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OGDEN — Weber State basketball doesn’t overlook the challenge presented by in-state rival Southern Utah.
After all, the Wildcats fell to the Thunderbirds earlier in the season — a 70-60 loss Weber coach Randy Rahe said could be attributed to a lack of energy. In the loss in Cedar City, the Wildcats made just 35 percent from the floor while allowing the T-Birds to shoot 55 percent.
Thursday, the Wildcats looked just as cold early as they did in Cedar, as Southern Utah prevailed in the rematch of the rivalry, 65-56.
The T-Birds’ momentum from their victory earlier in the season carried over as Southern Utah opened on a 12-1 run, and the Wildcats didn’t make a field goal until the 14:15 mark in the first half on a Richaud Gittens layup. The Gittens layup sent Weber on its own 11-0 run to tie the game at 12-12 with 10:30 left.
Rahe said the start was a reflection of low energy, which stayed consistent throughout the game.
“I obviously did not have this team mentally prepared to play tonight to start the game, and I thought it cost us,” he said. “We talked like crazy about the approach we needed to have, but for some reason I didn’t get it through. We came out flat; they came out with nothing to lose — 29.2 percent shooting in the first half.
“When you don’t have it to start out with — the energy, the mental focus, the aggressiveness — it’s hard to turn it on in a game.”
After Weber overcame its early deficit, the game was back-and-forth for most of the first half, featuring four lead changes. Southern Utah took a 30-28 lead at halftime on a Trey Kennedy three that bounced in, out and back in.
The T-Birds opened up a 42-33 lead with 13:43 to go in the second half. While Southern Utah would stretch the lead to 12 points, Weber cut it to 58-55 with 1:06 left on a James Hajek 3-point play. However, the T-Birds finished the game on a 7-1 run, earning the win and breaking a 20-game road conference losing streak.
Once again, Southern Utah contained the Wildcats’ offense, holding Weber to a 27.6 shooting percentage. Also, Weber converted just five 3-point shots, making 1-of-11 in the first half.
The loss drops Weber State to a precarious situation in the Big Sky Conference as the Wildcats at 5-7 are seventh in the conference. Since only the top six teams advance to the conference tourney, Weber has to outlast teams like Portland State and Idaho over the final six games of the season. The race for the tourney starts Saturday against Northern Arizona.
Rahe said the team has to improve.
“All I know is my teams have always fought like crazy, and we’ve had success, and I’m obviously not doing a good-enough job of getting this team to be that way consistently,” he said. “I’ve got to find a way to hit the right buttons, to get us in the right frame of mind. That’s what we’ve got to do; that’s all we can do.”
For Southern Utah, the Thunderbirds have swept the Wildcats for the first time as a conference member.
T-Birds coach Nick Robinson said his team and his program continue to improve.
“For us to get a road win at this particular time in the season is important for our team,” he said. “This year’s team, we’ve got opportunities ahead of us and we want to continue to work towards our goals.
“I think we’re moving in the right direction. … The direction that our program is headed in, I like where we’re heading.”
