The Griz and sharpshooting Malik Moore had other ideas, though, and instead pulled away for a 65-58 victory at Dahlberg Arena, moving Montana into sole possession of first place in the Big Sky Conference with five games left.

Blaise Threatt totaled 24 points, five rebounds and four assists for Weber State (9-18, 3-10 Big Sky). His jump shot just inside the 3-point arc midway through the first half pushed him across the 2,000-point mark for his college career.

Montana (19-8, 12-2) built a 13-2 lead to open the contest when Joe Pridgen dunked home a rebound putback. But Weber State answered with a 22-11 run that included two Viljami Vartiainen 3-pointers, and a Vasilije Vucinic paint bucket tied the game 24-24 with 5:23 left in the first half.

A Threatt and-one drive put the Wildcats ahead 33-29 and the teams nearly went scoreless for the final 2:18 of the half before Moore hit one of six big 3-pointers to make it 33-32 at the break.

Photo supplied, Montana Athletics

Threatt scored twice out of halftime for WSU’s largest lead at 37-32. Two straight Trevor Hennig buckets had the Wildcats up 43-39 with 14:27 left and it seemed Weber State would last in the fight against a Griz team trying to build its winning streak to eight games.

But Montana answered with a 17-3 run and Weber scored just 15 points in the final 14 minutes. WSU’s lone points in the run came on a Threatt 3-pointer, which Moore soon answered, and Moore all but ended the game with a straightaway swish from behind the arc for a 61-49 lead with 2:48 left.

Moore finished with 22 points and four assists. Te’Jon Sawyer added 17 points.

Vartiainen and Hennig each scored 11 points for WSU.

The scuffling, shorthanded Wildcats return home in ninth place to host 10th-place Sacramento State on Thursday, then welcome third-place Portland State on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Portland State (16-10, 8-5) outran Northern Colorado 82-71 on Saturday, knocking NoCo (19-8, 11-3) a game behind Montana.