The Signpost: Spring 2021 - FIRST RULE OF 2021, DON'T TALK ABOUT 2020

Tuesday | January 12, 2021 | Volume 94 | Issue 01

AUBREE ECKHARDT | The Signpost

2 | MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2021

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

With a fresh year and a fresh semester greeting students, the pandemic was still in full force with a seven-day average of 3,118 cases. With cases at an all-time high across the United States, there will continue to be a lot of new and unanswered questions about Weber State University’s spring semester.

Weber State University has kept students, faculty and staff updated on protocols and changes the university has had to make. On Jan. 6, WSU sent out a campus wide email sharing some protocols for spring semester.

The email stated that COVID testing was to

be available on campus starting Jan. 4.

“We expect all students who live, work or attend classes on campus to be tested by Jan. 22. After Jan. 22, students, faculty and staff will be randomly selected to take a COVID-19 test and will be notified through their WSU email,” Brett Perozzi, vice president for student affairs, said.

General COVID testing is still available and students can still be tested even if they are not on campus regularly or if they have not been selected.

WSU also encourages students to fill out the self-report form if you are symptomatic.

As with the fall 2020 semester, masks and social distancing will still be required on cam-

pus at all times.

Students can also access laptops and hotspots at the Stewart Library. Webcams, hotspots and laptops will all be available for students beginning Jan. 8.

Testing centers and computer labs will also be open this semester. Social distancing and masks will be required. The online testing extension Proctorio may also be used as a way to proctor exams virtually. The email from Perozzi also gave a hyperlink with information on how to use Proctorio, as well as a way to reserve a space at the Stewart Library to take online tests.

Some services will still be virtual, including academic advising and peer mentors. Many

services for student life including the career center and the counseling and psychological services will have virtual and in person options available.

Students can find all the information on virtual and in person services from WSU Keeping Connected website, which was also linked in the email.

Students and teachers can expect classes to follow a more online format, similar to fall.

While classes are still being held, this semester won’t look completely normal.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

As with the fall 2020 semester, masks and social distancing will still be required on campus at all times.

MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2020 | 3

LIVE ON CAMPUS? EAT ON CAMPUS! #SeeyouattheShepherdUnion

COVID-19 TESTING Enrolled students living, working or attending an inperson course on one of our campuses are expected to be tested for COVID-19 within 10 days of the start of spring semester.

- If you are currently NOT experiencing COVID-19 symptoms: Sign up for your free test at weber.edu/coronavirus.

ARE currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms: Complete the self-report form found at

- If you

weber.edu/coronavirus and we will contact you with instructions for your free testing.

Find a list of common COVID-19 symptoms, forms for testing and more information at weber.edu/coronavirus.

4 | MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2021

KIERSTYNN KING | The Signpost

DANCING IN THE STREAM PRESENTS NEW WORKS BY STUDENT CHOREOGRAPHERS

The Orchesis Dance Theatre performs “Her Abandoned Tree.”

By KIERSTYNN KING

Reporter

On Dec. 12 and 19, Orchesis Dance Theatre presented the second part of their Dancing in the Stream performances online. All of the performances were filmed during the weekend of Nov. 12.

“Her Abandoned Tree,” “Shaped,” “The Sifting,” “On the Line” and “Understanding Solitude” were all created and choreographed by students. The second-to-last piece of the performances, “The Chaotic Ritual of Silence,” was choreographed by Assistant Professor Jo Blake.

Ashley Beckwith’s piece, “On the Line,” introduced her to a new world of creative ways to tell her story.

“I was very overwhelmed with the endless possibilities of what I could do for my piece,” Beckwith said. “Once I was set on what I wanted the theme and message to be, I found myself soaring away and finding creative ways to tell my story.”

This was Beckwith’s first semester choreographing an entire piece. She expected the choreography process to be more tense and scary than it actually was.

“Throughout the semester, I saw my piece growing, changing and maturing into something I was extremely proud of,” Beckwith said.

“It was an amazing and teachable experience.”

Jessica Haro’s piece, “Her Abandoned Tree” allowed her to come to terms with who she is and connect with her ancestors.

