Weber State basketball: Wildcat men battle boards with Idaho State in 77-69 win
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- Weber State’s Dyson Koehler (4) tries to get a shot between Idaho State’s Blake Daberkow (32) and Jackson Greene on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.
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- Weber State center Vasilije Vucinic, left, shoots over an Idaho State defender on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.
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- Weber State guard Blaise Threatt, left, scores at the rim against Idaho State’s Connor Hollenbeck on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.
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- Weber State students cheer during a men’s basketball road game at Idaho State on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.
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- Weber State’s Dyson Koehler rises to the rim against Idaho State on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.
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- Weber State’s Dyson Koehler (4) drives against Idaho State’s Jackson Greene on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.
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- Weber State players Blaise Threatt (0) and Nigel Burris, center, help Alex Tew up off the floor in a game against Idaho State on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.
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- Weber State’s Dyson Koehler makes a 3-pointer over Idaho State’s Jake O’Neil (8) on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.
POCATELLO, Idaho — Around 120 Weber State fans bused Saturday to Idaho State (about 75 students, and about another 40 on a trip paid for by Dillon Jones) to see the Wildcats try to avoid history.
The last time WSU was in Reed Gym, Miguel Tomley shot ISU over WSU in a convincing loss. (This time, he’d be wearing purple and getting booed on every touch.)
Idaho State claimed its first in-season sweep of Weber State in 20 years with that win. It also meant that Saturday, the Wildcats were playing to avoid their first three-game losing streak to the Bengals in 20 years, and their first 0-3 start in Big Sky play in 19.
Simply put, Weber State men’s basketball needed a win.
Thanks to the most efficient offensive night of the season and a will to battle the Bengals on the boards, the Wildcats got it. Weber State outpaced Idaho State over the final 22 minutes for a 77-69 victory.
“We came ready to fight on the glass and get in the paint, so that’s what we did,” senior center Vasilije Vucinic said. “I think we’re finding our identity as a team, and I think that’s the reason we won tonight.”
Dyson Koehler scorched the nets in the first half, shooting 5 of 5 from behind the arc and helping Weber State (7-10, 1-2 Big Sky) finish the first half on a 9-2 run to lead 36-30.
He hit a deep wing 3 with 2:35 left in the first half to put WSU ahead 31-30, the last lead change of the game, and connected one more time on a tough corner attempt for the halftime margin.
Koehler scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the first half. That helped WSU withstand a torrid first half from Idaho State guard Dylan Darling, who netted 15 of his game-high 28 and, for a time, seemed unstoppable in penetrating inside the arc.
“We’re starting to feel like we’re getting a rhythm and hopefully we can continue to carry it on,” Koehler said.
Koehler converted a tough drive early in the second half and Blaise Threatt banked in a rebound putback to put WSU ahead 46-35 with 16:10 left. The Wildcats spent most of the rest of the game leading by 8-11 points.
The ever-tough Jake O’Neil, who totaled 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Bengals (6-8, 1-2), found the bucket on a drive to cut his team’s deficit to 58-52 at the 7:09 mark.
(At 6-foot-4 and averaging 10.7 rebounds per game, O’Neil is currently the only player in the country shorter than 6-foot-6 who is in the top 100 for both offensive and defensive rebounding percentages.)
WSU won the game over the next 3 minutes.
Koehler’s final 3 of the game answered O’Neil’s drive to provide breathing room. Then Vucinic and Alex Tew each scored on post-ups — sandwiching between them a missed, open 3 from Darling that perhaps signified a last gasp — to put the Wildcats ahead 67-54 with 3:47 remaining.
“Just playing at our own pace, trying not to get sped up,” Koehler said about his team’s offensive performance. “We just kind of find a balance, mix in, play off the cutters.”
Idaho State entered the game in the top 21 nationally in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage. But up until a final two-minute scramble with full-court presses and 3-point attempts, Weber State had only been outdone 13-10 on the offensive glass (WSU, too, is only the third team in 14 games to get double-digit offensive boards against ISU), and was outscoring the Bengals 11-8 on second-chance points.
WSU head coach Eric Duft credited assistant coach Leonard Perry for running his players through the rebounding ringer this week in practice.
“Not for the weak of heart,” Duft said about the week of practice leading to Saturday.
Until ISU’s final make with 7.3 seconds left, the Bengals were below 40% from the field despite starting the game 6 of 9 (going 16 of 46 the rest of the way).
“Our first-shot defense was way better, I thought we were much more engaged tonight,” Duft said. “Playing those two big guys helps us, gives us a physicality and a presence, and Alex Tew was all over the court tonight.”
WSU, meanwhile, finished 30 of 51 from the floor (58.8%), including 16 of 26 (61.5%) in the second half (despite refs whistling a whopping 31 fouls after halftime).
Weber shot 7 of 16 from behind the arc, though 6 of 8 was Koehler. He’s 12 of 20 from downtown through three Big Sky games.
“Just feeling more comfortable, understanding where I’m going to get my shots and just kind of feeling the offense,” Koehler said about his recent stretch.
Everyone else went 1 of 8 from the 3-point line, including Tomley’s 1-of-4 effort. He finished 2 of 8 overall for five points, with the crowd cheering every missed shot and for each foul whistled against him.
Threatt totaled 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Vucinic scored 17 points as well, shooting 8 of 11, and Tew added nine points. Weber outscored Idaho State 42-26 in the paint.
“It’s a physical game both ways but we were able to get the ball to the rim — and being able to throw it to Vuc really helps us. He got us some key baskets,” Duft said.
Nigel Burris returned from injury and totaled eight points, three rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes off the bench.
Having played four straight on the road, the Wildcats return home for games against Montana (10-7, 3-1) and Montana State (6-11, 1-3).
In a matchup of unbeatens Saturday, Montana felt the full throttle of Northern Colorado’s paint attack in an 81-57 home loss to the Bears. MSU, meanwhile, got its first conference win by edging Northern Arizona 58-53.
