by Zachary Knecht
Featured Image: Photo by Weber State Athletics
Eastern Washington Weber State Recap
The streak is over! The Weber State Wildcats survive a thriller, taking down the Eastern Washington Eagles 68-65 at the Dee Events Center. The win ends Weber State’s 12-game losing streak, stealing a quality win against one of the Big Sky’s top teams.
The ‘Cats improve to 5-16 on the season with the win, snagging their first conference victory at 1-8, while the Eagles fall to 13-7 and fourth in the Big Sky at 6-4.
Team Leaders
For the Wildcats, it was a collective effort that led sent them to the promised land. Four Weber State players produced double-digit points on the night with a few other scorers in the mix of the action. Jadyn Matthews topped the night with 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists, shooting four of ten from the field and five of seven from the free-throw line. The star forward has been a leader for this roster all season and was a major factor in the W.
Ava Williams also continued her momentum from their previous battle. She followed her 14-point performance with 11, grabbing five rebounds on the night on her way to increased usage in the offense. If the guard can continue to produce, she will carve out a solid role for herself in her senior season.
Aaliyah Alexander was the top option for Eastern Washington on the day. Her 16 points were paired with seven rebounds, keeping her team in the game throughout, but their efforts were just short on the road. Four Eagles starters, including Alexander, surpassed double-digit points, feasting from the free-throw line en route to sinking 19 of their 20 attempts.
Shooters Shoot
Saturday’s game saw a much-needed resurgence for Weber State’s offense. Collectively, the ‘Cats shot 49% from the field and 66.7% from three, exceeding their season averages by a large margin. On the year, they have shot 36.9% from the field and 27% from the field, making the performance an essential bounceback for their struggling offense.
What was impressive about the Wildcats’ offensive revival was the depth of the production they had all day. Just about everyone got in on the action, including five players converting shots from beyond the arch. Depth is usually not their forte – Matthews and Daryn Hickok are typically the two stars running the floor, but with much of this roster stepping up – the offense flowed better and looked more impressive. Their 16 assists were a testament to their abilities to move the ball efficiently and spread the wealth.
Solid Defense
The ‘Cats’ defense did a fantastic job limiting Eastern Washington’s production. The Eagles are a team that shoots well, hitting 42.6% of their shots and 32.9% from range. Weber State’s defense kept them below these marks, keeping the Eagles to 39.6% on the day and 23.5% from three. A great deal of Eastern Washington’s success came from their free throw efficiency.
The Wildcats also rebounded well, dominating with 35 boards to the 25 of their opponent. Though Weber State lost the turnover battle, they forced 17 and asserted their will on Eastern Washington’s offense.
What’s to Come
The Wildcats will stay home Saturday, hosting the Idaho State Bengals who have mightily struggled as of late, kicking off the second half of their season.
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| Weber State Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | MIN |
| Jadyn Matthews, F | 14 | 4 | 4 | 4-10 | 1-1 | 36 |
| Ava Williams, G | 11 | 5 | 0 | 5-8 | 0-0 | 25 |
| Daryn Hickok, F | 10 | 4 | 1 | 4-8 | 0-0 | 27 |
| Aaliyah Ellis, G | 7 | 5 | 0 | 3-7 | 1-2 | 28 |
| Kaiija Lesane, G | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 19 |
| Bench | ||||||
| Laura, Taylor, G | 12 | 2 | 1 | 4-7 | 2-4 | 26 |
| Charlotte Hegvold, G | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 19 |
| Vicky Parra, F | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 13 |
| Emri Lovell, G | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Tamalii Fonoti, C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5 |
| Team Total | 68 | 35 | 16 | 24-49 | 6-9 |
| Eastern Washington Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | MIN |
| Aaliyah Alexander, G | 16 | 7 | 0 | 6-11 | 1-4 | 31 |
| Jaydia Martin, SF | 12 | 4 | 2 | 3-8 | 0-3 | 20 |
| Jamie Loera, G | 11 | 2 | 4 | 3-8 | 1-3 | 23 |
| Milly Knowles, PF | 10 | 0 | 1 | 5-7 | 0-0 | 34 |
| Jaleesa Lawrence, G | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3-7 | 2-4 | 25 |
| Bench | ||||||
| Andie Zylak, SF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 14 |
| Breeja Schuler, G | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 8 |
| Ella Gallatin, G | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 8 |
| Camille Jentzsch, PF | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Jayden McNeal, SF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Alexis Pettis, PG | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 17 |
| Gabby Jung, G | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0-3 | 0-2 | 14 |
| Team Total | 65 | 25 | 12 | 21-53 | 4-17 |