“I am a person of color, even if I don’t look

like it. Living in Utah always made me feel like I had to blend in,” Haro said. “I am white passing, so I don’t experience the same disadvantages my family does and I had to accept that.”

Haro danced in her piece representing herself and her mother. Throughout the piece, the two never seem to be able to connect in the right way.

“My piece represents a sense of longing, hope and a sense of celebration all at the same time,” Haro said. “This piece feels like an extension of myself. Being a creator and conducting my own research was extremely freeing.”

Gabriela Gray’s piece, “Shaped,” was about exploration and discovery with improvisation throughout the performance.

Blocks were used throughout the piece to

represent different sections of the dance. For Gray, the blocks represented the theme of exploration. She also played with the emotions of vulnerability, fear and curiosity.

Gray says her piece decided what it wanted to be and everything else happened organically. One of the lessons she said she would take away from this experience is learning to be flexible.

“No piece of art is going to be perfect in the eyes of the artist—at least, not for me,” Gray said. “I’ve learned I can still be happy and satisfied with my art despite lack of perfection.”

Dancing in the Stream is available to watch on Weber State’s Performing Arts website.

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6 | MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2021

By MARISA NELSON

Section Editor

Vaccinations for the COVID-19 virus have started to filter in to multiple states in the U.S. Utah and Weber County, specifically, held a vaccination site on Jan. 5 at Weber State University’s Dee Events Center.

The health department started receiving the vaccine around the last week of December, according to a WSU press release.

“Healthcare workers in non-hospital set-

tings (medical, dental, EMS) are the first priority group to participate in the invitation-only clinics,” Allison Hess, director of Public Relations, stated in the press release from Jan. 4.

The Weber-Morgan Health Department will work with WSU by providing volunteers for the clinics and space to serve residents.

“I am glad that we are in a position where we are able to offer our resources,” President Brad Mortensen said.

WSU and Weber-Morgan Health Department have had a long-standing relationship

and hope this collaboration will help keep those in the community healthy.

Volunteers from Ogden and Weber fire districts, Weber-Morgan Medical Reserve Corps and WSU will help the clinics run smoothly every week.

According to the Utah Coronavirus website, the timeline for the distribution of the vaccine will begin with frontline health care workers. It will then be offered to tribal health, EMS and public health workers. Long-term care facilities and K-12 teachers and staff will be next

in line.

Law enforcement workers and EMTs will come near the end of February, and those in the community over 70 years old will follow.

This could fluctuate and change over time and depends on the availability of vaccines.

More information on vaccinations can be found at Coronavirus.Utah.gov/Vaccine.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY

The Weber-Morgan Health Department begins offering COVID-19 vaccinations in a temporary clinic in the Dee Events Center at Weber State University in Ogden on January 5, 2021. Healthcare workers in non-hospital settings are the first priority group to participate in the invitation-only clinics.

MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2021 | 7 NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

By JOSHUA KAMP

Reporter

Weber State University is continuing to grow its campuses through major construction projects, with one new building nearly ready for use and another expected to open in fall 2022.

The university saw the completion of two large projects last year, with the solar panel parking array at the Ogden campus finishing just before fall semester started and the October ribbon-cutting of the Computer and Automotive Engineering Building at Davis campus in Layton.

The newest addition to the university, the Outdoor Adventure and Welcome Center, will serve dual purposes—a place for incoming students to be orientated and access campus resources and a new home for WSU’s outdoor

Construction is ongoing at Weber State University.

Crews have taken advantage of the winter break.

program. The site for the new building is on Village Drive, just north of Wildcat Village, the university’s main residential complex at the Ogden campus.

The new building gives the university a chance to showcase the opportunities offered by the unique location of the campus. Ogden and the surrounding area have recently become something of a mecca for outdoor sports such as skiing, hiking and rock climbing.

“Over the past decade, the increase in demand for outdoor access and education has propelled the WSU outdoor program into one of the premier programs in the state and country,” an informational booklet for the new building states. The building features a 55foot climbing wall and a rescue training area featuring windows used to simulate an emergency situation.

A three-story, state-of-the-art rope-access training center will be used to train people for recreation or working on tall structures in the Work at Height Training certification course.

