by Brayden Evensen
The Weber State Wildcats have fielded good basketball programs season. It’s time to review how they did this week.
Men’s Basketball
After winning their rematch with Idaho State 95-63, the Weber State men’s basketball team headed on the road for two games last week, beginning with a game at in-state rival Southern Utah on Monday, January 24, 2022. The Wildcats got off to a fast start and went into the half leading their rivals 44-35.
The second half was a back and forth affair with the Thunderbirds edging the Wildcats 49-48. Based on their strong first half, the Wildcats were able to hold on for the victory by a final score of 92-84. For the game, the Wildcats knocked down 13 three-pointers. Seikou Sisoho Jawara tied his career-high with 25 points. He also knocked down five shots from downtown. Koby McEwen added 21 points for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats played their next game at Northern Colorado on Thursday, January 27, 2022. The Wildcats got off to a slow start, and found themselves down 43-33 at halftime. The Wildcats came out swinging in the second half, and didn’t let up. They turned their double-digit halftime deficit into a 85-76 victory. The turnaround was marked by a great offensive second half from the Wildcats, who outscored Northern Colorado 52-33 in the final twenty minutes to pick up the road victory.
Dillon Jones led the Wildcats with 24 points and JJ Overton added 17 points. With the victory, the Wildcats improved their overall record to 15-5 and 8-1 in the Big Sky Conference.
After winning their first two road games of their road trip, the Weber State Men’s basketball team was looking to close out their three game road trip with a win versus Sacramento State on Saturday, January 29, 2022. The Wildcats didn’t show any rust from their two victories, rolling into halftime with a 40-25 lead. The second half was slightly more competitive, but in the end the Wildcats had more than enough to beat Sacramento State by a final score of 79-59.
Overton led the Wildcats with 18 points, while McEwen and Bassett each scored 17 points. With the win, the Wildcats ended their three game road trip with a 3-0 record and improved their overall record to 16-5 along with a 9-1 record in the Big Sky Conference. That is good enough for first place. The Wildcats are also on a six game winning streak overall.
The Wildcats returned home this week for three games, starting with Eastern Washington on Monday, January 31, 2022. They beat the Eagles 90-84 and also had a slam dunk that ended up third overall on SportsCenter Top 10 Plays. They will look to have an impressive week as conference play heats up.
Women’s Basketball
The Weber State Women’s Basketball team entered this week with a trio of home games starting with in-state rival Southern Utah on Monday, January 24, 2022. The game ended up going into overtime. Despite their best effort, the Wildcats ended up losing in overtime by a final score of 85-75. Despite the loss, Jadyn Matthews led the Wildcats with 20 points. Emma Torbert also added 17 points.
Despite the loss, the Wildcats next home game was on Thursday, January 27, 2022 against Northern Colorado. After falling behind early, the Wildcats battled back only to come up short in the end. They lost to Northern Colorado by a final score of 65-55. Despite the loss, Daryn Hickok led the Wildcats with 17 points and Kori Pentzer added 11 points.
Despite two close losses, the Wildcats were determined to end their homestand on a good note. Their final home game of the week was against Sacramento State on Saturday, January 29, 2022. The game was close throughout, but the Wildcats outlasted Sacramento State and earned the close 79-76 victory.
Torbert scored a career-high 29 points to propel the Wildcats to the victory. Aloma Solovi added six points and two steals for the Wildcats. With the victory, the Wildcats snapped a six game losing streak and improved their overall record to 8-12 overall and 4-7 in the Big Sky Conference. The Wildcats head on the road this week to play Montana and Montana State this week.
Featured image courtesy Robert Casey, Weber State Athletics