In the second half we played much faster. I thought that was the biggest key – Randy Rahe
OGDEN — John Wooden would’ve loved it.
Although he didn’t exactly quote the legendary coach, Weber State coach Randy Rahe seemed to channel him Saturday night at the Dee Events Center. Following the Wildcats’ 93-85 victory over Utah Valley, Rahe said one of the major keys for his team’s success was its ability to play quickly without necessarily being in a hurry.
Among Wooden’s numerous sayings is this: “Be quick but don’t hurry.”
For his part, here’s what Rahe had to say about his Wildcats: “One thing about our offense is, we play fast, we run hard. We have great pace and we sprint to screens. We want everything fast.”
So, as Rahe noted, Weber State’s modus operandi is to play at a quick pace without becoming frantic. However, Rahe also noted that in the early moments of the first half, the Wildcats were getting bogged down and simply playing too slowly. Their pace seemed to pick up as the first half went on, and as WSU went into halftime with a 41-38 lead, the coach’s message to his players was simple: Up the pace of play, but stay under control.
“In the second half, we played much faster,” Rahe said. “I thought that was the biggest key.”
The Wildcats’ ability to do that certainly was critical, especially against a UVU team that likes to play with similar quickness.
“That team plays fast,” Rahe said of the Wolverines. “If you don’t play fast with them, you can’t keep up.”
Ultimately for the Wildcats, the game hinged on a four-minute stretch of the second half when they went on a decisive 14-5 run. Senior guard Jeremy Senglin keyed the attack by hitting three 3-point shots.
Senglin finished the game with 27 points on 9-for-15 shooting. He went 6 for 9 from behind the 3-point arc and added five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
WSU outscored the Wolverines 52-47 in the second half.
UVU (5-5) had four players finish in double figures. Brandon Randolph and Conner Toolson had 15 points apiece, while Zach Nelson added 14 and Isaac Neilson had 13.
In addition to Senglin’s 27, the Wildcats got 14 from Kyndahl Hill and 13 from center Zach Braxton, who was 6 for 6 from the field.
Leading 68-66, the Wildcats got a boost when Braxton completed a 3-point play followed by a 3-pointer from Senglin and another from junior swingman Dusty Baker. Senglin hit another trey at the 5:19 mark to put WSU ahead 80-69.
That stretch sealed the game for the Wildcats (4-6), who came in having dropped four of their last five games.
“We just needed to get (a win),” Rahe said. Rahe insisted the win was a total team effort, but it was hard to ignore Senglin’s pivotal role in it. And nowhere was his confidence more evident than his 6-for-9 effort behind the 3-point line.
“I wouldn’t call it (being in the zone),” Senglin said. “I would just say that I thought I had good looks (at the basket), I was shooting them and they were going in. My teammates were getting me those open looks, so credit to them.”
Rahe said Senglin has never lacked for confidence.
“He’s pretty confident anyway, he’s just a confident kid,” Rahe said. “The thing I like about Jeremy tonight is that he played within the offense. He got the threes and the open looks within the offense.”