Weber State’s basketball programs encountered a series of challenging road games this weekend, with both the men’s and women’s teams showing resilience despite falling short in close contests.
Women’s Team Shows Promise In St. George Shootout
The Weber State women’s team demonstrated their shooting prowess but ultimately fell 81-78 to Utah Tech in a high-scoring affair. Kendra Parra led the charge with an impressive 22 points, including six three-pointers, while freshman sensation Mata Peaua contributed 19 points in a breakout performance.
The game stayed tight throughout, featuring six ties and lead changes. Utah Tech’s Emily Isaacson, a Box Elder High graduate, showed why she’s the school’s all-time three-point percentage leader, hitting six of seven attempts from beyond the arc. Chardonnay Hartley dominated for the Trail Blazers with 28 points and 12 assists.
Despite grabbing 19 offensive rebounds and scoring 19 second-chance points, the Wildcats couldn’t overcome 20 turnovers that led to 29 points for Utah Tech. The three-point shooting battle proved decisive, with Utah Tech’s hot hands (16-30) outpacing Weber State’s solid effort (12-34).
Men’s Team Battles Hard In Hawaii Overtime Thriller
The men’s squad showed tremendous fight against Hawaii but fell short in overtime, 73-68. Blaise Threatt, son of former NBA player Sedale Threatt, put on a spectacular performance with 27 points and five steals, keeping the Wildcats in contention throughout the night.
Hawaii’s Tanner Christensen proved unstoppable in the paint, making his first nine shots and finishing with 25 points. The game’s turning point came in overtime when Weber State coach Eric Duft received a technical foul, leading to crucial free throws that helped Hawaii pull away.
Fatigue may have played a factor for the Wildcats, who traveled directly to Hawaii from a previous game at Nevada. This showed in their second-half shooting, where they hit just 24% from the field and missed all eight three-point attempts.
Looking Ahead
These close losses drop the women’s team to 1-3 and the men’s team to 1-2 on the season. However, both teams showed promising signs:
- The women’s improved three-point shooting
- Strong offensive rebounding
- Emerging young talent, like Peaua
- Threatt’s dynamic scoring ability
- Defensive intensity, despite travel challenges.
The teams will look to bounce back as they continue their seasons, with valuable lessons learned from these tough road tests. Their competitive spirit in hostile environments suggests better days ahead for Weber State basketball.
“We competed at a really high level defensively all night long,” noted Coach Duft after the men’s game, highlighting the team’s resilience despite the challenging circumstances. As both programs return home, they’ll focus on building on these performances while working to close out tight games more effectively in the future.
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