OGDEN — Everything was going according to script early in Weber State’s men’s basketball season-opener against Western Colorado.

The Wildcats led 24-9 and were stifling the Mountaineers at most fronts. But Avery Rembao led the Division II visitors in a spate of 3-pointers that helped make it a 35-35 game late in the first frame.

It wasn’t close after that.

Weber State ended the half on a 12-0 run that eventually became an extended 65-25 rally from that point to rout Western Colorado 100-60 on Tuesday night at the Dee Events Center.

“We didn’t come out with the energy that we needed to, and we knew that. Once they hit those three or four 3s in a row, we got together and said we gotta pick it up and play the defense we normally play in practice, be the team that we are,” senior guard Koby McEwen said. “All we had to do is just be ourselves and get our energy back up, and that’s what blew the whole game wide open.”

Seikou Sisoho Jawara, who finished with 17 points, keyed the initial push with a baseline jumper, a post-up-and-spin layup, and a steal that got Dyson Koehler a layup.

The Wildcats seemed on their way to a comfortable win but got an extra spark early in the second half, leading 53-42, when Dillon Jones was called for an offensive charge that drew the ire of the entire Weber bench, resulting in a technical foul.

In the next 1:43, Weber State scored 10 points after JJ Overton got a steal on the perimeter and raced to a layup, Sisoho Jawara hit a 3, McEwen forced a turnover then scored on a drive, and McEwen hit a high-arcing 3-pointer to make it 63-45.

The next media timeout couldn’t stop the onslaught as the Wildcats created points on defense, threw to Alex Tew in the post, and Overton got another steal and a run-out for a dunk.

From the charge and technical foul, Weber State posted a 36-9 run to turn it into a blowout.

“We picked it up defensively and started pressuring them, started talking their actions out. This is usually what we do every single day and to start the game, we weren’t ourselves. I think we need to pick the energy up and get ourselves going because that’s what will get us going,” McEwen said. “When we come locked in like that, I think it’s going to be scary for a lot of teams.”

Overton led Weber State with 18 points, five steals and three assists. Sisoho Jawara scored 17 points and McEwen added 16 points and six rebounds. Jones totaled 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Cody Carlson and Zahir Porter each scored 10 points to round out a group of six double-digit scorers, with Tew adding eight off the bench. Koehler pitched in six points and five rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.

Next up for Weber State is an extended road trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to take on Duquesne out of the Atlantic 10. That game tips at 5 p.m. Monday. After that, the Wildcats travel to St. Petersburg, Florida, for weekend tournament games against UMass, Ball State and Green Bay at the Jersey Mike’s Classic.

“It’s going to be a good test for us and I think we need that test just to see who we are, to hit some adversity … see what kind of team we can be when we get punched in the face,” McEwen said. “I’m excited for it and I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”

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