Weber State basketball: 'Cats hope third time's the charm

In two previous meetings this year with the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, Weber State forward Arturas Valeika was limited to a combined two points and 13 rebounds playing just 37 minutes, fouling out both times.

It's little wonder, then, that the Wildcats lost both games.

Tonight, Weber State faces the Lumberjacks for the third time this season, and the stakes couldn't be much higher. The Big Sky Conference semifinal will be WSU's last game of the year if the 'Cats are unable to figure out a way to beat NAU.

"I just got to come out and play," Valeika, who was named a first-team all-Big Sky member last week after leading the league in rebounding, said. "There's no magic dust. You just have to go out and play."

Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Portland's Rose Garden, with the game televised by Altitude.

Valeika — when he's on the floor — has proven to be as good a rebounder as the league has seen in several years. He's reached double figures in rebounding in four of the last five games, averaging 14.8 over the span. He's grabbed 20 rebounds twice and has 13 double-doubles this year.

But Northern Arizona has figured out how to neutralize the Lithuanian big man and send him to the bench where he can't touch a ball unless it's one that rolls out of bounds.

"They went after him," WSU coach Randy Rahe said. "We're going to have to do a better job of keeping him out of foul trouble and on the floor. Because as we've seen over the last few weeks, he's as good as anybody at rebounding the ball. He's been a monster."

He'll be sorely needed as Weber State tries to upend Kyle Landry — NAU's senior center who is also regarded as one of the best post players in the Big Sky. The Lumberjacks are the second seed in the tournament and have won five straight.

"They are a tough matchup for us," Rahe said. "But we're excited about having another chance at them."

One key, aside from keeping Valeika on the floor, will be the defensive play of Brody Van Brocklin. The WSU senior guard has been assigned the task of slowing down some of the most effective offensive weapons in the Big Sky in recent weeks and done well. Tonight, he'll be asked to keep NAU's Josh Wilson under wraps.

Wilson leads the Big Sky in assists at 5.43 per game and adds 11.8 points.

"We owe them one," WSU senior guard Brody Van Brocklin said. "... We're excited about having another chance at them."

Wildcats on the air

Weber State (16-13) vs. Northern Arizona (20-10)

At the Rose Garden, Portland, tonight, 6:30 p.m.

TV: Altitude

Radio: 1430 AM

Season series: NAU 2, WSU 0

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E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com