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Show Sports WWW.WSUSIGNPOST.COM MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2014 5 Men’s basketball team to host Oral Roberts By CHARLES BOWKER asst. sports editor | cbowkstar_91 After a three-game trip to the Paradise Jam Tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Weber State men’s basketball team returns to the Dee Events Center to kick off their December schedule as they host Oral Roberts on Monday night. During the Wildcats’ trip to the Paradise Jam, they faced stiff competition, dropping two games early on to Illinois State and LSU before picking up a win against the Nevada Wolfpack. The Wildcats now sit at 2-3 on the season going into Monday. One of the areas where the Wildcats are excelling is their shooting from the free throw line. After five games of play, the Wildcats have shot a staggering 78.3 percent from the free throw line—shooting 15-for-19 from the free throw line in their last game. This ranks them first in the Big Sky Conference and ninth in the nation from the free throw line. Junior forward Joel Bolomboy has been a strong piece in the Wildcat game plan this season, averaging 16.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. In the Paradise Jam Tournament he averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game and shot 25-for-29 from the free throw line. PHOTO BY LICHELLE JENKINS | THE SIGNPOST Junior Joel Bolomboy drives to the basket in the Wildcats’ win against Presentation College earlier this season. Bolomboy is averaging 16.6 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game through the team’s first five games. Bolomboy is currently 12th in the nation in rebounds and first in the Big Sky Conference. At Weber State he has moved up on several of the records lists. He currently sits at eighth on the career rebound list, ninth on the career rebound average and fourth on the career blocks per game list. Sophomore guard Jeremy Senglin has stepped up to the plate for the team this season as a scorer. On average he has scored 14.2 points, 2.2 assists per game and is shooting 75 percent from the free throw line. In the Wildcats’ last outing, he shot 5-for-9 from the field, 3-for-4 from behind the three point line and made the game-winning three pointer. He finished the game with 16 points, three rebounds and two assists against Nevada. Coming into the season, the Wildcats were picked to finish first in the conference. This marks the sixth time in the last seven years that the Wildcats have been chosen to take the conference. This match up against Oral Roberts will be the seventh meeting between the teams. Overall, the Wildcats have the advantage of winning 4-2, with the most recent matchups between the two teams occurring in the 2012-13 season. The Wildcats are 3-1 at home versus Oral Roberts and the last game ended in a 83-74 win. So far this season Oral Roberts is 2-3, with five of their first six games being played on the road. Monday night’s match-up begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free to the student body with your ID card and tickets start at $8 for the general public. Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com Women win one, lose one at New Mexico State tournament By MICHAEL GRENNELL sports editor | @MichaelGrennell SOURCE: AARON LAVINSKY/MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE/TNS Snowboarders and skiers pack the slopes on the opening day of a ski resort. Surviving ski resorts If you’re not a stranger ALEXIS to the slopes, you know RAGUE that holiday breaks can be bittersweet when it comes @RagueAlexis to getting your annual fix columnist of snowboarding or skiing. Dealing with packed resorts or the hassles of a long day at the resort can make snowboarding or skiing during holiday breaks feel like more work than it’s worth. Whether you’re a born-and-bred mountain bum or a fresh newbie, here are some of the ins-and-outs of having a good time on the slopes while easing that holiday frenzy. Do your research. If you want a stress-free vacation on the slopes, you need to do your homework first. Researching will help determine which mountain is more suited for your style. Decide whether or not you want to buy or rent equipment by researching brands and shopping smart. Keep in mind the cost and popularity of the resort will also help you decide where you’ll have your best mountain adventure. Good deals are great, but good gear is better. After more than a few winter seasons under my belt, I know that snagging good deals can make or break your budget. However, cheap gear can make or break you. If you’re after deals and quality gear, go to stores that specialize in slightly used equipment that still focuses on safety. However, if you can buy brand new, especially when it comes to bindings, go for the full price. Pack light, but pack food! This is a common mistake most people make when hitting the slopes. While those extra sweaters can come in handy, it can add weight that slows you down. However, don’t skip out on food. My suggestion is to bring your own food since lines to the cafeteria can be as long as the lines for