For the second game in a row, Weber State University was in a tight back-and-forth game. This time, however, WSU came away with the win. The Wildcats knocked off the University of Dayton 62-61 on Wednesday night in Ohio.

Following the game, WSU head coach Randy Rahe said he was happy with the way the team played and that this was an important win for the team.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of our team and how they fought tonight,” Rahe said. “We stayed together and played really tough throughout and had so many players step up and contribute. It’s a huge win for us and our program in a very tough environment, and it really gives our team a lot of confidence.”

Throughout the first half, both teams struggled to make shots, with WSU going 8-32 and the Flyers going 10-32. The Wildcats also struggled to control the ball, making 11 turnovers during the first frame. At the break, UD held a 25-20 lead.

Kyle Tresnak was the first player to break into double figures, getting his 10th point on a foul shot early in the second half, which sparked a WSU comeback. The Wildcats took the lead in the second half thanks to freshman Joel Bolomboy, who made a nice move in the low post, giving WSU a 28-27 point lead. On the Wildcats’ next possession, Scott Bamforth drained a three to push the lead to four. Bamforth went on to score eight straight points for WSU.

The Flyers refused to go away, and pulled back within one point with 12 minutes left in the game. WSU built another lead, but UD managed to pull within one again with five minutes remaining in the game. With one minute left, WSU held a one-point lead.

Gelaun Wheelwright attempted a three to seal the game with less than a minute remaining. The Flyers pulled in the rebound, but weren’t able to score, giving WSU the ball back with nine seconds remaining in the game. The Wildcats were able to close out the game for their second win of the season.

“We had some turnovers and couldn’t get the shots we wanted in the first half, but came out and executed how we wanted to in the second half and knocked down some shots,” Bamforth said. “It was a great effort for the whole team and a big win for us.”

The Wildcats shot well from deep in the second half, going 6-9 from the 3-point line.

Tresnak, who posted a season-high 16 points and added a season-high seven rebounds, led WSU. Bamforth also had a season high, finishing with 15 points and five rebounds on 4-9 shooting. Davion Berry added nine points, and Jordan Richardson finished the game with eight points. Bolomboy had seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds off the bench.

Now the Wildcats will return home and take on Utah Valley University next Wednesday at the Dee Events Center after nearly a month on the road. WSU now has a record of 2-2.