Weber State Sees Winning Streak Snapped By Sacramento State
Jan 11, 2024, 9:19 PM | Updated: Jan 12, 2024, 12:05 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – The Weber State men’s basketball team fell short in a second half comeback attempt and had its winning streak ended by the Sacramento State Hornets.
Wildcats drop road game to Hornets
The Hornets hosted the Wildcats at The Nest in Sacramento, California on Thursday, January 11.
RELATED: Dillon Jones Named Big Sky Player Of Week For Fifth Time This Season
Weber State lost to Sacramento State, 71-69.
Wildcats fall on the road 71-69 to Sacramento State.
Steven Verplancken with a career-high 30 points and made six 3-pointers. pic.twitter.com/ISD0Q1Xe1C
— Weber State MBB 🏀 (@WeberStateMBB) January 12, 2024
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The Wildcats came into the contest riding the wave of a six-game winning streak going back to December 16, 2023.
25 seconds into the game, Dillon Jones hit a jump shot to get Weber State on the scoreboard first. Sacramento State responded with a 9-0 run to take control of the contest.
For much of the first half, the Wildcats faced an uphill battle. With 3:11 to go until halftime, Weber State tied the game at 28-28 on a three-pointer by Steven Verplancken. Following Verplancken’s triple, the Hornets closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a 35-30 lead into the locker room.
After the break, the Wildcats were scoreless for the first 2:55 of the second half and the Hornets built their lead to double figures.
DJ the steal and the layup! #WeAreWeber pic.twitter.com/Uhx6PIdUs3
— Weber State MBB 🏀 (@WeberStateMBB) January 12, 2024
Weber State fought back over the final 17 minutes of the night but was unable to tie or regain the lead.
Verplancken hit a three-pointer with one second left to play to bring the Hornets’ margin of victory to a single possession.
Weber State ended the game shooting 50.0 percent overall and 36.8 percent on threes. Sacramento State shot 48.2 percent from the field, including 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Verplancken led the Wildcats with a career-high 30 points. Jones added 18 points.
Steven AGAIN!
He's got 21! 🔥#WeAreWeber pic.twitter.com/FhF8TLe0HM
— Weber State MBB 🏀 (@WeberStateMBB) January 12, 2024
Duncan Powell scored 19 points to lead the Hornets.
Up next for Weber State men’s basketball
With the loss, the Wildcats dropped to an 11-5 record, including 2-1 in Big Sky Conference games.
Weber State’s next game is on the road against the Portland State Vikings on Saturday, January 13 at 5 p.m. (MT). The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Kyle Ireland is a Sports Producer and Locals in the NFL Insider for sports.ksl.com. Listen to Ireland on Yards After College: An NFL Podcast. Follow him on X (@kyleireland), Threads (@kyleirelandksl), and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).
