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By RAYSHAUN BAKER-LYNCH Asst. Section Editor

By COLLYN COWLES Reporter

Going into spring break, Weber State University’s men’s and women’s basketball teams are headed to the Big Sky Tournament in Boise, Idaho, on March 4-8.

Last season, Montana State University won both the men’s and women’s tournaments, representing the Big Sky during NCAA’s March Madness.

As the tournament days approach, it’s time to look at where both Wildcat teams stand heading into Boise.

Men’s basketball

Weber State sits at 16–14 overall with an 11–6 in-conference record, making them No. 3 in the Big Sky.

Forward Dillon Jones is the leading scorer for the Wildcats with 16.3 points per game and the leading rebounder with 11 per game. He has been a highly productive player on the floor, leading the team in multiple categories.

“We think we have a terrific player in Dillon Jones at the end of games, and it gives us a chance at the end of close games to have a guy that can make things happen,” Weber State head coach Eric Duft said.

Jones will play a critical role for the Wildcats in the tournament. Following Jones, the Wildcats’ next leading scorer is Steven Verplancken Jr. A sniper from beyond the arc, Verplancken has shot 41% from 3-point range this season.

“We have to defend,” Duft said. “We have to be good on the defensive end. We’ve got to limit teams to one shot. When we get them to miss, we’ve got to get the rebound. We’ve got to take care of the ball. That’s been our Achilles heel all season on offense is ball security. We’ve got to take care of the ball and get good shots. If we do those three things, we’ll be in the game.”

As a team, the Wildcats have scored a total of 2,001 points this season, averaging 66.7 points per game. They have a scoring margin of -0.5 with their opponents averaging 67.2 points against them.

Weber State has been in a lot of close games this year with clutch moments to learn from going into the tournament.

Duft said he thinks the team has learned that when they’re playing well, they can beat anybody, and if they’re not playing well, they can lose to anybody.

Discussing what the tournament means to players, Duft said teams who go to March Madness are hungry to get back.

“It’s why you do it at this level, and it’s a special experience,” Duft said. “I’m hoping that our guys get a chance while they’re at Weber State to realize that. I think when they’re growing up, this is what they’re thinking about and now they’ve got a chance to achieve it.”

Weber State will face off against Northern

Arizona University on Feb. 27, and as the bracket currently stands, against Portland State University on March 6.

Women’s basketball

Coming in with a bottom-of-the-conference 2–15 record, the Wildcats may not look like they pose much of a threat. That said, many didn’t think they would make it out of the first round last year against Sacramento State University, a game they won 74–64.

While the team’s only won six games overall this season, Weber State has shown they’re capable of upsets.

Led by forwards Daryn Hickok and Jadyn Matthews, the Wildcats have averaged 57.2 points per game this season, allowing 67.5 points on defense for an average margin of -10.3. As a team, Weber State has scored 1,658 points this season, with 47.5% of that total coming from Hickok and Matthews. The Wildcats make 73.5% of their free throws as a team. Hickok averages 5.4 free throws per game with 77% of her attempts from the line.

Matthews leads Weber State in both assists and rebounds, averaging 1.9 assists while grabbing 7.7 rebounds per game.

Coming off a 77–52 loss against the University of Idaho, the last game for women’s basketball will be a senior night matchup against Northern Arizona on Feb. 27 at the Dee Events Center. As the bracket currently stands, Weber State will face the University of Northern Colorado in the tournament on March 4 at noon.

Entrando en las vacaciones de primavera, los equipos de baloncesto masculino y femenino de la Universidad Estatal Weber se dirigen al Torneo Big Sky en Boise, Idaho, del 4 al 8 de marzo.

La temporada pasada, la Universidad Estatal de Montana ganó tanto el torneo masculino como el femenino, representando a la Big Sky durante la Locura de Marzo de la NCAA.

A medida que se acercan los días del torneo, es hora de echar un vistazo a la situación de ambos equipos Wildcat de cara a Boise.

Baloncesto masculino

Weber State se encuentra en 16-14 en general con un récord de 11-6 en la conferencia, haciéndolos N º 3 en la Big Sky.

El alero Dillon Jones es el máximo anotador de los Wildcats con 16,3 puntos por partido y el máximo reboteador con 11 por partido. Ha sido un jugador muy productivo sobre el parqué, liderando al equipo en múltiples categorías.

“Creemos que Dillon Jones es un jugador fantástico al final de los partidos, y nos da la oportunidad de tener a alguien que puede hacer que las cosas sucedan al final de los partidos cerrados”, dijo Eric Duft, entrenador de Weber State.

Jones desempeñará un papel fundamental para los Wildcats en el torneo. Tras Jones, el siguiente máximo anotador de los Wildcats es Steven Verplancken Jr. Un francotirador desde más allá del arco, Verplancken ha disparado un 41% desde la distancia de 3 puntos esta temporada.

