Weber State women’s basketball blasts Portland State by 36 for 2-0 homestand
Robert Casey, WSU Athletics
Weber State's Taylor Smith (25) scoops a shot past Sacramento State's Seilala Lautaimi on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Ogden.Two days after ending a losing streak and beating up Sacramento State by 20 points, Weber State women’s basketball upped the ante.
The Wildcats blasted Portland State through the first three quarters, shot 36 of 56 for a program-record 64.3% and crushed the Vikings 89-53 on Saturday afternoon at the Dee Events Center.
Senior forward Jadyn Matthews made her case for Big Sky player of the week with a team-high 17 points, adding five rebounds, five assists and three steals. In the week’s two games, Matthews averaged 23.5 points, eight rebounds, five assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Four more joined her in double figures for the Wildcats (5-12, 2-2 Big Sky). Daryn Hickok had 15 points and seven rebounds, freshman forward Taylor Smith scored 15 points, junior guard Kendra Parra totaled 13 points and nine assists, and sophomore center Amelia Raidaveta scored 13 points.
Seniors Laura Taylor and Sierra Davis each scored eight points.
Weber shot 30 of 43 (70%) on two-pointers and assisted 24 of 36 baskets while outscoring Portland State 56-24 on points in the paint.
With the victory, WSU claimed consecutive Big Sky wins for the first time since Dec. 30, 2021, and Jan. 1, 2022.
It’s also the first time in eight years that WSU has recorded two conference wins of 20 or more points in the same season; that last happened with a 29-point win over PSU and a 20-point win at Northern Arizona in January 2016.
Additionally, it’s Weber State’s first Big Sky win of 30 or more points in 16 years (77-46 at Sacramento State on Jan. 24, 2008).
Portland State (5-11, 0-4) scored to go up 11-10 midway through the first quarter. Weber State responded with a 20-2 run to go up 30-13 with 7:37 left in the first half.
The Wildcats added a 10-0 run across halftime and led 44-22 on a Matthews jumper with 8:48 left in the third. The teams played evenly until 56-36.
Weber State added another 14-0 run to end the third quarter, getting 3-pointers from Davis and Parra to take a 70-36 lead heading into the fourth.
WSU next hits the road to face league-leading Eastern Washington (13-3, 3-0) on Thursday, then plays at Idaho (9-6, 2-1) on Saturday. EWU has won seven straight games.