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OGDEN — It was a tale of two halves Thursday night as Weber State took on Montana State at the Dee Events Center. After a rough first half, Weber came out strong in the second to grind out a 68-60 victory.
The Wildcats were back on their heels from the opening tip, as Montana State jumped out to an 11-point lead in the opening minutes. Weber really felt the absence of star forward Joel Bolomboy, who was sidelined with an injury that he sustained in the victory over Northern Arizona last Saturday.
Weber was outrebounded 18-24 in the opening period without the presence of Bolomboy roaming the paint. Weber junior guard Jeremy Senglin spoke about how the team had to adjust without Bolomboy.
"The guards had to emphasize on rebounding," said Senglin. "Even if we didn't get it, we just needed to go in there and get our bodies in there."
Compounding on Bolomboy's absence, some early foul trouble forced the other Weber bigs to go to the bench, forcing Weber to play small. The adjustment proved difficult and the team was forced to adjust to the small ball play style.
Senglin was masterful in the second half, leading Weber on a 9-0 run to open the period. Senglin looked to be on a mission as he aggressively attacked the basket and set up his teammates with open looks. Weber took the lead early and did not relinquish it for the rest of the game.
Senglin finished the game with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. The junior guard's leadership was a huge part of the Weber comeback. Senglin never sat in the game, playing a full 40 minutes.
After some early foul trouble, junior forward Kyndahl Hill came back in the second and really punished Montana State in the paint. Hill finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
Weber State dominated the paint in the second half, outscoring Montana State inside 42-24. The game was extremely important to Weber and the team showed real fight to get back into it in the second half.
"I was really proud of our kids tonight," said head coach Randy Rahe. "We fought like crazy, and that is what I asked them to do. I told them we were going to be shorthanded and all we can do is fight and do it together and I thought we really did that tonight."
Weber State now looks on to Saturday where it will face longtime conference rival Montana. Weber and Montana are currently tied for the top spot in the standings, which makes the game huge for both teams and will make for a great contest.
"This is going to be a fun game," said Rahe. "They are the best team in the league. They have some good players and they have some veterans. We know that they are going to be good and we just need to go fight them."
Weber State moves to 13-2 in Big Sky play and 21-7 overall. Saturday's game will be the final home game for Weber this season as it heads out on the road for its final two games.
There is still no timetable for Bolomboy's return, but Rahe is hopeful that he will be available for the tournament in Reno March 7-12.
Mark Douglas covers Weber State football and basketball for KSL.com. Contact him at markdouglasmail@gmail.com or on Twitter @marktweetsports.
