Weber State hosts Portland State with 1960s theme

Published: Wednesday, March 6 2013 7:40 p.m. MST

Weber State's Royce Williams (32) guards Northern Arizona's Stallon Saldiver during an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, March 2, 2013, at the Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, Ariz. (AP Photo/Arizona Daily Sun, Josh Biggs) MAGS OUT NO SALES

Josh Biggs, AP

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Summary

The Wildcats (22-5, 16-2) will honor their 50-year history of Division-1 basketball Thursday against Portland State (8-18, 5-13) at 7 p.m. at the Dee Events Center.

OGDEN — Weber State is speeding to 88 miles per hour in its plutonium-fueled DeLorean, powering to 1.21 gigawatts, and setting a crash course with 1962-63. Now, the only thing missing is Huey Lewis and the "Power of Love."

The Wildcats (22-5, 16-2) will honor their 50-year history of Division-1 basketball Thursday against Portland State (8-18, 5-13) at 7 p.m. at the Dee Events Center. Implementing a 1960s theme, upper bowl tickets are priced at 50 cents to reflect the era that started it all.

During the 1962-63 college basketball season, James Meredith, the first black student to register at the University of Mississippi, attended class. Johnny Carson became the permanent host of the Tonight Show, the first Walmart opened its doors for business in Rogers, Ark., and Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her home at age 36.

That same year, Weber State became a Division I institution and has since garnered 19 Big Sky championships and 14 NCAA tournament appearances — both the most in conference history — and in 2012 was named the 39th best college program over the past 50 years by ESPN.

For this class of Wildcats, in order to keep their slim but potential chances of hosting the Big Sky Tournament next week, they have to put away the Vikings for their 939th win in program history. In the first meeting, WSU escaped with a 73-69 win in overtime.

PSU, which has been eliminated from postseason play, has relatively balanced scoring with four players averaging double figures: Aaron Moore (13.3 ppg), Renado Parker (11.4 ppg), Michael Harthun (11.3 ppg) and Lateef McMullan (10.3 ppg).

The Vikings, however, have lost 10 of their last 13 games and rank 10th in the BSC in field goal percentage defense and 3-point percentage defense. Weber State leads the nation in 3-point percentage and ranks second in field goal percentage.

Email: tphibbs@desnews.com

Twitter: @tphibbsami

Wildcats on the Air

Portland State (8-18, 5-13) at Weber State (22-5, 16-2)

Thursday, 7 p.m.

Ogden, Dee Events Center

Radio: 1280-AM

Online video: bigskytv.org

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