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Ogden • Weber State was Golden on Saturday night at the Dee Events Center.

Junior guard Chris Golden scored a career-high 24 points, including five in the final 2:07, as the Wildcats rallied for a 61-57 victory over Idaho State.

The win bumped Weber State's record to 12-15 overall and 7-9 in the Big Sky Conference. The Wildcats remained one game ahead of Southern Utah in the race for the final berth in the league's postseason tournament.

"We talk about it because we want to be in there," said Weber's Kyndahl Hill, who finished with 17 points. "We're fighting for it."

Idaho State took a 56-53 lead with 2:33 left when Chris Hansen, who led the Bengals with 22 points, drove to the basket and scored.

On the next possession, Golden nailed a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game.

"Coach [Randy] Rahe wanted a ball screen on that play, no matter who it was," Golden said. "It just happened to be me … so I shot it."

Idaho State squandered a chance to regain the lead with 1:59 remaining when Hansen was fouled but missed the front end of a one-and-one.

Weber State responded by dumping the ball into Joel Bolomboy on the block. When the Bengals went after him with a double-team, he dropped a perfect pass to Golden for the go-ahead layup with 1:40 left.

"My teammates found me in rhythm every time," Golden said.

Twenty seconds later, Idaho State's Jeffrey Solarin made one free throw but missed the second. Leading 58-57, however, Weber State failed to ice the game by committing a shot clock violation.

In the final 30 seconds, Hansen missed twice — once from the lane and once on a 3-pointer for the win — and the Wildcats iced the game from the line.

Looking for its first home win since Jan. 10, Weber State used an early 13-2 run to wipe out a four-point deficit and build a 15-10 lead. Golden made two 3-pointers during the three-minute stretch, when the Wildcats converted five straight possessions.

It was 25-18 with 4:55 left in the half when Weber went cold. The 'Cats went four minutes without scoring. They watched the Bengals get within two before Golden made a pair of free throws and Hill hit a runner from the lane in the final minute.

The Wildcats settled for a 29-23 lead at halftime, thanks to Golden's 11 points and a sticky defense that limited Idaho State to 11-for-30 shooting.

Twitter: @sluhm —

Weber St. 61, Idaho St. 57

IDAHO ST. (6-22)

Wilson 1-8 0-0 2, Solarin 8-14 1-2 17, Ezenwa 3-5 2-3 8, Magot 1-2 0-0 2, Hansen 8-17 3-5 22, Luzcando 0-3 0-1 0, Hall 2-7 0-0 4, Slavik 1-1 0-0 2.

Totals 24-57 6-11 57.

WEBER ST. (12-15)

Golden 7-13 4-5 24, Bolomboy 2-6 2-4 6, Gittens 1-6 1-2 4, Senglin 0-0 0-0 0, Hajek 1-3 0-0 2, Johnson-Coston 2-3 0-0 4, Hunter 0-0 0-0 0, Richardson 1-4 2-2 4, Hill 6-12 2-2 17.

Totals 20-47 11-15 61.

Halftime—Weber St. 29-23. 3-Point Goals—Idaho St. 3-9 (Hansen 3-8, Luzcando 0-1), Weber St. 10-25 (Golden 6-11, Hill 3-5, Gittens 1-5, Bolomboy 0-2, Richardson 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Idaho St. 29 (Solarin 7), Weber St. 37 (Bolomboy 8). Assists—Idaho St. 11 (Luzcando, Wilson 3), Weber St. 15 (Hunter 6). Total Fouls—Idaho St. 13, Weber St. 14. A—6,325.