Weber State basketball: Montana State claims sweep over Wildcats on Thursday
Women lose touch at home; men can't get over the hump on road
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- Weber State guard Kennedy Eskelson, right, puts up a shot as Montana State’s Marah Dykstra (32) looks on in a game Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
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- Weber State guard Blaise Threatt (0) brings the ball up the court against Montana State on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Bozeman, Mont.
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- Weber State’s Taylor Smith (20) looks to shoot against Montana State’s Taylee Chirrick (44) on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
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- Weber State guard Viljami Vartiainen rises to shoot against Montana State on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Bozeman, Mont.
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- Weber State forward Mata Peaua, right, drives against Montana State’s Addison Harris (33) on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
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- Weber State guard Trevor Hennig (6) tries to probe the paint against Montana State on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Bozeman, Mont.
OGDEN — If there ever was chance to upset the Big Sky’s juggernaut, Thursday night began that way at the Dee Events Center.
At 22-2 overall, 12-0 in conference play and with a NCAA NET rating of 56, Montana State women’s basketball is putting together one of the best seasons in the Big Sky in quite some time.
The Bobcats didn’t look like it for two quarters but Weber State didn’t take enough advantage of the opportunity. By the time the second half came around, MSU was in form and crushed WSU in the final two frames for a 63-45 victory.
No players scored in double figures for Weber State (9-13, 6-6 Big Sky). Sophomore Taylor Smith totaled nine points, six rebounds and three assists. Lanae Billy added eight points and six rebounds. Kennedy Eskelson scored seven points, Mata Peaua had six points and six rebounds, and Dakota Nap netted four points and three assists.
Marah Dykstra was the game’s only double-digit scorer with 14 points, making two of Montana State’s five 3-pointers. Katelynn Martin and Natalie Picton scored nine points, and Lexi Deden added seven. Esmerelda Morales dished five assists.
Montana State opened the game missing nine straight shots, all taken before Weber State had one official field goal attempt. Smith put WSU ahead 2-0 with free throws and Morales hit a 3 for MSU’s first points with 6:20 left in the first quarter.
Eskelson and Smith each made 3-pointers to get WSU ahead 12-7 with 4:05 left and the Wildcats led 14-13 after one quarter.
With 3:45 left in the second quarter, Montana State was just 5 of 26 from the field — but while MSU was missing everything, Weber fell back into its turnover habit and had 11 giveaways at that point.
Billy hit a 3 to make MSU’s lead 21-19 at the 3:05 mark, but that’s as close as it would get the rest of the way.
Leading 25-21 at halftime, Montana State did not let up with a full-court press that eventually ran Weber State into the ground against MSU’s superior depth. It accomplished two things: disrupting WSU from finding any kind of offensive rhythm, and forcing more and more turnovers as the game wore on. The Wildcats finished with 28 turnovers and MSU scored 28 points from those.
So, the Bobcats tore out of halftime with a 12-0 run and when Dykstra swished a 3 to make it 37-21 with 6:30 left in the third, that already felt like all Montana State would need. MSU finished the third quarter with a 24-8 advantage and a 49-29 lead.
Weber State remains at home for a 2 p.m. Saturday matchup against Montana, looking for a seven-year-high seventh conference win with its next victory.
WEBER MEN CAN’T GET OVER HUMP
The shorthanded Weber State men’s team couldn’t find enough firepower on the way to a 74-66 loss in Bozeman, Montana.
An early slugfest gave way when Max Agbonkpolo, Jabe Mullins and Patrick McMahon each hit a 3-pointer over a period of 3 minutes to put Montana State ahead 21-8 at the 10:47 mark of the first half. MSU’s 13-2 run in that stretch would prove to be the entire ballgame.
Montana State (11-15, 6-7 Big Sky) led 38-25 at halftime.
Senior guard Blaise Threatt put Weber State (9-17, 3-9) on his back, scoring 13 points in the first 8 minutes of the second half to get some blood flowing for WSU’s offense.
Trevor Hennig dunked cutting the paint on a pass from Alex Tew to make it 56-51 with 8 minutes left. Tew then blocked a shot on the other end, but Viljami Vartiainen missed a straightaway 3 that would’ve made it a one-possession game.
As it did many times throughout the night, Montana State pushed the margin back near 10. The Wildcats clawed back with a 14-6 run; Vartiainen made the fourth of his four 3-pointers, then Threatt knocked down a jumper for a 62-59 score with 4:15 left.
Hennig forced a turnover on the other end but Threatt missed a shot to cut the margin again.
At 64-61, MSU got its final breath of room on a Mullins floater and a Tyler Patterson 3-pointer for a 69-61 lead with 1:45 remaining.
Threatt netted his second 30-point game in two weeks, finishing with 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Including 802 points at Weber State, the Colorado Mesa transfer is three points away from 2,000 in his college career.
Vartiainen’s 4-of-9 mark from distance were WSU’s only made 3s on Thursday night. Everyone else shot 0 of 10. Threatt was 11 of 21 from the field; all players outside Threatt and Vartiainen shot 8 of 24. Nigel Burris pulled down nine rebounds.
Mullins led MSU with 19 points. Brandon Walker scored 13 and McMahon 11.
Weber State next plays Saturday night at Montana. The Griz reached an 11-2 Big Sky mark Thursday, putting away Idaho State 81-68.