the lifts. Try to go on off-peak days. There’s no avoiding it: holiday breaks come with crowds. If you hate a packed mountain, know that going on weekends will cause meltdowns. Dodge the avalanche of small children and out-of-state tourists by going on weekdays where less people hit the slopes. If you do get stuck going on a Saturday, shoot to get there extra early or maybe spend it night skiing instead. Try new things, but know your limits. You’ve done your research and you’ve got the good deals and gear. However, while you’ve managed to get a handle on getting the most out of the resort, it’s worth reminding yourself that bad things can still happen. Don’t sabotage your winter vacation by going crazy. Build up your skill set by practicing, and if you stray into the back country, bring an avalanche kit. There are ways to having a good time while also being safe. There you go, now enjoy the vacation to its fullest, especially when it comes with fresh snowfall. Comment on this column at wsusignpost.com The Weber State women’s basketball team finished off the New Mexico State Hotel Encanto Thanksgiving Classic Tournament with a 57-42 loss to Eastern Michigan on Saturday. “The numbers don’t show how hard the girls worked,” said WSU head coach Bethann Ord. “You can’t win a game when you don’t finish shots and convert. I am proud of the girls; playing on the road is tough and they did well in this tournament.” The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead over the Eagles, but Eastern Michigan quickly battled back and took the lead for good with just over 11 minutes left in the first half. The Eagles shot 19for-57 from the field in the win, outshooting the Wildcats (14-for-61). Weber State was also outrebounded 53-42. Senior Brianna Averette led the team in scoring with 12 points, while also pulling down six rebounds. Junior Jalen Carpenter led the team with nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals while scoring four points. One day after scoring 20 points and shooting 5-for-9 from three-point range, freshman Kailie Quinn struggled to make her shots as she shot 0-for-6 from the field, all six attempts coming from three-point range. Ord said after the loss that the team had work to do before their next home game. “We’re going to be working on executing the little things this week in practice,” Ord said. “We are going to get back to the basics and tighten things up before San Diego.” The loss to Eastern Michigan came one day after the Wildcats PHOTO BY MICHAEL GRENNELL | THE SIGNPOST Senior Brianna Averette (5) defends against UVU guard Mariah Seals (3). Averette scored 33 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the Wildcats’ two games at New Mexico State. “(NMSU) threw everything at us. For us to come in here and get this victory was huge.” BETHANN ORD WSU Head Coach beat New Mexico State (NMSU) in a 100-97 double overtime win. “(NMSU) threw everything at us,” said WSU head coach Bethann Ord. “For us to come in here and get this victory was huge.” The Wildcats trailed the Aggies throughout most of the first half but managed to pull within one point to go into halftime trailing 35-34. The Aggies added to their lead in the second half, as they jumped out to a 12 point lead with just over two minutes left in the game. The Wildcats battled back, and went on a 15-3 scoring run to tie the game at 75-75 and force overtime. The teams changed lead three times in the first overtime period, but freshman guard Kailie Quinn hit her fourth three-point shot of the game with two seconds left to send the game into second overtime. The Wildcats took control of the second overtime period, as they only lost the lead once on their way to the double overtime win. Averette led the team in scoring with a gamehigh 21 points, while also pulling down four rebounds and making six assists. Her 21 points and six assists were both new career highs for her as it was the first time since 2012 she scored 15 or more points. The Wildcats had four other players score double-digit points in the win, as freshman Kailie Quinn had her second 20-plus-point game of the season, putting up 20 points while shooting 5-for-9 from three-point range. Junior Regina Okoye scored 12 points against New Mexico State, while fellow junior Jalen Carpenter had her sec- ond double-double of the season. Carpenter pulled down 13 rebounds and scored 13 points while tying her career-high with three steals. Freshman Sira Toure set a new career-high with 14 points off the bench. “I am so proud of these girls,” Ord said. “We were pressuring them and attacking them and we did what we needed to. Having people come in off the bench and play aggressively really helped us earn this win.” The Wildcats currently sit in second place in the Big Sky Conference standings after the weekend with a 4-3 overall record. Their next game will be at home on Dec. 6 when they host San Diego (5-1) at 2 p.m. The Wildcats have three more non-conference games— against BYU, Denver and Oklahoma State—before they begin their conference schedule at home against Eastern Washington on Jan. 1. Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com |