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OGDEN — Weber State's home opener had all the signs of a prize-fight, as the Wildcats took punishment from the veracious inside game of in-state rivals Utah State Friday night.
But Weber State kept coming.
Down five with 1:24 left in the game, junior guard Jeremy Senglin scored back-to-back driving layups to bring Weber within one with 16 seconds on the clock.
After two made free throws by Utah State, Weber had a chance to tie the game up with a 3-pointer to send it into overtime.
On the final possession, Weber guard Dusty Baker found himself with the ball and a good look at 3-pointer, but the shot didn't fall, and Utah State escaped with the 73-70 victory at the Dee Events Center.
"I don't like to lose, but overall, I saw some good things out there," said Weber State head coach Randy Rahe. "We just need to get some experience, and as we do, I think this team is going to get better and better."
Senior Wildcat forward Joel Bolomboy looked in midseason form in the loss, posting a double-double, scoring 20 points and gathering 12 rebounds.
Bolomboy was a beast on the glass and scored from a variety of spots on the floor, including a 3-pointer from the corner.
Senglin started slow in the first half, scoring only six points on 1-of-4 shooting, but came on strong in the second, scoring 12 points to put Weber in a position to send the game into overtime.
Senglin finished the game with 20 points and five rebounds.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 7-0 start in the beginning minutes of the game, forcing two early Utah State turnovers.
Utah State charged back to take a 35-32 lead going into the half with tough defense and the hot shooting of senior guard Chris Smith. The Aggies held Weber to 41 percent shooting from the field in the half.
Senglin opened the second half on a tear, scoring five straight points to give Weber the lead. The Wildcats shot well in the second half and held the Aggies to 42 percent shooting.
The game was close throughout the half until the Aggies pulled away late in the quarter going up by nine with just under four minutes left. Weber State went on a run, but would eventually fall short at the final buzzer.
"We didn't quit, and we gave ourselves an opportunity," said Rahe. "We just came up a little short against a good basketball team."
Weber State struggled with the inside presence of Utah State throughout the game, being outscored in the paint 32-22 and allowing 11 offensive rebounds.
The bench play of Utah State came up big, outscoring the Weber bench 34-17.
Utah State came into the game with some turmoil, announcing Wednesday that sophomore forward David Collette was quitting the program. The news left the burden of filling the position to sophomore Elston Jones and junior Lew Evans.
Evans was particularly successful, scoring 17 points off the bench and pulling down four offensive rebounds.
Weber heads out on the road to face South Dakota State Monday and will be back home to face the University of Antelope Valley Nov. 19. Mark Douglas is a graduate of Weber State University and lives in Ogden, Utah. Contact him at markdouglasmail@gmail.com or on Twitter @ThePistolColumn.
