OGDEN — An emerging theme during an 8-0 start for Weber State men’s basketball is the number of players who can go on offensive spurts and push leads to double digits.

Another is defense. For the second straight game, the Wildcats held an opponent under 40% field-goal shooting and disrupted the flow with steals (eight) and numerous more deflections.

Despite a late push from visiting Portland State on Saturday night, Weber State led for 37 minutes, 36 seconds and never by less than 10 after halftime in an 80-69 victory at the Dee Events Center.

PSU led 4-2 early, then never again.

Thursday, WSU freshman forward Dyson Koehler netted a career-high 15 points. Saturday, it was junior wing Zahir Porter off the bench that lifted the Wildcats, especially in the first half.

Porter scored 11 points in a six-minute stretch. He drained a corner 3 then, two possessions later from nearly the same spot, pump-faked and drove for a two-handed dunk. He shot 4 of 4 from the foul line in the stretch, and capped it after JJ Overton pushed his steal up court and threw an alley-oop to Porter for a one-handed stuff.

That made it 31-19 with 7:12 left in the first half.

Porter finished with 16 points in 19 minutes.

“Zahir played really well. It’s been kind of our team, we have different guys step up, we’ve had different leading scorers in a lot of the games,” WSU head coach Randy Rahe said. “We’ve got quite a few who can step up and our guys will share the ball.”

Sophomore guard Seikou Sisoho Jawara led WSU with 17 points on five 3-pointers, four of which came in the first half. He made a stepback 3 and knocked in two free throws in the final minute to make it 41-29 at halftime.

“They basically tell me if you’re open, shoot it,” said Sisoho Jawara, who shook off a few bad games early, shooting-wise, to notch a second game this season where he made at least four 3-pointers in one half. “We trust your shot, let it go even if they’re not falling … that really helps me to have the support of my teammates and coaches.”

Weber State (8-0, 2-0 Big Sky) extended that run to an eventual 17-6 rally on the other side of halftime when Dillon Jones cut to the rim on a dish from Koby McEwen for a layup to make it 48-30.

Jones finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds. McEwen had 12 points, six rebounds and four assists.

That began a back-and-forth throughout the second half where the Vikings (3-4, 1-1) would cut the deficit to 12 or 13 — and 10 on two occasions — and WSU would push it back to 15 or 18.

A Vikings run keyed by a Paris Dawson 3-pointer cut it to 57-44; McEwen drained a deep 3 and Koehler pump-faked for a drive and dunk to make it 64-47 with 10:15 left.

Marlon Ruffin converted a three-point play for a 69-59 margin; Overton got a steal and thunderous dunk, and Sisoho Jawara made a 3 on a McEwen drive-and-kick to make it 74-61 with 2:20 left.

Center Alex Tew, the only true freshman on WSU’s squad, played crunch-time minutes at center and totaled six points and eight rebound in 17 minutes. Overton finished with eight points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.

WSU outrebounded a Vikings team that loves to crash for offensive boards by a margin of 41-37, including 14-11 on the offensive glass.

“We really challenged our guys and we did a great job,” Rahe said. “That was the key to the game … I was really pleased with our rebounding tonight and we got everyone involved.”

Weber State’s toughest tests are now at the doorstep and fans can enjoy the stretch mostly in Ogden.

The Wildcats travel to Washington State (6-2) on Wednesday. After a home contest against Maine Fort Kent on Dec. 11, the Wildcats host Utah State (6-2), BYU (7-1) and Fresno State (7-1) in the Dee Events Center from Dec. 15-23 to close nonconference play.

Washington State, Utah State and BYU are all top 60 in Ken Pomeroy’s statistical rating, and Fresno State is 102nd. Weber State is currently 95th and one of 12 undefeated teams in the country. The Wildcats have won 14 consecutive home games.

After Thursday’s showing of 2,522 fans was disappointing enough to cause McEwen, Jones and others to express frustration on social media and help line people up with free tickets, Saturday’s crowd was 3,923 fans — though it took until about halftime to fill in at that level with a 6 p.m. start.

All Saturday home games are slated for a 6 p.m. tipoff, a change from the usual 7 p.m. home starts, except for the Dec. 11 matchup against Maine Fort Kent, which is at 2:30 p.m.

WSU 85, PSU 57

Weber State women’s basketball hassled Portland State into 29% shooting in the first half while shooting 57% in both halves to decimate the Vikings and split the conference road trip.

With a 49-27 lead at halftime, Weber State (3-4, 1-1) used a 17-2 run in the third quarter to put the game away.

Daryn Hickok led WSU with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Jadyn Matthews added 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists and Emma Torbert totaled 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. Aloma Solovi dished 10 assists.

WSU next travels to Colorado State on Wednesday before returning home for six consecutive home games.

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