Weber State entered the Big Sky Conference Tournament with big plans.
The Wildcats were the hottest team in the league, riding a five-game winning streak. They had high hopes of putting three more solid games together, winning the tourney, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years and perhaps even playing in the Western sub-regional in Salt Lake City.But Boise State put a quick end to Weber's plans in a league-tourament semifinal game Friday night. The Broncos, who tied the Wildcats for second in the conference regular season with an identical 10-4 record, gave Weber fits all year. Boise won all three meetings, including Friday's 69-63 game.
"I don't know why we struggle against them," said Weber guard Robbie Johnson, who finished with a team-high 18 points. "Last year it was Nevada that we couldn't beat, this year it's Boise."
While returning to the NCAA tourney is out of the question, Weber (20-8) is now hoping to receive an NIT berth Sunday.
"We've taken care of all the paper work and sent everything in to the NIT, so we'll see what happens," Weber coach Ron Abegglen said. "I hope (the NIT) will take a good look at us. I know they did last year when we were 16-13."
Boise led by two points at the half, but Weber went on a 10-5 run to take a 38-35 lead on a Johnson jumper with 16:40 to play. Neither team was able to take control of the game, however, as the lead changed 12 times in the second half.
Weber's final lead of the game came on an Al Hamilton layup making the score 58-57 with 7:06 to play. Boise center Tanoka Beard gave the Broncos a 62-58 lead with 3:12 to play. Weber pulled to within two and had several chances to tie the game, but couldn't convert.
Boise made a layup and four free throws in the final minute to put the game away.
Beard, an Odgen native, once again hurt the team from his hometown, scoring 23 points and pulling down a team-high seven boards. Perhaps even more damaging was Boise guard Darnell Woods, who scored 17 points, including three 3-pointers. As a team, Boise made five of nine treys.
"Their 3-point shooting has been low all season, but when they play us it's outstanding," Abegglen said. "I don't know what it is, but Boise makes threes against us."
Boise also held down the Wildcats' top scorers, forwards Stan Rose and Hamilton, to 12 points each. Both average better than 20 points per game.
The Wildcats looked like they might get the Boise State monkey off their backs, as they led by as many as nine points in the first half. With Weber ahead 28-22, Boise's Leonard Speed made a pair of buckets to cut the gap to 28-26 with 51 seconds to play in the half.
Boise point guard Lance Vaughn was fouled with three seconds to go in the half, and afterward the Weber bench was hit with a technical. Vaughn hit four straight free throws to give the Broncos a 30-28 halftime lead.
"We didn't play very well in the first half, so to go in at halftime up by two was a big boost for us," Boise coach Bobby Dye said.
"It was unfortunate," Abegglen said of the technical foul. "Instead of going into halftime with a lead, they went in with it. They were feeling good, and we were feeling poorly."
Boise will face the winner of the Idaho versus Idaho State game in Saturday night's tournament championship.