Other certifications offered by the outdoor program include the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) and Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) programs for mountain climbing, wilderness first aid, and avalanche rescue training.

The Outdoor Adventure and Welcome Center is expected to open by late January. The outdoor program’s rental center, which offers a selection of sports gear for students to rent, will be closed on Jan. 19 as it moves into the building, the program’s website said.

The next major project on WSU’s construction agenda, the Noorda Engineering, Applied Science and Technology Building, began in

June 2020 to replace the demolished Technical Education Building at the Ogden campus.

The building takes its name from a donor: the Ray and Tye Noorda Foundation. Ray Noorda, an Ogden native, is sometimes called the “Father of Network Computing” and known for many important advancements in his field, according to a 2006 obituary.

The Noorda building will house programs such as mechanical engineering, computer science, professional sales and several others, covering approximately 135,000 square feet. The university expects the building to be ready for the fall 2022 semester.

Students interested to see the progress of the Noorda building construction can view a live video feed of the site on the WSU website.

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8 | MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2021

By SARAH EARNSHAW Videography Editor

The Stay Safe to Stay Open Campaign is a campaign created for local businesses across Utah, but some small businesses in Ogden don’t feel like the campaign has helped keep their businesses afloat. The campaign consists of a set of rules that a business agrees to and advertises in order to let customers know it is safe to visit their business.

According to the campaign’s website, stayopenutah.com, the rules of the campaign are “checking symptoms before work and stay home when sick, washing hands frequently, practicing social distancing including face coverings in close common areas, learning about

high-risk groups and helping to protect them, covering mouths when coughing or sneezing, cleaning high touch surfaces frequently and following public health guidance as updated.”

Before this campaign was introduced in late 2020, many businesses had been following these guidelines since reopening after the lockdown in March.

Robyn Stark, owner of The Queen Bee on 25th street in Ogden, said that she signed the campaign because she had already been doing everything that it consisted of.

“We do everything we can to bring business in,” Stark said. “Obviously, we’re doing everything we can to keep customers safe. Masks are required per the governor’s orders. We sanitize big touch areas.”

The Queen Bee is a chocolate shop that had samples and chocolate tasting events before the pandemic began. A bakery is connected to the shop, which allowed for more foot traffic during lunch time. Stark noted that the shop lost a lot of foot traffic when the big businesses downtown allowed their employees to work from home.

“We had a big lunch crowd that would come in, people who would stop by, have lunch, come grab a piece of chocolate, and they’re not working downtown anymore. We miss that foot traffic,” Stark said.

Stark had to stop allowing people to sample her products, which resulted in a sharp decrease in chocolate purchases. In an effort to keep her monthly chocolate tasting event

going, she created an at-home option. Instead of bringing people into her shop and explaining the chocolates while they tasted them, she made a small package for people to take home to their families. When picking up the chocolates, she would explain to them the background behind each type of chocolate.

“I’m hoping someday, we’ll be out of this and we can go back to tasting chocolate in store, and all of those things,” Stark said.

For Imagine Ballet Theatre in Ogden, they had to stop teaching ballet to certain ages entirely. They stopped teaching students who are ages 3 to 4 due to their inability to wear masks.

“I don’t think people are looking for that,” said Raymond Van Mason, the Artistic Director SARAH EARNSHAW | The Signpost

Local business creatively finding ways to stay open with curbside service off of 25th street in Ogden, UT.

MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2021 | 9

and Founder of Imagine Ballet Theatre, about signing the campaign. “I haven’t made it necessarily overly public. We were doing all that before, and I didn’t want to make it more political than it already is.”

The ballet has struggled financially throughout the pandemic due to an inability to teach students at more than half the regular amount, and inability to perform shows that could host more than half the amount of spectators.

“The number of students has drastically dropped but the rent doesn’t drop, the heating and air conditioning doesn’t drop,” Mason said.

The theatre signed the campaign as an effort to keep their business open. “The only reason I signed it was because it was the first time I’d seen it. We had been trying to follow all that protocol, actually, since May,” Mason said.

The theatre planned on renovating an old chapel before the pandemic, but because

business has decreased drastically, they had to halt all of their plans.

