Weber State Downs Portland State With Hot Shooting Performance
Jan 19, 2023, 9:59 PM | Updated: Jan 20, 2023, 11:24 am
SALT LAKE CITY – The Weber State men’s basketball team torched the Portland State Vikings for the Wildcats’ fourth conference victory of the season.
The Wildcats hosted the Vikings at Dee Events Center on Thursday, January 19.
Weber State defeated Portland State, 84-68.
Great! Great! Great!
WILDCATS WIN! #WeAreWeber pic.twitter.com/F7kkD1E0qc
— Weber State MBB 🏀 (@WeberStateMBB) January 20, 2023
The Wildcats controlled the final 3/4 of the game and captured their ninth win.
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Portland State and Weber State were playing a close contest through the initial portion of the game. With 12 minutes to go in the first half, Dillon Jones made a layup to give Weber State a 16-14 lead.
After that, it was all Wildcats.
Weber State built a double-digit lead before halftime and took a 51-29 advantage into the locker room at the break.
The Wildcats came back onto the court and continued to dominate. Weber State stretched its lead to 30 points in the second half and cruised to a 16-point win.
Weber State shot 57.4 percent from the floor, including 55.6 percent on three-pointers. Portland State struggled by comparison. The Vikings shot 39.2 percent overall and 26.7 percent on threes.
The Wildcats’ starting lineup combined to score 59 points.
Make that 5️⃣ 3's for @Stevenv_jr! 🔥#WeAreWeber pic.twitter.com/Usz1xNgk4D
— Weber State MBB 🏀 (@WeberStateMBB) January 20, 2023
Five Wildcats scored in double figures, led by Steve Verpancken Jr.’s 19 points on 6=10 field goals, including 5-6 from beyond the arc.
Jones posted a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Jones nearly had a triple-double with eight assists.
Junior Ballard led Weber State’s second unit with 11 points.
Cameron Parker scored 13 points to lead the Vikings.
With the win, the Wildcats improved their record to 9-10 this season, including 4-2 in Big Sky Conference action.
Coach @ericduft on the win! #WeAreWeber pic.twitter.com/yRLcOxI23D
— Weber State MBB 🏀 (@WeberStateMBB) January 20, 2023
The Wildcats have won seven of their last 10 contests.
Weber State’s next game is at home against the Sacramento State Hornets on Saturday, January 21 at 7 p.m. (MDT). The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Sacramento State sits in third place in the Big Sky with an 11-8 record, including 4-2 in conference games. The Hornets are coming off a four-point loss at Idaho State.
