'Cats gaining their touch

OGDEN — With his hair presumably turning more thin by the shot, Weber State basketball coach Joe Cravens was simply tired of watching shots by his players roll off the rim, clang off the backboard and fail to settle into the net in a variety of aggravating ways.

Then came back-to-back wins over Southern Utah and IP-Fort Wayne and, hopefully, Cravens wasn't looking for a bottle of Rogain in his stocking.

Instead, Cravens is looking at a team with surging confidence as it heads into a pair of games this week. The Wildcats shot an average of nearly 58 percent in the two wins.

First up is a rematch with UVSC in the Dee Events Center Wednesday night, followed by a trip to Wyoming Friday.

The games are the final preseason tune-ups before the Wildcats (5-6) open up Big Sky play at Montana State next week.

"We've said this all along," Cravens said during the middle of WSU's six-game losing streak, "While we'd like to win all our preseason games, the conference schedule is all that really matters. In the Big Sky, you have to win the conference to go the (NCAA) tournament and that's our goal every year."

Beating UVSC (6-6) would not only help the current momentum roll along, it would also give the 'Cats a measure of revenge against Utah Valley State.

Three weeks ago, the Wolverines handed Weber State an embarrassing 68-49 loss in Orem as the Wildcats became the first Utah team to lose to the Division I newcomers.

The Wildcats, who prior to the recent wins were shooting less than 40 percent, have seen their shooting percentage climb to an almost-respectable 43 percent.

"When the season began, I pegged this as one of the best shooting teams I've ever had," Cravens said. "I don't know what's been wrong, but this is a team I really believe is going to shoot the ball well. If we don't, we're in for a long season."

UVSC, meanwhile, would like to get another win over Weber State. When the Wolverines knocked off the Wildcats in Orem, it was viewed by many as the most significant victory in school history until they won at Arizona State a week later.

Paced by the trio of Ben Devoe, Matt Peterson and Sylvester Allison, the Wolverines are an athletic team that has given plenty of opponents headaches. That trio is combining to score nearly 35 points per game for the balanced squad.

Weber State is lead by Coric Riggs with 15.3 points per game while David Patten adds another 12.5. Three players score a little better than seven points per outing as Weber's bench is starting to find ways to contribute.

Tipoff is set for 5:45 p.m. because the men's game is part of a Weber State basketball doubleheader. BYU's women's team will play Weber State following the men's game.

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E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com