Aggies were dominated in all aspects
OGDEN, Utah — When Utah State headed for Ogden to face Weber State on Tuesday, the Aggies were hoping for a win. The Wildcats had other plans. USU certainly didn’t play up to its potential, but one thing is certain: Weber State outplayed them.
“I thought Weber was very good tonight,” USU head coach Stew Morrill said. “I don’t think they were ever threatened. They were better than us.”
The Wildcats are making a case that they are the best team in the state. Tuesday they out-hustled, out-played, and out-shot the Aggies.
The result was a 15-point halftime lead. Every time Utah State made a run in the second half, Weber State responded by coming up with a key offensive rebound or hitting a big 3-pointer.
“Weber’s a very good team,” senior guard Brockeith Pane said. “We knew it was going to be rowdy. They wanted this win.”
Junior guard Damian Lillard has the ability to dictate and control games. The Aggies held him in check fairly well.
Lillard finished as the second-leading scorer for the Wildcats with 17 points and had a team-high four assists, which is part of what makes him a key player. If he is not doing damage with his shot, he can do damage off the dribble and give his teammates opportunities to step up and make plays.
Junior guard Scott Bamforth was the biggest factor in this game. Bamforth went 7-9 from behind the arc and finished with 28 points. It was Bamforth who hit free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
In two games this season Bamforth is 12-14 from behind the 3-point line. He is a reliable scoring threat that provides the Wildcats with firepower from the perimeter.
“What a shooting display,” Morrill said of Bamforth’s performance, “Bamforth had an unbelievable night with the 3-point shooting.”
The Wildcats have two big men in the post that make big-time plays. Sophomore forward Byron Fulton and senior forward Kyle Bullinger teamed up to pull down 20 rebounds, including six on the offensive end of the court.
Several of those rebounds came late in the game as the Aggies were closing the gap, allowing Weber State to milk the clock and score second-chance points.
The hustle plays made a big difference in this game. Weber came up with a lot of the loose balls, and senior forward Morgan Grim said a lot of the credit goes to the Wildcats.
“We didn’t make the plays,” the 6-foot-seven Riverton native said. “Give credit to Weber, They out-worked us.”
Weber’s bench produced some solid results as well. Senior forward Darin Mahoney played solid against Utah State and was another presence on the boards that helped the Wildcats to out-rebound the Aggies 38-35.
Weber State received 19 of 24 first-place votes in the Big Sky Conference preseason polls for a reason. The Wildcats have experience, talent and a group of players with something to prove. With only two seniors on the roster, the Wildcats have a lot to look forward to in the next couple years.
“Weber deserves nothing but all the credit,” Morrill said, “the best Big Sky team I’ve seen in a while. They’ve got a great basketball team.”
– curtis.lundstrom@aggiemail.usu.edu