“Tenemos que defender”, dijo Duft. “Tenemos que ser buenos en el aspecto defensivo. Tenemos que limitar a los equipos a un solo tiro. Cuando consigamos que fallen, tenemos que coger el rebote”.

Tenemos que cuidar el balón. Ese ha sido nuestro talón de Aquiles ofensivo toda la temporada: la seguridad con el balón. Tenemos que cuidar el balón y hacer buenos tiros. Si hacemos esas tres cosas, estaremos en el partido”.

Como equipo, los Wildcats han anotado un total de 2.001 puntos esta temporada, con una media de 66,7 puntos por partido. Tienen un margen de anotación de -0,5, con sus oponentes promediando 67,2 puntos contra ellos.

Weber State ha disputado muchos partidos igualados este año, con momentos decisivos de los que aprender de cara al torneo.

Duft dijo que cree que el equipo ha aprendido que cuando juegan bien, pueden ganar a cualquiera, y si no juegan bien, pueden perder contra cualquiera.

Hablando de lo que el torneo significa para los jugadores, Duft dijo que los equipos que van a la Locura de Marzo tienen hambre de volver.

“Es por lo que lo haces a este nivel, y es una experiencia especial”, dijo Duft. “Espero que nuestros chicos tengan la oportunidad de darse cuenta de ello mientras estén en Weber State. Creo que cuando están creciendo, esto es en lo que están pensando y ahora tienen la oportunidad de lograrlo.”

Weber State se enfrentará a la Northern Arizona University el 27 de febrero y, tal y como está el cuadro actualmente, a la Portland State University el 6 de marzo.

Baloncesto femenino

Con un récord de 2-15 en la parte baja de la conferencia, los Wildcats no parecen suponer una gran amenaza. Dicho esto, muchos no pensaron que pasarían de la primera ronda el año pasado contra la Universidad Estatal de Sacramento, un partido que ganaron 74-64.

Aunque el equipo sólo ha ganado seis partidos en total esta temporada, Weber State ha demostrado que es capaz de dar la sorpresa.

Lideradas por las aleros Daryn Hickok y Jadyn Matthews, las Wildcats han promediado 57,2 puntos por partido esta temporada, permitiendo 67,5 puntos en defensa para un margen medio de -10,3. Como equipo, Weber State ha anotado 1.658 puntos esta temporada, con un 47,5% de ese total procedente de Hickok y Matthews.

Los Wildcats lanzan el 73,5% de sus tiros libres como equipo. Hickok promedia 5,4 tiros libres por partido con un 77% de sus intentos desde la línea.

Matthews lidera a Weber State tanto en asistencias como en rebotes, promediando 1,9 asistencias y capturando 7,7 rebotes por partido.

Tras una derrota por 77-52 contra la Universidad de Idaho, el último partido del baloncesto femenino será la noche de los mayores contra Northern Arizona el 27 de febrero en el Dee Events Center. Tal y como está el cuadro actualmente, Weber State se enfrentará a la Universidad de Northern Colorado en el torneo el 4 de marzo al mediodía.

By SIMON MORTENSEN Section Editor

Weber State University’s men’s basketball beat the University of Idaho 67–53 on Feb. 25 at the Dee Events Center in a senior night victory.

“We wanted to get third place wrapped up,” Wildcat head coach Eric Duft said. “We wanted to do it home. We wanted to do it in front of our fans.”

Weber State guard KJ Cunningham started off the night’s scoring by hitting a long 2-pointer right before the shot-clock sounded. Vandal guard Divant’e Moffitt responded by drawing contact off forward Dillon Jones and making two foul shots.

Hitting inside, Idaho forward Nigel Burris gave the Vandals their largest lead of the night. After getting blocked on his first attempt, Wildcat center Alex Tew scored to tie the game. Cunningham then created a gap by making a 3-pointer.

Idaho regained a lead after guard Trey Smith hit a corner 3-pointer. Wildcat center Handje Tamba then made a hook shot, putting Weber State up 14–13. Fighting for control, Tew dunked off a feed from Dillon Jones.

With 10 minutes left in the first half, Idaho guard Yusef Salih hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 16. Weber State forward Dyson Koehler responded with a 3-pointer of his own, after which Weber State outscored Idaho 9–7, ending the half up 28–24.

The Wildcats started the second half with a 7–0 run. Though a layup from Idaho forward Isaac Jones stopped the run, Weber State’s momentum survived. The Wildcats scored 9 points before Idaho made their next field goal. With 10 minutes left in the second, Dillon Jones hit a 3-pointer to put Weber State up by 16 points.

Driving inside from the corner, Dillon Jones threw a one-handed slam. Wildcat guards Steven Verplancken Jr. and Junior Ballard hit from beyond the arc to push Weber State’s lead to 21 points with under five minutes left. Toward the end of the game, the Wildcats pulled their starters out with 1:20 left, solidifying the win.

