Utah Tech Concludes Road Trip With Dominant Win At Weber State
Dec 3, 2022, 9:41 PM
(Courtesy of Utah Tech Athletics)
(Courtesy of Utah Tech Athletics)
OGDEN, Utah – Tanner Christensen’s 20 points lead Utah Tech pulled away in the second half with Weber State struggling at home in a 77-65 loss.
Weber State (2-5) hosted the Utah Tech Trailblazers (3-5) at the Dee Events Center on Saturday, December 3.
And that's a road W. We're back in the Burns Arena on Friday night #UtahTechBlazers #WAChoops #WACmbb pic.twitter.com/YGEdrvPkGC
— Utah Tech Men's Basketball (@UtahTechMBB) December 4, 2022
The Wildcats looked to end a two game losing streak after falling at Tarleton State on November 29.
Utah Tech is on the second leg of a road trip that saw them battle but ultimately come up short in a loss at Utah State earlier in the week.
Joining Christensen in double-figure scoring were Isaiah Pope (19) and Jacob Nicolds (11).
Verplancken led the Wildcats with 15 points. Dillon Jones finished with a double-double as his 11 rebounds led the team and he chipped in 13 points.
First Half
Utah Tech turned a 4-4 tie into a 14-4 lead over the course of three minutes early in the first half. Four of five Trailblazer starters scored during the run.
Back to back #UtahTechBlazers pic.twitter.com/eyh4ouT760
— Utah Tech Men's Basketball (@UtahTechMBB) December 4, 2022
Weber State briefly cut the lead to five at 14-9 when Steven Verplancken knocked down a three, but they would get no closer in the opening 20 minutes.
Stevie V for 3️⃣#WeAreWeber x @Stevenv_jr pic.twitter.com/j5SwdrhqGZ
— Weber State MBB 🏀 (@WeberStateMBB) December 4, 2022
The Trailblazers would lead by as many as 13 points as they nearly led wire-to-wire in the half. Tanner Christensen led Utah Tech with 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting.
Weber State was limited to 45.8 percent shooting in the half and a dismal 25 percent from beyond the arc. Verplancken’s nine points led the Wildcats.
HALFTIME pic.twitter.com/pkEN2GECbo
— Weber State MBB 🏀 (@WeberStateMBB) December 4, 2022
Second Half
The Wildcats opened the second half scoring with a Keith Dinwiddie layup to get within ten at 40-30.
A quick 8-0 Utah Tech run gave the Trailblazers a commanding 18-point lead with two and a half minutes gone in the half.
BIG DUNK NICOLDS #UtahTechBlazers pic.twitter.com/AtlBaIVQ1d
— Utah Tech Men's Basketball (@UtahTechMBB) December 4, 2022
Down 63-42 with 9:49 left, Weber State tried to make a run.
The Wildcats used an 8-0 run to get within 11 at 67-56 when Dyson Koehler went coast to coast with a steal and transition layup.
That would be as close as Weber State could get, eventually falling 77-65.
Up Next
Utah Tech (4-5) return home where they will host Chapman University at Burns Arena on Friday, December 9. Tip-off for this game is scheduled for 7 p.m. (MST).
Weber State heads to Riverside, CA where they will take on California Baptist University on Wednesday, December 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. (MST).
