This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Ogden • There's always something at stake in games between perennial Big Sky Conference powers Weber State and Montana.

This time, it might have been a battle for survival for the Wildcats.

Weber State needed a victory Thursday over the Grizzlies to avoid falling dangerously behind in the early-season Big Sky race, and the Wildcats got it behind the play of Joel Bolomboy and Jeremy Senglin.

Bolomboy scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half and Senglin buried the clinching three-pointer with 1:42 remaining as Weber State defeated the Grizzlies, 68-60.

After opening league play with close losses at Eastern Washington and Idaho last week, the Wildcats improved to 6-8 overall and 1-2 in the Big Sky.

The Grizzlies slipped to 5-8 and 2-1 despite Martin Breunig's 31 points. He made 14 of 18 shots.

After staying forwardly placed in the Big Sky race, Rahe admitted beating Montana is always special.

"We've had some great battles with them — some important battles," Rahe said. " ... There are extra juices flowing when we play, no doubt about it. It's a rivalry game — a good rivalry, a fun rivalry. It's not a nasty rivalry. It's fun and the kids get juiced up for it."

Senglin agreed: "That's a big game for us, considering it was Montana. It's always a big game against them."

The Wildcats led all the way against the Grizzlies. They owned a 30-23 advantage at halftime, thanks mostly to Bolomboy.

"My teammates got me going," he said. "I couldn't do it without them."

Because of foul trouble, Bolomboy wasn't a huge factor in the second half. Still, Weber opened a 51-32 lead with 9:17 remaining before Montana started pressing.

In one seven-possession stretch, the Wildcats turned the ball over five times and the Grizzlies used a 14-3 run to get back in the game.

"The press kind of messed with us a little bit," Senglin said. "We weren't getting to the ball."

Said Rahe: "I thought we got frantic and got nervous and made some really stupid plays, to be honest with you."

With Weber's lead down to 60-52, however, Senglin stepped into a three-pointer that killed the Grizzlies' comeback.

For Bolomboy, his 16 points were the most he's scored since Nov. 22 against LSU, when he finished with 18.

"Sometimes kids just have to break through and I thought Joel did that tonight," Rahe said. "He was faster. He was quick-jumping. He was chasing rebounds. He was aggressive offensively. I thought he looked like the old Joel." —

Storylines

• Joel Bolomboy scores 14 of his 16 points in the first half and Weber State defeats Montana, 68-60.

• The Wildcats build a 19-point lead with nine minutes remaining before the Grizzlies fight back.

• Jeremy Senglin's three-pointer with 1:42 remaining helps Weber State repel the rally.