Dillon Jones led Weber State in points with 21, rebounds with 14 and assists with four. Verplancken was the second-leading scorer with 14 points. Although the Vandals are typically known as a high-scoring team, Idaho’s only player with double-digit scoring figures was Isaac Jones.

With senior guards Zahir Porter and Ballard being celebrated, the game marked the Wildcats’ final matchup at home this season.

“I like the support that we had all year,” Ballard said. “Fans, cheerleaders, little kids, like whoever — we felt the love.”

Weber State hit the road to Flagstaff, Arizona, to take on Northern Arizona University on Feb. 27. As the bracket currently stands, the Wildcats will play Portland State University during the first game of the Big Sky conference tournament on March 6 at 8 p.m.

By BRISA ODENTHAL Reporter

Weber State University will be hosting the Latinos in Action Conference of 2023 for seventh through 12th graders on March 6, and they are in need of volunteers.

The conference, which WSU has been hosting for over ten years, will involve influential Latino and Hispanic speakers, including former NASA astronaut José Moreno Hernández as the keynote speaker.

The event will also include the announcement of the winners of the LIA scholarship, musical and dance performances by attendees, a short film competition, a visual arts competition and a writing competition.

The theme of the event this year is “Stand4More.” The theme uses the General Sherman Tree in the Sequoia National Park in California as an analogy for the Latino community, with widespread roots that entangle with those of other trees to strengthen everyone.

“We stand for more than what others see,” José Enriquez, founder of Latinos in Action, said. “We stand for more than what others want us to be. We stand for a lot more than what we’ve accomplished. We cannot settle. We stand for familia. We stand for community. We stand for those that can’t. We stand for the hopeless. We stand for the unseen and the unknown. We stand for the immigrants. We stand for the voiceless. We stand for so much more.”

Though the event is for seventh through 12th graders, the LIA Conference needs at least 15 volunteers to help facilitate this event. Volunteers for this event are tasked with guiding buses to the Browning Center, sitting in on workshops, supervising lunches, and answering questions from attendees.

The goal of this event is to create community ties for Latino students and to involve them in WSU early on. As of right now, WSU reports that 11% of students are Hispanic or Latino.

The event will take place all over WSU’s

Ogden campus but will mainly be held in the Shepherd Union and the Browning Center. Anyone attending the event will need to follow a business-wear dress code. WSU students, staff and faculty are all eligible to register as a volunteer for this event. The application to volunteer is available on their website, http://lialeadershipconference.org. The deadline for applications is Feb. 28. Students and teachers are able to register for the event on their website.

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Weber State University será el anfitrión de la Conferencia Latinos en Acción de 2023 para estudiantes de séptimo a duodécimo grado, y están necesitando voluntarios.

La conferencia, la cual WSU ha estado organizando durante más de diez años, contará con la participación de influyentes oradores latinos e hispanos, incluido el ex astronauta de la NASA José Moreno Hernández como orador principal.

El evento también incluirá el anuncio de los ganadores de la beca LIA, actuaciones musicales y de danza por parte de los asistentes, un concurso de cortometrajes, un concurso de artes visuales y un concurso de escritura.

El tema del evento de este año es “Stand4More”. El tema utiliza el árbol General Sherman en el Parque Nacional Sequoia en California como una analogía para la comunidad latina, con raíces extendidas que se enredan con las de otros árboles para fortalecer a todos.

“Defendemos más de lo que otros ven”, dijo José Enríquez, fundador de Latinos in Action. “Defendemos más de lo que otros quieren que seamos. Representamos mucho más de lo que hemos logrado. No podemos conformarnos. Defendemos a la familia. Defendemos la comunidad.

Defendemos a los que no pueden. Defendemos a los desesperanzados. Defendemos lo invisible y lo desconocido. Defendemos a los inmigrantes. Defendemos a los sin voz. Representamos mucho más”.

Aunque el evento es para estudiantes de séptimo a duodécimo grado, la Conferencia LIA necesita al menos 15 voluntarios para ayudar a facilitar este evento. Los voluntarios de este evento tienen la tarea de guiar los autobuses al Centro Browning, asistir a los talleres, supervisar los almuerzos y responder las preguntas de los asistentes.

El objetivo de este evento es crear lazos comunitarios para los estudiantes latinos e involucrarlos en WSU desde el principio. A fecha de hoy, WSU informa que el 11% de los estudiantes son hispanos o latinos.

El evento se llevará a cabo en todo el campus de Ogden de WSU, pero se llevará a cabo principalmente en Shepherd Union y Browning Center. Cualquiera que asista al evento deberá seguir el código de vestimenta que es ejecutivo.

Los estudiantes, el personal y la facultad de WSU son elegibles para registrarse como voluntarios para este evento. La solicitud para ser voluntario está disponible en su sitio web, http://lialeadershipconference. org. La fecha límite para las solicitudes es el 28 de febrero. Los estudiantes y maestros pueden registrarse para el evento en su sitio web.