Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
UT Arlington
WSU hosts UT Arlington Saturday in Junction City Jam
11/21/2025 4:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Wildcats and Mavericks tipoff at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Dee Events Center.
• It's another home tournament game for Weber State as the Wildcats conclude the week as hosts of the Junction City Jam this Saturday night against UT Arlington. The Junction City Jam is the first multi-team tournament Weber State has hosted since 1991. The tournament consists of three games between Weber State, Campbell, and UT Arlington.
• The Wildcats are coming off a thrilling 91-85 win over Campbell in the first game of the tournament on Wednesday night. Five Wildcats scored in double figures and WSU shot 55 percent from the field in the win. The 'Cats led by as many as 21 points, then held off a Camel rally for the win.
On Friday afternoon, Campbell beat UT Arlington 71-67.
• Saturday's game between the Wildcats and Mavs will tipoff at 7 p.m. at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with Jon Oglesby and former Weber State head coach Joe Cravens calling the action.
The WSU radio broadcast will be on 103.1 FM with Carl Arky and former Weber State standout and Big Sky MVP David Patten on the call.
Live stats are available at WeberStateSports.com and the Weber State Wildcats app.
• The Junction City Jam is the first preseason tournament Weber State has hosted since 1991. The tournament is presented by Goldenwest Credit Union, Utah Eye Centers, and Specialists in Orthodontics.
The Junction City Jam is a reference to Ogden's railroad history. Ogden was nicknamed Junction City in the late 1800s, and the city was a railroad hub and transfer point for more than 100 trains each day. Ogden became the junction for railroad travel in the Intermountain West for several decades.
All three games of the Jam will be streamed on ESPN+.
• Weber State is 2-3 on the season and coming off a 91-85 win over Campbell on Wednesday night in the first game of the tournament. The 91 points was the most by the Wildcats against a Division team in nearly two years. WSU shot a season-high 54.8 percent from the field and knocked down eight 3-pointers.
• In Wednesday's win, Tijan Saine Jr. led the Wildcats with a season-high 23 points, the most points scored in a game by any Wildcat this season. Saine was 7 of 13 from the field, including three 3-pointers. He also dished out a season-high seven assists. Through five games, Saine, a Division II transfer from Western Washington, is averaging 10.8 points per game and leads the Wildcats in assists at 4.4 per game.
• Through the first five games, Weber State leads the country in 3-point field goal defense. The Wildcats are holding their opponents to just 16.7 percent from 3-point range, the best in the nation. WSU has held each of the last three opponents to just three 3-pointers a game. In the last three games, opponents are 9 of 52 from 3-point range for 17.3 percent.
• WSU is also fifth in the country in rebounding, averaging 48.8 rebounds per game. The 'Cats are sixth nationally in defensive rebounds and 22nd in offensive rebounds.
• Weber State has five players currently averaging in double figure scoring. Trevor Hennig (16.0), Jace Whiting (13.8), Tijan Saine Jr. (10.8), Viljami Vartiainen (10.6), and Nigel Burris (10.2), are all averaging at least 10 points per game through the first five games of the season.
• The 'Cats were without their leading scorer in Hennig who missed Wednesday's game with an ankle injury. Hennig leads the Wildcats in scoring at 16.0 points per game and is also averaging 6.5 rebounds a game.
• Wednesday's game was the first of four straight home games for the Wildcats and the first of five non-conference home games against Division I opponents, the most in 13 years.
• Weber State has used five different starting lineups through the first five games. Only Tijan Saine Jr. and Malek Gomma have started all four games.
• The Mavericks of UT Arlington enter Saturday's game at 4-2 overall. They have wins over UNT Dallas, Arlington Baptist, Missouri State and Evansville, and are coming off a 71-67 loss to Campbell on Friday afternoon in the first round of the Junction City Jam.
• UT Arlington was 13-18 overall last season and finished seventh in the Western Athletic Conference at 6-10. The Mavs were picked fourth in this year's preseason poll and senior Raysean Seamster was named to the preseason all-conference team.
• The Mavs are coached by KT Turner who is in his third season at UT Arlington. Turner has an overall record of 37-34. Prior to becoming head coach, Turner was an assistant at Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas, SMU, and Wichita State, among others.
• This will be just the third game ever between Weber State and UT Arlington with the series tied 1-1. The team teams played in 2012 and 2014 as part of the ESPN Bracketbuster.
In February 2012 in Ogden, Weber State beat the Mavs 72-70. Scott Bamforth led the Wildcats with 19 points and Damian Lillard had 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and two steals, during his final season with the 'Cats.
In December 2014, UT Arlington beat Weber State 63-56 in Arlington. Jeremy Senglin led WSU in that game with 18 points and five assists and Joel Bolomboy had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots.
• The Wildcats are coached by Eric Duft who returns for his fourth season as head coach and his 20th season overall at Weber State. He spent 16 seasons as an assistant coach under Randy Rahe before becoming the 10th head coach in WSU history in May 2022. He has been on the coaching staff for over 600 games at Weber State, more than anyone in WSU's history.
