranks eighth in the Big Sky in scoring at 15.5 points per game. He has reached double figures in nine-straight and 17 of the last 18 games.
He also has had 10 or more rebounds in nine of the last 11 games and has led the Wildcats in rebounding in 15-straight games and 18 of the last 19 games. He ranks fifth in the Big Sky in assists at 3.7 per game, is third in steals at 1.5 per game. He also leads the Big Sky in free throw percentage at 84.9 percent.
Jones moved into eighth in school history in career rebounds with 732 rebounds in 79 career games. He also passed Jerrick Harding and is now fifth in carer steals with 131. He needs 39 more points to reach 1,000 career points.
• Dyson Koehler scored in double figures for the second-straight game and the fifth time this season in Monday's game. Koehler is averaging 6.1 points per game on the season and has started 18 games for the Wildcats. He is third on the team in 3-point field goal percentage.
• The Wildcats are 9-1 this season when leading at halftime and 2-11 when trailing. Weber State is also 10-1 when leading in field goal percentage, 2-11 when trailing, and 10-1 when leading in rebounding and 2-11 when trailing. WSU is also 10-1 when scoring 70 or more points in a game and 2-11 when scoring less than 70.
• Weber State is led by new head coach Eric Duft who was named the 10th head coach in Weber State history in May. Duft replaced Randy Rahe who retired after 16 seasons as the head coach as the Big Sky Conference's all-time leader in career wins and led the Wildcats to five Big Sky titles and three trips to the NCAA Tournament. Duft spent all 16 seasons as an assistant coach under Rahe.
• Montana State has won five-straight and nine of the last 10 entering Thursday's game. The Bobcats won the Big Sky regular season and tournament titles last year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and were picked to finish first again this season. MSU leads the Big Sky in scoring defense, scoring margin, and blocks, and ranks second in field goal defense, steals and turnover margin.
• The Bobcats beat Weber State 67-52 on January 14 in Bozeman. Montana State forced 16 Wildcat turnovers and knocked down seven 3-pointers. MSU also scored 25 points off WSU's 16 turnovers.
• This will be the 130th all-time meeting between Weber State and Montana State, since WSU became a four-year Division I school. The two teams are both charter members of the Big Sky Conference.
The Wildcats hold an 88-41 all-time lead over the Bobcats, but Montana State has won the last three meetings. The 88 wins is the most by Weber State against any opponent in its history.
In games in Ogden, Weber State is 54-9 all-time against Montana State, but the Bobcats have won two of the last four.
• WSU will host another longtime rival in Montana on Saturday at the Dee Events Center, before hitting the road at Portland State and Sacramento State next week.
