by Zachary Knecht
Featured Image: Photo by Weber State Athletics
Weber State Basketball Recap
The Weber State Wildcats finally came down to Earth as a late charge from the Bengals put Idaho State on top, 67-57. Both teams entered Saturday with 2-0 conference records, so something had to budge, and it was the Wildcats who fell short.
The ‘Cats will need to learn from this loss as they will be on the road in their next contest -where they have struggled this season – against a not-so-forgiving opponent in Montana.
A Tale of Two Halves
Before halftime, it looked like Weber State might run away with this one. It was a hotly contested game for the first ten minutes before the ‘Cats gave themselves breathing room with a 32-25 halftime lead. This momentum wouldn’t last much longer as they came out of the locker room.
Weber State’s offense looked flat in the second half. Three separate times in the second half, their offense was left scoreless for three minutes or more. This lack of production gave the Bengals all the leeway they needed to pull away, and by the time the Wildcats could find their rhythm again, it was too late.
Dillon Jones and Junior Ballard co-led the ‘Cats with 13 points. Jones paired his performance with 13 rebounds for yet another double-double on the season. Steven Verplancken Jr. also continued to produce with his 12 points, but the depth of this offense wasn’t as present as it has been this year because of the subpar shooting from the squad.
The Bengals left with the W thanks to Brayden Parker and his 15-point performance. Miguel Tomley and Jay Nagle helped Parker propel Idaho State to keep their untarnished conference record with their 12 points each. This offensive showing was all despite their season-high scorer, Brock Mackenzie, being held to six points on the night.
Shooting Struggles
A vital factor the Weber State’s success in their recent games has been their shooting. They have been able to deliver from anywhere on the court, consistently converting from beyond the arch or elsewhere, but that production was nowhere to be seen Saturday.
The Wildcats shot 35.6% from the field and 15.8% from three. The opportunities were there, but the ‘Cats couldn’t do anything with them. The Bengals had a fairly average shooting night, hitting 43.8% from the field, but also struggled from range, only hitting 22.2% from three.
Missing Out
A common theme in Weber State’s losses has been the failure to create more opportunities. The Wildcats again lost the rebounding battle, 35-27 this time, with Jones accounting for nearly half of their boards. They also lost the turnover battle 15-14.
While the shooting was the main concern in the loss, missed chances like these will continue to drag the ‘Cats down. In some games, the team will be cold from the field, but taking care of the ball and giving the team more opportunities will be worth its weight in gold, especially in gritty defensive battles.
Next in Line
The Wildcats will head on the road for their next two games, the first at Montana to face off against the Grizzlies Thursday. Montana is currently favored in this matchup, but, no matter the outcome, the Wildcats will make this game competitive.
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Box Score
| Weber State Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | MIN |
| Dillon Jones, F | 13 | 13 | 3 | 2-3 | 1-2 | 37 |
| Steven Verplanken Jr., G | 12 | 2 | 1 | 5-11 | 0-3 | 36 |
| Alex Tew, C | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 21 |
| KJ Cunningham, G | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2-8 | 1-5 | 34 |
| Dyson Koehler, F | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-3 | 0-2 | 17 |
| Bench | ||||||
| Junior Ballard, G | 13 | 1 | 2 | 4-9 | 1-3 | 26 |
| Zahir Porter, G | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0-4 | 0-4 | 15 |
| Handje Tamba, C | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 7 |
| Daniel Rouzan, F | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 7 |
| Idaho State Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | MIN |
| Brayden Parker, C | 15 | 3 | 2 | 5-8 | 0-1 | 20 |
| Miguel Tomley, G | 12 | 3 | 1 | 4-6 | 1-3 | 23 |
| Brock Mackenzie, G | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3-8 | 0-3 | 32 |
| Austin Smellie, G | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 22 |
| Daxton Carr, F | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 12 |
| Bench | ||||||
| Jay Nagle, F | 12 | 6 | 1 | 4-5 | 1-2 | 29 |
| Maleek Arington, G | 9 | 2 | 3 | 2-5 | 1-2 | 25 |
| AJ Burgin, G | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0-4 | 0-3 | 16 |
| Kolby Lee, C | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 14 |
| Jordan Hansen, G | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1-3 | 1-1 | 4 |
| Ed Chang, F | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 3 |
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