“I don’t have a little angel up there saying, ‘Okay, you can’t pay rent today? We’re not going to charge it to you.’ It’s not there,” Mason said.

Lena Morgan, owner of Humble Hawk, a mediumship she hosts from her home, said that her business nearly ground to a halt due to the pandemic.

“I don’t think people have as much income to spend on things that they don’t need, need necessarily,” Morgan said.

She had hopes of turning her business into her full-time career and said that she was getting close to that point before the pandemic.

Morgan’s business is usually conducted over email so she didn’t feel that she had to change anything but she did experience a decrease in clients. As a medium, she said that her main goal is to help clients commune with

loved ones that have passed on.

“People will send me a question or the name of someone that’s passed, and then their photo…In a second email, they’ll send me the photo of the person who’s passed, and that’s the way I do the readings,” Morgan said.

She noticed that as 2020 progressed less and less people requested her mediumship and she experienced a sharp increase in people following her tarot card readings on social media.

“People are looking for comfort, I think,” Morgan said.

Despite her business struggling, she signed the campaign because she felt it was important. Morgan said that she was much more comfortable going into businesses with signage saying that they were keeping COVID-19 cleanliness standards and she was more likely to enter those buildings rather than ones without signage.

“I prefer to go into places that do have that signage because I’m a hypochondriac and I don’t like any of this at all,” Morgan said.

She felt that the Stay Safe to Stay Open Campaign could benefit from better advertisement.

“I think they could do, not a better job, but make it more seen and visible and understood. That’s a thing that companies are trying to do,” Morgan said.

All three of these businesses expressed concern towards the future of the pandemic. Morgan was concerned that her business would not get more clients. Mason and Stark were worried about having to shut their businesses down again. All three expressed that they would do everything they could to keep customers feeling safe while in their store.

Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com SARAH EARNSHAW | The Signpost

Signage requiring face masks in local business in Ogden, UT.

10 | MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2021

By MILES SHAW

Asst. Section Editor

After COVID forced the Wildcats two matchups against Idaho State at the Dee to be canceled, the team found the Wolverines from Orem coming to Ogden for an in-state hardwood matchup on Jan. 2.

In a hard fight blow for blow, shot for shot game Weber State defeated Utah Valley 70— 62.

UVU gave the Wildcats all they could han-

dle, but in the end Weber State gave the Wolverines their fourth straight loss.

“We just ended up making a few more plays than they did and it was one of those after Christmas long break, ugly basketball games and our guys showed a lot of grit and determination,” Wildcats men’s basketball Head Coach Randy Rahe said.

The game was off to a slow start, but a hanging slam from Dontay Bassett injected energy into the Wildcats and gave the team a 6—4

lead in the opening six minutes.

Bassett finished the game with nine points and five rebounds.

With just over nine minutes left in the half, Jamison Overton put the Wolverines up 14— 13 with a quick layup. Overton finished as the Wolverines leading scorer with 19 points.

The back and forth battle continued throughout the opening half and up until the final minutes. The game saw 16 lead changes and was tied 10 times.

Cody Carlson and Seikou Sisoho Jawara led the way for the Wildcats in the first half with seven and six points respectfully.

Sisoho Jawara’s 3-pointer stole the lead for the Wildcats, but a mid-range jumper from Overton tied the game for the Wolverines.

Points were hard to come by in this one.

Both defenses were charged up and ready to roll in the first half with the score being 30—30 at the half-time buzzer.

Rahe expressed that the team wasn’t play-

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ing as well as they could have with the lack of offense and seemed to be playing frantically.

At halftime he told them to relax and that they were going to make the shots they needed.

Zahir Porter’s falling layup gave the Wildcats a 34—33 lead four minutes into the second half.

Former Wildcat Tim Fuller who transferred to UVU this season, scored his lone basket of the night and put the Wolverines up 37—36 early in the second half.

Carlson retook the lead for the Wildcats with a pump fake driving and one putting Weber State up 40—36.

Carlson saw open looks from beyond the arc, and while he finished shooting 1 of 5 from the 3-point line, those are the looks he wants to see from deep.

The game stayed within a five-point margin until the final minutes when the Wildcats began pulling away.

