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OGDEN -- Big Sky Conference play has begun for the Weber State University men’s basketball team, and Damian Lillard and company haven’t skipped a beat.
The Wildcats burst into the new year having won four games in a row, including their first conference games of the 2011-12 season. With easy wins over Mayville State (106- 57) and University of Utah (80-51), Weber State was ready for conference play.
On the last weekend of 2011, Big Sky foes Idaho State University and Sacramento State University came to Ogden to usher in the conference season.
Idaho State hung around early and fought hard to stay with the Wildcats until Weber State pulled away late in the first half and ventually won the conference opener, 78- 64.
Throughout the game, the Wildcats went through runs that would give them large leads but then ended up letting the Bengals back into the game.
Weber State head coach Randy Rahe was pleased with the level of play from his team in the game but not too happy with the Wildcats’ intensity.
“We would get them down and it was like we wanted to be a bunch of nice guys and we would let them back in,” Rahe said. “That’s not going to work in conference season.… I didn’t feel like our minds were ready to play a full 40 minutes; we were too sporadic. We have to get more consistent in everything we’re doing, and we will.”
The Wildcats, however, showed a similar trend in their second conference game of the season, against Sacramento State. Weber State never did trail in the game, but the Wildcats could never quite pull away from the Hornets.
The second half of the game was a little more consistent than the first. After the Wildcats led by 10 at the half, the Hornets pulled to within six before a 19-9 Weber State run. From there, Weber State never looked back, but they also never pulled away.
That lack of killer instinct has Rahe worried as the Wildcats hit the road for the first time in the conference season.
Weber State will play at Eastern Washington University on Thursday at 7 p.m. and then travel to Portland State University for Saturday's 8 p.m. contest.
The Wildcats really haven’t been tested within the Big Sky yet, with Idaho State at 3-10 on the season and Sacramento State at 5-8. Portland State and Eastern Washington are both unbeaten at home, so the road literally will get tougher for Weber State.
The road trip shouldn’t present a much bigger test than the two home games last week, but the road is always the road.
Damian Lillard is holding steady as the nation’s leading scorer at 25.2 points per game. Meanwhile, junior guard Scott Bamforth has stepped back into the role he is accustomed to playing: sharpshooter.
After Bamforth’s lights-out performance against Utah State, teams began letting Lillard get his points while locking down on Bamforth. In recent weeks, however, Bamforth has been getting back into a rhythm.
That will be key for the Wildcats down the stretch. With the inside game as inconsistent as it has been, Weber State needs Bamforth to continue to contribute like he has been lately.
On the injury front, junior forward Frank Otis (knee) is inching closer and closer to coming back. It looks like it should be within the next week or so for Otis. Meanwhile, it is still unclear when senior forward Kyle Bullinger will return to action (elbow).
The absence of Otis and Bullinger, both starters, has been more than noticeable. The inside game has been inconsistent at best, with sophomore forward Byron Fulton occasionally having great games, but the majority of the weight has fallen upon sophomore Kyle Tresnak.
Tresnak has been streaky, which is to be expected with such a young player, but he will have to solidify his presence in the paint if the Wildcats are going to win the Big Sky.
You never know what’s going to happen on the road in college basketball, but look for the Wildcats to come home from the Great Northwest with two more victories. The real test will take place when Montana State University and University of Montana come to town next week.
Trevor Amicone is the sports director at 88.1 Weber FM "Ogden's Radio Station" and host of the sports talk radio show "Fully Loaded Sports with Trevor Amicone." Follow his very entertaining Twitter feed at @TrevorAmicone.
