by Zachary Knecht
Featured Image: Photo by Weber State Athletics
It was anything but smooth sailing for the Weber State Wildcats as they hosted the now #12 ranked Utah Utes in an 88-52 loss. The ‘Cats could not string anything together as they steadily fell out of contention early to their dominant opponent.
The loss continues Weber State’s skid as they have dropped their last four with conference play looming. While it was tough to imagine hanging with an opponent like the Utes, the Wildcats hope to turn things around and fast in hopes of the season not slipping away.
Outperformed
The Wildcats were outscored every quarter and held to 15 points or below in each period. Utah’s leading scorer Alissa Pili continued to impress in this one as she dropped another 20-point performance in the Dee Events Center, nearly collecting a double-double with nine rebounds and adding two assists. Nearly everyone on the floor for the Utes was able to get involved and move the ball well with a team total of 16 assists and 39 points from off the bench.
The Wildcats could not maintain possession as they turned the ball over 31 times, nearly double as much as Utah (16). They also lost the rebound battle to the Utes 41-28. Two Weber State starters were held scoreless in the contest, and the team constantly sent their opponents to the free-throw line. The Utes shot 28 free throws on the night and hit 25, aiding them on the way to their offensive productivity.
Bright Sides
The defense and three-point shooting were the main bright sides for the ‘Cats. It sounds strange to say the defense was the bright side in a blowout loss, but Weber State kept the Utes below their offensive season averages on the night. Their 88 points were below the 92.7 they’ve produced this season, and 43.8% from the field and 33.3% from three were both less efficient than usual.
Though the point total wasn’t there, Jadyn Matthews had ten rebounds on the night to go with her seven points. Daryn Hickok and Laura Taylor also put pressure on the Utes with two and three steals, respectively. Matthews and Hickock were each a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line with Hickok leading the team points total with 12.
The team also shot well from three (53.8%) as Taylor hit three of her four shots from beyond the arch. Emma Torbert produced nine points from the bench, including 2-5 from three in the effort.
Despite the loss, there were positives the ‘Cats should look at moving forward as conference play will begin next Thursday at Northern Colorado.
The Hive Sports 
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