1 / 9

Weber State players react after Viljami Vartiainen, left, hit one of his seven 3-pointers to beat Sacramento State on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the first round of the Big Sky tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Keith Webber, for the Big Sky Conference

2 / 9

Weber State's Blaise Threatt (0) drives against Sacramento State on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the first round of the Big Sky tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Keith Webber, for the Big Sky Conference

3 / 9

Weber State's Blaise Threatt (0) drives toward Sacramento State's Jacob Holt (15) on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the first round of the Big Sky tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Keith Webber, for the Big Sky Conference

4 / 9

Weber State's Nemanja Sarenac (23) shoots a 3-pointer over Sacramento State's Michael Wilson on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the first round of the Big Sky tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Keith Webber, for the Big Sky Conference

5 / 9

Weber State's Viljami Vartiainen places a WSU sticker on the big bracket after a first-round win on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the first round of the Big Sky tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Keith Webber, for the Big Sky Conference

6 / 9

Weber State's Blaise Threatt (0) smiles late in a win over Sacramento State on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the first round of the Big Sky tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Keith Webber, for the Big Sky Conference

7 / 9

Weber State's Trevor Hennig (6) rises to shoot against Sacramento State Emil Skytta (10) on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the first round of the Big Sky tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Keith Webber, for the Big Sky Conference

8 / 9

Weber State's Nemanja Sarenac (23) shoots a 3-pointer over Sacramento State's Bailey Nunn on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the first round of the Big Sky tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Keith Webber, for the Big Sky Conference

9 / 9

Players on Weber State's bench celebrate a 3-pointer against Sacramento State on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the first round of the Big Sky tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Keith Webber, for the Big Sky Conference

❮ ❯

Weber State men’s basketball hit one of the lowest points perhaps in program history two weeks ago in an 80-77 home loss to last-place Sacramento State.

That was Sac State’s only win in the final 12 games of the regular season.

Thanks to Viljami Vartiainen’s new role as Hornet killer and Blaise Threatt’s continued all-around game, the Wildcats made sure it stayed that way, helping No. 9 Weber State blister No. 10 Sacramento State 83-70 to open the men’s side of the Big Sky Conference tournament Saturday evening at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Vartiainen, the sophomore from Finland, knocked down three 3s in the game’s first six minutes and was just getting started. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard poured in a career-high 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including a 7-of-10 mark from behind the arc.

Vartiainen has three career games scoring 20 or more and all three came against Sac State this season. He’s the first Wildcat to make seven 3-pointers in one game since Jeremy Senglin did it on Feb. 2, 2017. Vartiainen made 17 3-pointers in three outings against the Hornets this season.

“I don’t know if it’s anything specific,” Vartiainen said about playing Sacramento State. “Maybe they play ball screens a type of way, which leaves me open for my shot off those possessions. Blaise was able to get that ball moving.”

Threatt scored 20 second-half points and finished with 26 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

“Good guard play, that’s what wins in March,” WSU head coach Eric Duft said. “These guys did a terrific job.

“I thought (Threatt) did a great job of getting Viljami some shots in the first half. They were really loading up on his ball screen and he made some really nice reads, got the ball out of his hands. He just keeps growing as a player. … His vision and his ability to see the game, he keeps getting better. Seven assists, one turnover tonight, that’s the thing I’m the most excited about.”

Weber State shot 12 of 24 from the 3-point line. In 10 games since the conference tournament moved to Idaho Central Arena, it’s the first time WSU has reached 40% from behind the arc; the previous high was last year’s 10-of-26 (38.5%) performance in the loss to Montana State.

Vartiainen opened with 13 points in the game’s first 10 1/2 minutes. He carried an otherwise cold first-half scoring effort. During a 4 1/2-minute WSU scoring drought, Sac State got loose from the 3-point line; EJ Neal hit twice and Bailey Nunn once during an 11-0 rally to put the Hornets ahead 23-20 with 5:29 left in the first half.

Vartiainen scored from deep again, and Nemanja Sarenac knocked in his second 3 of the half, to restore WSU to the lead. Threatt didn’t score until the 2:24 mark and the Wildcats led 37-33 at halftime.

In the second half, Sac State (7-25) drew into the bonus with six WSU fouls in only 5:20 of game time. The Hornets shot 7 of 7 at the foul line in the first 7 minutes and an Emil Skytta jumper had Sacramento State within 50-47 with 12:36 left.

But WSU’s recent string of solid defense continued, one that began after that home loss to the Hornets. After surrendering 80.5 points per game to Sac State in the regular season, the Wildcats kept Sac State to a 10-of-24 shooting mark in the second half, including 1 of 10 from distance. The Hornets stayed in it by shooting 16 of 17 from the foul line after the break.

So there was no keeping up with what Weber State (12-21) did next. Threatt drained one 3, then banked in another to beat the shot clock. Nigel Burris, who was once WSU’s best 3-point shooter but was 1 of his last 20, took a baseline dish from Vasilije Vucinic and knocked in a right-wing 3.

Vartiainen re-entered the picture, banging in a deep triple and then again hitting from the right wing while being fouled. He made his free throw to reach 30 points, Weber State made 11 of 12 field goal attempts during that stretch, and WSU led 66-53 with 8:31 left.

“We knew they were going to double the ball screens and play high on me,” Threatt said. “Once Vil starts hitting some shots, it makes it easier for me to get to the rim and do what I do best, so hats off to those guys.”

Threatt scored 10 of his 26 after that point, helping keep the Hornets down by 10 or so the rest of the way.

Neal’s three first-half 3-pointers helped him lead Sacramento State with 18 points until big man Jacob Holt got going. Weber State started Alex Tew instead of Declan Cutler and Tew’s work helped keep Holt at bay; Holt scored 13 of his 20 points in the final 8 minutes in a tepid response to Vartiainen’s heater.

WSU shot 30 of 53 (56.6%) overall, committed just five turnovers and held the Hornets to zero transition points.

The Wildcats live to play another day, a 5:30 p.m. Sunday tipoff against No. 1 Northern Colorado (23-8). The two teams last played on March 3, a 68-63 win for the Bears.

“It’s hard in any sport to beat a team three times. … We got a good taste of what they’re capable of at our place a couple days ago and know exactly what to expect,” Threatt said. “We’re going to go in with the mentality of leaving everything on the floor for 40 minutes and live with the result.”