After a dish from Sisoho Jawara to Bassett for a booming dunk the Wildcats took a 65— 58 lead and never looked back.

Brown and Porter secured the victory for Weber State from the free throw line.

“I knew it was going to be an ugly game, we hadn’t played in two weeks, they hadn’t

played in two weeks, and I told my staff before the game we just got to slug through this one because everybody’s out of rhythm,” Rahe said.

While Brown shot two of six from the field and one of three from the 3-point line, he’s the Wildcats leading scorer of the year averaging 18.6 points per game.

The Wildcats move to a 4—3 record on the season which has been marred with cancelations.

“It’s hard, cause this week we’re getting ready to go play two league games and we get them all jacked up, it’s league time, and boom

NIKKI DORBER | The Signpost

Zahir Porter, number 0, hoping to go in for a layup, which would result in two points for Weber State University.

MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2021 | 11

those games are gone. Now we fill in with this game, but this group was ready to go and they come to work everyday. We’ve got some maturity in that way,” Rahe said.

The team’s homestand against Eastern Washington on Jan. 7 and 9 was wiped out due to COVID. The cancelation marks four games notched off the Wildcats schedule due to the pandemic.

Weber State’s next scheduled game is at the Dee on Jan. 21, against Southern Utah.

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12 | MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2021

By BEN FERNEY Correspondent

Weber State University students in the performing arts department have experienced a drastically different year while continuing their studies during the pandemic.

According to the CDC, singing and other activities commonly found in the performing arts can be super-spreaders of the COVID-19 virus, which has made it difficult for performances to be live.

Due to this and other COVID-19 factors, the WSU Department of Performing Arts has turned toward virtual mediums to broadcast and record its events, and students have had to adapt as classes move online.

“This year has shown lots of different changes,” Macey Quigley, a junior studying vocal performance, said. “We aren’t allowed to perform for audiences. We have to sing in masks, we can’t stand close to each other and we have only been able to have rehearsals in small groups.”

The department had 337 majors and 384 minors enrolled in the fall 2020 semester. It shared over 40 performances, and the department estimated that over 25,000 people have watched these performances so far.

Students in the performing arts programs reflected on the way their experiences have caused them to grow and develop a little differently this year.

Quigley said she had only one opportunity to perform this semester, compared to the usual 20 times in a regular semester. She said this makes her unhappy, but she is impressed with the ways the school has found to help students share their talents through performing, virtual workshops and rehearsals.

“I’m glad we can still find ways to perform and share our art with others, even if it’s in an unconventional way,” Quigley said.

Audrey Christensen, another student in the vocal performance program, said there were some positive aspects to studying online at this time.

“This year, with less in-person teaching, I have had to rely a lot more on my own skills and knowledge to help me progress with my voice,” Christensen said. “I’ve gained a stronger work ethic and have been practicing a lot more on my own.”

Christensen said she misses performing in front of audiences, but this experience has caused her to grow in ways she didn’t know she would. She said performing for a recording is much different and she has learned to draw energy from herself rather than from the audience.

“Everything is different, but I don’t think in a bad way,” Christensen said. “I’ve developed new useful skills for my future in performing, and I’ve been loving it. I have learned that performing is truly what I want to do professionally, and I’ve discovered a renewed passion for pursuing my major.”

Rebecca Schull, another vocal performance student, also recognized the different energy that comes from performing virtually.

“As performers, we often gather our energy from the audience, and it goes in a loop between the two parties—that’s what keeps us going for three hours of opera,” Schull said.

“But without an audience, we have had to find our own internal source of excitement and motivation. Knowing how to do that has been empowering.”

Schull said it’s more challenging to have self-guided rehearsals, but it’s a great preparatory experience for her future, and it is giving her tools to succeed.

The challenges have not just been for vocal performance students, but across all majors in the department of performing arts. Students in the musical theater program have found this year to be especially challenging and miss being on stage with an audience.

“It truly does feel like performing arts have been dealt a losing hand,” said Hunter Jex, a sophomore studying musical theater and music direction. “All performances for this season were canceled. Classes have moved to virtual formats, as well as voice and piano lessons.

