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Ogden • Weber State won Saturday night, defeating a pesky Idaho State team that had little business staying as close as it did.
But there was no joy for Wildcat coach Randy Rahe, only relief in the 71-67 victory inside the Dee Events Center.
"We're not the prettiest team out there," Rahe said.
This was especially true during a first half that saw the Bengals, a team that scored just 37 points two nights earlier, run out to a 10-point lead with four minutes to play. Yet, the Wildcats found a way back to move better than .500 in the Big Sky Conference for the first time this season.
In fact, Weber State only played really well during a five-minute stretch midway through the second half. The Wildcats went on a 15-0 run in that brief but vital stretch that saw a 48-42 deficit become a 57-48 lead.
During the run, freshman wing Byron Fulton, who emerged this weekend as a key piece in Weber State's attack, dropped in a pair of three-point baskets and fed Trevor Morris for another basket. Fulton, fresh off a career-high 17 points Thursday, finished Saturday's game with 16 points and nine rebounds.
Weber State guard Lindsey Hughey scored a game-high 18, while Kyle Bullinger added 14.
"I was just trying to stay focused," said Fulton, who also took a key charge during WSU's 15-0 burst and scored the final basket with 15 seconds to play.
"We're at home, the fans were yelling and stuff. It gives you confidence."
The second-largest home crowd of the season, 7,124, may have caused Weber State (9-7, 3-2 BSC) troubles in the first half.
"We got out of character in the first half," Rahe said. "Offensively, we were a little bit of a mess. We were too excited to play. Too jacked up to play."
Idaho State (5-12, 1-4) took advantage with an uncharacteristic offensive performance from the perimeter. Chase Grabau was 4 of 4 from the three-point line in the first half as the Bengals opened a 31-21 advantage.
Fulton and Hughey buried three threes in the final minute of the half to shave the advantage to four going into halftime.
"We just needed to settle down," Rahe said. "We started getting stops in the zone. They shot us out of it in the first half. But we went back to it."
To his relief.
Highlights
R Weber State goes on a 15-0 run in the second half to take a nine-point lead.
• WSU freshman Byron Fulton scores 16 and pulls down nine rebounds.
• Weber State holds Idaho State to 39 percent shooting from the floor.