Bears Look For Road Split At Weber State

GAME DAY NOTES: at Weber State

DETAILS
Date: Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009
Tip: 7 p.m. (MT)
Location: Ogden, Utah
   Venue: Dee Events Center
   Capacity: 12,000
Promotions: Mascot Night
Television: BigSkyTV.org
Radio: 1310 KFKA (Greeley)
    Play-by-play: Troy Coverdale
    Web stream: 1310KFKA.com
Live stats: weberstatesports.com
Series: WSU, 3-1
    Last: WSU, 70-54 (2-9-2008)

SOME STORY LINES

• Northern Colorado will look to get back above .500 in conference tonight with a win against Weber State. The Bears haven’t begun conference 2-1 since the 1995-96 season, when they were a member of the North Central Conference.

• Leading-scorer Devon Beitzel (two points against Idaho State on Thursday) will try to get his offensive game going again tonight. He entered Thursday’s game having scored 20 or more points in four straight games.

• The Wildcats come into tonight’s game with one of the better defensive resumes in the Big Sky Conference. They are third in total defense (68.8 ppg) and first in FG-percentage defense (.434).

• Robert Palacios, who suffered a severe ankle sprain vs. Texas State, is slowly working his way back into game shape, and if last game’s output is any indication (25 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds) he’s almost all the way back.

SERIES HISTORY
2007-08: WSU, 70-54 (A)
2007-08: NC, 55-52 (H)
2006-07: WSU, 76-65 (A)
2006-07: WSU, 61-60 (H)

ABOUT THE WILDCATS

• Weber State, which finished third in the Big Sky last season, features five players averaging 8.5 points or more in Kellen McCoy (11.4) Steve Panos (11.2), Daviin Dennis (9.7), Damian Lillard (8.8) and Nick Hansen (8.6). McCoy and Dennis are the only seniors.

• The Wildcats have lost three of their last four games, coming up short against Utah, Southern Miss and Arizona and getting a a victory against Texas-Pan American.

• Lillard, a true freshman, has been a big part of Weber State’s game plan this year after averaging nearly 30 points per game at Oakland (Calif.) High School. He leads the Wildcats in field-goal attempts this season, as well as three-point percentage.