One can only imagine how frustrating it is to try to sing, act and perform over Zoom.”

He said hope has come from the innovation and creativity of the program. He was able to participate in a performance where a small stage was set up in the Eccles Theater surrounded by recording equipment with two sound designers there to assist. This provided a safe environment for them to provide a showcase of performances with social distancing, masks and sanitization.

Jex found virtual and in-person rehearsals take much longer than they did in the past.

Specifically, he said in-person rehearsals have required more focus than ever before. They are only given 50 minutes to work before they have to clear the room for circulation purposes, and then they can return to work for 50 more minutes.

One challenge, Jex noted, in virtual rehearsals is that they will spend hours looking into a camera lens and delivering lines to one another, but it is often a few seconds late due to the sound delay. He also said it is difficult to find the time, space, energy and quiet to rehearse at home on a laptop or phone.

Despite the challenges, Jex said there are still good things happening and he is grateful for WSU faculty and staff who have made performing during this time both possible

and safe.

“I’ve learned to stay on my toes during unprecedented times,” Jex said. “Circumstances are constantly changing in the world of performing arts, and we are simply pioneers for this new and strange time. Our most important asset is the ability to roll with the punches, adapt and, against all odds, overcome these new challenges.”

While the pandemic continues, so do the efforts of the program to allow these students to further their education.

Abby Philpott, a junior studying musical theater, said she has performed from her living room with folding chairs as ballet bars.

When in person, she danced, acted and sang socially distanced and with a mask on.

“It’s a blessing we’re all so used to masks now,” Philpott said. “Singing and dancing with a mask on makes walking around with one on in the grocery store feel like nothing.”

Philpott said she is grateful for the precautions WSU is taking during this time to keep students safe while still seeking to provide opportunities for performing. She said the faculty has worked hard to plan virtual theater experiences.

Philpott said she learned some big lessons this year.

“Looking back on how my life used to look, I miss it more than anything,” Philpott said. “I miss performing, and once I’m able to work and live on theater again one day, I’ll never take it for granted again. We had no idea how lucky we were.”

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ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

ROBERT LEWIS | The Signpost

MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2021 | 13

Orchesis Dance Theatre and Moving Company presented “Sojourners” as part of the first set of “Dancing in the Stream” performances.

Orchesis Dance Theatre and Moving Company presented “Sojourners” as part of the first set of “Dancing in the Stream” performances.

14 | MyWeberMedia.com| January 12, 2020

By MILES SHAW

Asst. Section Editor

Despite a tough start to the the year for the We Despite a tough start to the the year for the Weber State University women’s basketball squad, the team has a lot of fight, and it was on full display when the Wildcats welcomed Idaho State to the Dee Events Center on Dec. 31.

It was the first game of Weber and Idaho State’s home-and-home series of the year.

Weber State hung with the Bengals and only trailed by eight points going into the second half.

“It was competitive because we were defending them, and they were taking one shot and done for the most part in the first half,” Wildcat’s women’s Head Coach Valaida Harris said.

The Bengals pulled away in the second half and left Ogden with a 17-point victory of 7760.

The Wildcats’ first points of the night came from sophomore forward Emma Torbert, who was playing in her second game for Weber State. Torbert finished the game with six points, four rebounds and two blocks.

Two of her points came from an impressive steal and euro-step layup, which would’ve elicited gasps from the Dee Events Center crowd, had the arena not been almost empty.

“It’s a matter of who we’re playing and how

THE SIGNPOST TEAM

they’re going to defend her,” Harris said. “Our emphasis was getting the ball inside for this game. We didn’t shoot a ton of jumpers, and when we attacked, we go to the free throw line.”

Weber State went a perfect 17 of 17 from the charity stripe. The Wildcats clawed back, but fell behind in the second half.

The Wildcats defense was kicked into high gear. Aloma Solovi played hard nosed defense for all four quarters, pressuring the Bengals and forcing turnovers.

In the final seconds, she intercepted a Bengals pass for an easy quick layup.

“We made a team who doesn’t turn the ball over, We forced them into 23 turnovers, and that’s not what they do, so defensively, we were solid,” Harris said.

