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Show MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2013 Sports WWW.WSUSIGNP0ST.COM Men's basketball earns fifth-straight win " I PHOTO BY BRANDY A. CIMMINO | THE SIGNPOST WSU senior forward Frank Otis jumps up for a dunk on Saturday in a game against the University of North Dakota. The Wildcats won 95-63, the largest margin of victory in a conference game for the team since February 2009. By Nick Wood sports editor I The Sign/jost The Weber State University men's basketball team continued its winning streak on Saturday night as it came out with a victory against the University of North Dakota. The Wildcats continued to show a strong level of play, defeating UND with a score of 95-63, the largest margin of victory in a conference game for the team since February 2009. The win for WSU was solidified with a 32-point gap. The Wildcats got off to a hot start to begin the first half of the basketball game. After some close play for the first five minutes, WSU began to pull away with an early lead. The Wildcats held a 20-point lead and larger for the last 10 minutes of the first half. At halftime, WSU held a lead of 46-21. The Wildcats were shooting 64 percent from the floor, including 5-for-8 from behind the arc. Senior guard Scott Bamforth led the team in scor- ingwith 14 points, shooting 5-7 from the floor. WSU junior forward Davion Berry and junior center Kyle Tresnak each contributed with 12 points and four rebounds by end of the half. The second half of the game continued in a similar direction as the first. Although the scoring was more consistent from both teams, UND was unable to make up ground lost from the first half. WSU continued its significant lead throughout the half. At the end of the game, the Wildcats sealed their victory as the scoreboard read 95-63. Tresnak led the team with 22 points and six rebounds; Berry had 20 points, six rebounds and six assists; Bamforth included 19 points and four assists, and Gelaun Wheelwright had 13 points and three assists. "I thought we played well," said Berry follow- "ln the second half, we kind of let our defense slip, and Coach Rahe ... called a timeout and chewed us out and said we need to regroup." - Davion Berry WSU junior forward ing the game. "In the second half, we kind of let our defense slip, and Coach Rahe wasn't happy at all. He called a timeout and chewed us out and said we need to regroup." Despite continuing the 20-point lead throughout the second half, Berry said the team couldn't let down. "I just wanted to be aggressive," he said. 'Against Northern Colorado I wasn't myself, so I just wanted to attack and keep attacking." The win marked the fifth-straight victory for WSU. The Wildcats currently hold a perfect record for Big Sky Conference play, having won their first four conference games of the season. Although the Wildcats See Basketball page 7 Wood's Word BCS championships sure to make history We as sports appre- ciators love to see a significant battle, no matter the circumstances. Despite the often-negative opinions aimed at certain celebrated professional teams, games played between these teams are consistently the most viewed and talked about. Teams like the New York Yankees, the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Cowboys are regularly regarded as some of the most disliked professional teams throughout the country. They are, however, commonly seen at the playoff and championship levels of their respective sports. While these teams can have reputations for buying their way to the top of their league, the fact cannot be denied that they continually make it to that level nonetheless. Let's say, for example, that the 2012-13 NBA Championships were a matchup of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. Each team has a huge following of fans as well as an army cheering against them (although, in this hypo- £*\ Nick IP Wood • The Signpost t columnist thetical situation, I am unsure of which would be larger for each). Even though most fans would probably express their distaste for such a commonly seen setup, it would certainly attract a higher-than-average viewing audience due to each team's level of stardom and celebrated history. So, when it comes to this year's Bowl Championship Series national championship matchup for college football, history and tradition will most likely draw one of the largest viewing audiences for a bowl game to date. Two celebrated powerhouse football organizations will go head to head on Monday night and only one will walk away as the national champion. The 2013 BCS Discover Bowl will host the 12-0 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame University and the 12-1 See Wood's Word page 7 Women's basketball loses six games during break PHOTO BY TYLER BROWN I THE SIGNPOST Weber State University sophomore guard Brianna Averette drives the ball past a University of Utah defender in a game earlier this season. The Wildcats lost six games over the winter break. By Nathan Davis asst. sports editor I The Signpost While most students were taking it easy over the winter break, the Weber State University women's basketball team stayed busy, playing six games. However, the Wildcats were unable to get a win. The first game for the Wildcats came on the road, when they traveled to Laramie, Wyo., to take on the University of Wyoming. The Cowgirls came into the game playing well, with an 8-1 record, and the Wildcats couldn't manage to win, falling 77-62. UW sophomore forward Kayla Woodward led the Cowgirls with 20 points and seven rebounds. Freshman center falen Carpenter led the Wildcats with a career- high 13 points, and freshman forward Regina Okoye ended the game with nine points. The Wildcats were hurt by a poor first-half performance and went into the break down by 17. The second half was much better for the Wildcats, who outscored the Cowgirls 35-33 in See Break page 7 |