OGDEN, Utah (Interstat) — Viljami Vartiainen scored 25 points to lead Weber State to a 92-72 men’s basketball victory over Montana on Saturday at Dee Events Center. The Wildcats never trailed, building a 45-32 halftime lead behind efficient shooting. They finished the game shooting 58.9% from the floor and 50% from 3-point range. The Grizzlies could not keep pace, shooting 44.6% overall. Weber State improved to 15-14 overall. Montana fell to 14-14. Trevor Hennig added 16 points for the Wildcats, while Tijan Saine had 16 points and seven assists. Money Williams led Montana with 15 points and six assists.

OGDEN, Utah (Interstat) — In a commanding display of offensive efficiency and defensive pressure, the Weber State Wildcats avenged an earlier loss to the Montana Grizzlies with a decisive 92-72 victory in a Big Sky Conference men’s basketball game Saturday night at the Dee Events Center. A crowd of 3,975 watched as the Wildcats, led by a stellar 25-point performance from Finnish guard Viljami Vartiainen, improved to 15-14 overall and moved above .500 in conference play. The Grizzlies, who had defeated Weber State by 16 points in Missoula just over a month ago, fell to an even 14-14 on the season. The most important part of the game was Weber State’s blistering first-half shooting performance, which established a lead Montana could never seriously threaten. The Wildcats connected on 58.9 percent of their shots from the field in the opening period, including 7 of 12 from three-point range, to build a 45-32 halftime advantage. Montana, by contrast, shot 39.3 percent in the half and struggled to find any consistent rhythm against an active Weber State defense. Vartiainen, the 6-foot-6 junior from Helsinki, was the catalyst, scoring 15 of his game-high 25 points before the break. He finished the night shooting 9 of 14 from the field, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, and added three rebounds, two steals and a block. His back-to-back three-pointers early in the second half, the latter assisted by Edwin Suarez, pushed the Wildcats’ lead to 58-45 and effectively snuffed out any nascent momentum the Grizzlies had generated coming out of the locker room. Weber State’s offensive execution was nearly flawless, scoring 92 points on just 67 possessions for an offensive rating of 137.4. The Wildcats shot 58.9 percent from the field for the game and were an efficient 9 of 18 from three-point range. They also capitalized at the free-throw line, making 17 of 21 attempts. Montana, while respectable with a 102.7 offensive rating, was simply outgunned, shooting 44.6 percent overall and 8 of 24 from deep. The Wildcats shared the scoring load effectively. Alongside Vartiainen, guard Tijan Saine of Everett, Washington, orchestrated the offense with 16 points and seven assists. Trevor Hennig, a 6-foot-4 guard from North Bend, Washington, added 16 points, and frontcourt players Malek Gomma and Edwin Suarez chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively. Weber State also dominated the glass, out-rebounding Montana 35-24 and securing nine offensive rebounds to Montana’s four. Montana was led by guard Money Williams of Oakland, California, who tallied 15 points and a team-high six assists. Forward Kenyon Aguino of Albuquerque, New Mexico, also scored 15 points, and guard Brooklyn Hicks of Seattle contributed 13. The Grizzlies turned the ball over 10 times, matching Weber State’s total, but could not generate enough extra possessions or stops to mount a sustained comeback. After the early three-point barrage from Vartiainen extended Weber State’s lead in the second half, the Wildcats’ advantage never dipped below 13 points. Montana made several small runs, but each was answered promptly by a Weber State basket, often in the paint from Gomma or on a drive from Hennig. A driving layup by Saine with 44 seconds remaining provided the final margin, capping a comprehensive performance for the home team. The win gives Weber State a crucial split in the season series and positive momentum as they head into the final stretch of conference play. The Wildcats will travel to face Idaho State next Saturday. Montana, which has now lost three of its last four games, returns home to host Sacramento State on Thursday, looking to stabilize its record before the conference tournament.

Preview: Montana Grizzlies at Weber State Wildcats OGDEN, Utah (Interstat) — A critical Big Sky Conference matchup with postseason implications is set for Saturday when the Montana Grizzlies visit the Weber State Wildcats at the Dee Events Center. Both teams enter the contest looking to stabilize their conference standing and secure a winning record. Montana (14-12 overall) holds a narrow edge in the win column over Weber State (13-14). The Grizzlies won the season’s first meeting decisively, 81-65, in Missoula on Jan. 22. The game features a marquee backcourt showdown between two of the league’s premier scorers. Montana’s Money Williams has been on a prolific run, averaging 24.3 points over his last six games. He scored 25 points in the Jan. 22 win over Weber State and dropped 25 more in Montana’s most recent outing, a 82-71 home loss to Montana State on Feb. 14. Weber State will counter with dynamic guard Tijan Saine, who has shouldered a heavy offensive load. Saine is averaging nearly 24 points per game over his last seven contests, including a 29-point performance in a road win at Idaho on Feb. 12. In the Wildcats’ last game, a 84-66 loss at Eastern Washington on Feb. 14, Saine led the team with 20 points. Montana has struggled recently, losing three of its last four games. Their defense will be tested by a Wildcats’ offense that, while inconsistent, has shown high-scoring potential, as seen in a 104-90 shootout loss at Sacramento State on Feb. 2. Weber State, playing at home where they are 8-4 this season, seeks to split the season series and climb back to .500. The Wildcats have alternated wins and losses over their past five games. For Montana, finding consistent support for Williams will be key. Te’Jon Sawyer added 22 points in the loss to Montana State. Weber State will need contributions beyond Saine; Duce Paschal (14 points) and Viljami Vartiainen (15 points) provided scoring help in the Eastern Washington defeat. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST Saturday in a game that will significantly impact the seeding for the upcoming Big Sky tournament.