Montana State University
12-15, 7-8
Weber State
21-7, 13-2
Weber State Edges Past Bobcats in Ogden
2/25/2016 9:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Wildcat big men prove the difference
College basketball games often turn on the small things. Weber State's xx-xx win over Montana State Thursday turned on a couple of big ones.
Specifically, Wildcat big men Kyndahl Hill and Zach Braxton, who filled in for injured center Joel Bolomboy seamlessly. The two combined for just seven points in the first half, but finished with 30 between them. The Wildcats outscored MSU 42-24 in the paint.
"For the first time we got absolutely whipped inside," said Bobcat coach Brian Fish. "Credit them, they pounded us with Braxton and Hill and that turned the game around. We have to get better inside. That's our Achilles heel, and we have to get better."
Weber State got to work inside quickly after halftime. Hill and Braxton each scored on layups, then Jeremy Senglin hit a three-pointer and after a couple turnovers scored inside. Weber state scored the first nine points of the second half, taking advantage of a six minute Bobcat dry spell around the intermission.
"It started with the last two min of first," Fish said. "We drew up two plays and missed chances for wide open layups. We have to take advantage of those chances."
Tyler Hall finished with 22 points, passing another milestone. He eased past the 500 point mark, becoming the fastest Bobcat to that many points. He is now just one point from joining MSU's single-season top 10 scoring list. Colbert finished with 17 for MSU.
The Bobcats were hurt by Quinton Everett's foul trouble. "Two of those fouls Q had to avoid," he said of his junior wing who is capable of guarding one through four on defense. "We have to lock in on defense," Fish said, "and that's a challenge when Q is sitting next to me." Even playing with foul trouble, Everett grabbed 10 boards.
Senglin led the Wildcats with 17 points. Hill logged a double-double, getting 16 points and 10 boards. Braxton scored 14.
The first half began with a bang, when Weber State's Zach Braxton converted a layup to open the game then the Cats exploded for a 14-3 run to take early control of the game. Colbert hit a pair of triples in the spurt, and the senior guard's aggression drove the Cats during the first half. Colbert scored a dozen in the first half. Hall hit a trio of triples in the last 4:04 of the period for MSU's only points in that stretch as the Bobcats entered halftime with a 34-30 lead.
The Bobcats fall to 12-15 with the loss, 7-8 in Big Sky play. Big Sky co-leader Weber State raised its record to 21-7, and 13-2 in Big Sky play faces a Montana team with the same record on Saturday for the inside track to the league's regular season title and the top seed in the conference tournament.
