Ogden » Portland State coach Tyler Geving could only stare at the post-game stat sheet and shake his head.
"If you would have told me prior to the game that we would hold [Weber State] to 33 percent shooting, I would have felt good," he said.
Wildcat coach Randy Rahe had a ready explanation. Yes, his Wildcats were colder than January, but they prevailed 69-60 to advance against Montana in today's Big Sky Conference championship game in the Dee Events Center.
"It's not all about shooting," said Rahe, mentioning toughness and character. "It's about making winning plays. There are so many other aspects to the game."
Weber State (20-9), the league's best rebounding team, claimed its spot in the title game with a dominating performance on the glass. The Wildcats grabbed 16 more rebounds, 12 more on the offensive end that led to 18 second-chance points.
It was a total team effort. While Franklin Session and Darin Mahoney pulled down eight rebounds each, five other Wildcats had four or more.
Despite 19 points by a determined Dominic Waters, Portland State (13-19) could never wrestle Weber State's slim control of the game. Waters played on a sore heel and eventually fouled out.
Portland State was called for 27 fouls to WSU's 14.
"They had four fouls in the second half," Waters said. "It was pretty [expletive] crazy."
Rebounding will be the key to Weber State winning its ninth Big Sky post-season championship. Montana is big and also makes its living controlling the paint. UM grabbed 13 offensive rebounds in its 68-63 semi-final victory against Northern Colorado.
Today's championship is a matchup of the league's two most successful basketball programs. The two have a combined 25 appearances in the title game, with 14 championships. Weber State has played Montana for an NCAA Tournament appearance four times, winning three.
It is a final for Weber State that was born out of last year's frustration and a shocking upset by Montana State in the tournament semi-final. Damian Lillard, the game's leading scorer with 23 points, said the Wildcats' preparation for 2010 began when thatgame ended.
Session, who added 13 points, echoed Lillard.
"We worked hard all year, every practice," he said. "Never took a day off. And this is where it got us, except we won this time."
Weber State shoots 33 percent, but dominates Portland State on the boards, 48-32.
» Damian Lillard scores 23 points, including hitting 8 of 9 from the foul line for Weber State.
» Weber State's bench contributes 18 rebounds and 21 points.
