Weber State basketball: Women claim Big Sky-opening triumph over Northern Colorado
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- Weber State forward Rose Bubakar (24) rises to shoot against Northern Colorado’s Julia Riley (1) on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
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- Weber State guard Lanae Billy, left, wards off Northern Colorado defender London Gamble (3) on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
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- Weber State forward Taylor Smith (20) works the paint against Northern Colorado on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
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- Weber State forward Rose Bubakar rises for a layup against Northern Colorado on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
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- Weber State women’s basketball head coach Jenteal Jackson claps after WSU made a 3-pointer against Northern Colorado on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
OGDEN — Weber State women’s basketball hadn’t scored in more than 10 minutes of game clock. The team’s 19-point lead it claimed early in the second quarter was evaporating.
Thank you, Lanae Billy.
The junior sharpshooter ended the drought with a 3-pointer, knocked down three more key makes in the second half and the Wildcats claimed a 65-52 win over Northern Colorado to open Big Sky Conference play Thursday night at the Dee Events Center.
It’s the program’s first win to open Big Sky play in seven seasons.
“We did a really good job coming out aggressive, coming out strong, not letting them get into any sort of rhythm to start the game,” second-year WSU head coach Jenteal Jackson said. “It was a really good team effort … we had a lot of kids contribute on both sides of the ball and in big moments.”
How does a team go 10:17 without scoring and win by double digits? Defense and 3-point shooting.
Northern Colorado (7-5, 147 NCAA NET) entered the game 13th in the country in team field goal percentage at 48.7%. That’s part of how the Bears won on the road at BYU early in the season.
Thursday, Northern Colorado managed to shoot 16 of 55 (29.1%), including a 1-of-17 clip from the 3-point line (the Bears’ first and only make came with 2:11 left). At one point in the second quarter, Northern Colorado had eight offensive rebounds but zero second-chance points.
“I thought we did a good job in the game plan. We were going in and out of zone and man … our kids did a good job communicating that,” Jackson said. “And really selling out to the game plan and taking away what they wanted. That team scores a ton of points in the paint … they get the bulk of their points down low.”
Billy’s 17 points led Weber State (4-7, 308 NET), shooting 5 of 8 from distance.
“Happy to see her be aggressive,” Jackson said. “Any time she passes up a 3 in practice, I’m usually telling her to shoot it.”
Weber State’s prolonged scoring drought helped Northern Colorado cut a 27-8 deficit to 27-21 before Billy opened the lid with a triple. Billy made two more 3s in the third quarter and the Wildcats took a 47-38 lead into the final break.
Forward Tatum West (17 points) and guard Gabi Fields (10 points) got things going for the Bears in the second half, and the pair combined for paint touches and free throws to cut a 12-point deficit to 52-45 with 5:34 left.
But the Wildcats made plenty of plays to close the game, despite their struggles with ball pressure (24 turnovers).
Out in transition, Billy knocked down her final 3 on a popcorn pass after the ball bounced inside to Taylor Smith, who kicked to Billy for the make. On the next possession, Kendra Parra did the same thing on a post kickout from Mata Peaua and her 3-pointer put the Wildcats up 58-45 with 3:55 left.
WSU shot 10 of 22 from behind the arc; entering the season having gone five years without 10 or more 3s in a game, these Wildcats have done it three times this season.
“I got most of my 3s from running in transition,” Billy said. “Once they cranked up the pressure, we moved the ball a lot.”
Jackson added that Billy did a good job of locating and running to open spots, and being ready to shoot when the ball found her.
Northern Colorado spent the rest of the game trying to make up ground with a full-court press but, unlike other moments in the game, WSU went nearly five minutes without a turnover down the stretch to seal the win.
Rose Bubakar scored 16 points from the forward spot to complement Billy’s outside effort. Taylor Smith totaled 13 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals, tallying a plus-minus of plus-24 despite seven turnovers.
The task gets taller for Weber State. WSU welcomes in Northern Arizona (10-4, 93 NET) at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Lumberjacks opened with a win Thursday at Idaho State and have wins this season over Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado State.
