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OGDEN – It was a battle for the top of the Big Sky Conference Saturday night as Weber State faced off against rival Montana at the Dee Events Center.
The two best teams in the conference battled to the wire with both refusing to give any ground, but it was Weber who came out on top as they ground out a 60-54 victory.
"I was really proud of our guys tonight," said head coach Randy Rahe. "These kids are just digging down and finding a way and they are playing with a high level of toughness."
It was the Wildcat bench that answered the call, with key contributions from sophomore Dusty Baker and freshman Cody John that helped Weber pull ahead and stay ahead to secure the win.
Baker had his best game of the season, posting a team-high 20 points to go along with six rebounds and two assists. Baker made several crucial plays including a couple of game-changing offensive rebounds and a couple of critical 3-point shots.
"I felt confident and aggressive," said Baker. "I lost that passion sometimes this year and I think I got that back tonight. My teammates got me open so I can't take all the credit."
John also came up big with 13 points and four rebounds. John played tenacious defense and was aggressive in attacking the basket, providing the spark off the bench that energized the rest of the team.
Weber struggled to contain Montana inside early in the first half as Montana dropped in three consecutive buckets in the paint to open up the game on a 6-1 run.
Weber tightened up the defense late in the half, holding Montana to 40-percent from the field and 0-of-6 from the 3-point line. The Wildcats also forced 9 turnovers and scored eight points off of those turnovers. The Wildcats took a 30-22 lead into halftime.
Montana opened up the second half on a tear as they rattled off a quick 8-0 run, putting the Wildcats back on their heels and forcing Rahe to call a timeout to settle his team down.
"Coach told us to just keep grinding," said freshman center Zach Braxton. "This is a game of peaks and valleys and it took a huge effort from our team to hang in there and stop runs."
The Wildcats came out of the timeout composed, scoring five quick points to regain the lead. The game was extremely physical, with both teams battling hard. Montana would bring the game close several times but clutch free throw shooting and tough defense led Weber to the victory.
A scuffle broke out at the end of the game as the two teams were shaking hands and both teams needed to be separated. The cause of the confrontation is unknown, but Rahe was determined to investigate the matter and deal with any offending parties appropriately.
Things got a little heated in Ogden tonight. pic.twitter.com/hyEXu3qyoR
— Matthew L Glade (@matthewLksl) February 28, 2016
The victory moved Weber State to 22-7 overall and 14-2 in Big Sky play, which puts the Wildcats in sole possession of the top spot in the conference. Weber State will play two more games on the road to close out the season.
The game was the final home game for Weber State this season and it was senior night for star forward Joel Bolomboy, who was forced to sit the final home game of his collegiate career with a bone bruise. Bolomboy was honored at center court before the game with his family.
Bolomboy is the all-time career rebound leader for both Weber State and the Big Sky conference as a whole. Rahe was very complimentary of Bolomboy after the game.
"He is an absolute poster child for the kind of people we want in our program," said Rahe. "He has incredible character, tremendous values, great work ethic, and doesn't have a selfish bone in his body. I just absolutely love him to death and I was sorry that he couldn't play tonight."
Rahe is hopeful to have Bolomboy back for the Big Sky tournament in Reno, but emphasized that they would not risk additional injury by rushing him back.
Mark Douglas covers Weber State football and basketball for KSL.com. Contact him at markdouglasmail@gmail.com or on Twitter @marktweetsports.
