by Zachary Knecht
Featured Image: Photo by Weber State Athletics
Weber State’s skid continues as the Wildcats dropped their sixth consecutive game to the hands of the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 82-68. With the loss, the ‘Cats have an uphill battle ahead of them because of their 0-2 conference record.
Despite losing, Weber State showed some good signs, and it was a needed step forward because of their recent struggles.
Keeping it Competitive
Don’t let the score fool you because this was a tighter game than it looked. The Wildcats battled this one out and even kept it at a one-point deficit with 4:48 left in the third quarter, but the Lumberjacks ran away with it after that.
Weber State’s starting rotation sported some impressive statistics. Daryn Hickok led both teams with her 28-point performance. She also added seven rebounds and three assists to her stat line. Jadyn Matthews had a triple-double with 12 points and ten rebounds, while Emma Torbert and Laura Taylor also exceeded the ten-point mark with 13 and 11, respectively.
Northern AZ had a well-rounded offensive attack in the contest. Montana Oltrogge was impressive through the night with a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double. The Lumberjacks also had four other players eclipse double-digit points on their way to the victory.
Lack of Bench Production
The starting rotation kept this game together for the Wildcats. Kaiija Lesane was the only outlier in their starting five, posting two points on her perfect two-for-two from the free-throw line but missing her lone shot outside of that.
Weber State’s bench only scored two points on the night from Nakilah Johnson’s two free throws. Outside of that, they shot 0-5 from the field and failed to make a real impact on this game. The ‘Cats will continue to struggle if they can’t produce off the bench.
Missteps
Weber State, while getting back on the right track, had some missteps throughout their loss Saturday night.
Three-point shooting was a point of concern for the Wildcats as they shot 23.1% from beyond the arch. They also weren’t able to distribute the ball well, only having ten assists on the night to the 20 of the Lumberjacks.
Rebounding was the main issue for the ‘Cats, losing the battle 30 rebounds to 43. These missed opportunities continue to hurt their chances of winning, and play too big a role in deciding the game.
The road may only get more difficult from here, but Weber State looks to be figuring it out as they head to face the 7-6 Idaho State Bengals.
The Hive Sports 
Leave a Reply