The Bengals had six players score in double figures, Estenfia Ors and Diaba Konate led the tiger-striped squad with 23 and 21 points.

The battle on the boards and turnover margin loomed large on New Years Eve in Ogden.

Idaho State snagged 45 rebounds to the Wildcat’s 24.

“They had 18 offensive rebounds, and most of those came in the second half. If we had taken away half of their points off those, it becomes a five or six point game,” Harris said.

Two days later, the team battled hard again and trailed only by six points near halftime in Pocatello but fell 73—52. Kori Pentzer led the team in scoring with 14 points.

The Wildcats then trekked north to challenge Eastern Washington in a home stand for the Eagles.

Shooting proved to be a problem for the Wildcats, the team shot under 35% from the field and under 30% from beyond the arc in its two losses in Cheney.

But the team found a force in the pain in Emma Torbert who stuffed the stat sheet on the Reese Court hardwood.

In the first game, Torbert put up 15 points

and eight rebounds.

Shianne Johnson and Kori Pentzer each scored 14 and led the Wildcats in the teams’ second game against the Eagles before falling 71—59.

The Wildcats are 0—4 in conference play and 0—7 overall on the year.

The team’s next challenge is when it heads south to battle the Thunderbirds in Cedar City. ber State University women’s basketball squad, the team has a lot of fight, and it was on full display when the Wildcats welcomed Idaho State to the Dee Events Center on Dec. 31.

It was the first game of Weber and Idaho State’s home-and-home series of the year.

Weber State hung with the Bengals and only trailed by eight points going into the second half.

“It was competitive because we were defending them, and they were taking one shot and done for the most part in the first half,” Wildcat’s women’s Head Coach Valaida Harris said.

The Bengals pulled away in the second half and left Ogden with a 17-point victory of 7760.

The Wildcats’ first points of the night came from sophomore forward Emma Torbert, who was playing in her second game for Weber State. Torbert finished the game with six points, four rebounds and two blocks.

Two of her points came from an impressive steal and euro-step layup, which would’ve elicited gasps from the Dee Events Center crowd, had the arena not been almost empty.

“It’s a matter of who we’re playing and how they’re going to defend her,” said Coach Harris. “Our emphasis was getting the ball inside for this game. We didn’t shoot a ton of jumpers, and when we attacked, we go to the free throw line.”

Weber State went a perfect 17 of 17 from the charity stripe. The Wildcats clawed back, but fell behind in the second half.

The Wildcats defense was kicked into high gear. Aloma Solovi played hard nosed defense

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for all four quarters, pressuring the Bengals and forcing turnovers.

In the final seconds, she intercepted a Bengals pass for an easy quick layup.

“We made a team who doesn’t turn the ball over, We forced them into 23 turnovers, and that’s not what they do, so defensively, we were solid,” said Coach Harris.

The Bengals had six players score in double figures, Estenfia Ors and Diaba Konate led the tiger-striped squad with 23 and 21 points.

Shooting has been a struggle for Weber State and the team shot 34% from the field and 31% form three The battle on the boards and turnover margin loomed large on New Years Eve in Ogden.

Idaho State snagged 45 rebounds to the Wildcat’s 24.

“They had 18 offensive rebounds and most of those came in the second half, if we had taken away half of their points off those it becomes a five or six point game,” Coach Harris said.

Two days later the team battled hard again and trailed only by six points near halftime in Pocatello but fell 73-52. Kori Pentzer led the team in scoring with 14 points.

The Wildcats then trekked north to challenge Eastern Washington in a homestand for the Eagles.

Shooting proved to be a problem for the Wildcats, the team shot under 35% from the field and under 30% from beyond the arc in its two losses in Cheney.

But the purple and white’s found a force in the pain in Emma Torbert who stuffed the stat sheet on the Reese Court hardwood.

In the first game Torbert put up 15 points and eight rebounds.

Shianne Johnson and Kori Pentzer each scored 14 and led the Wildcats in scoring in the teams second game against the Eagles before falling 71-59.

The Wildcats are 0-4 in conference play and 0-7 overall on the year.

The team’s next challenge is when it heads south to battle the Thunderbirds in Cedar City.

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