Weber State struggles in Big Sky quarterfinals, falls to Northern Colorado

BOISE, Idaho – Weber State's season came to an end Sunday night as the Wildcats fell to top-seeded Northern Colorado 76-52 in the second round of the Big Sky Tournament.

Despite a competitive opening stretch, the Bears quickly showed why they earned the No. 1 seed. Weber State's shooting struggles proved costly as an eight-minute scoring drought in the first half allowed Northern Colorado to build a commanding lead.

The Wildcats managed just 19.2% from the field in the first half compared to the Bears' scorching 59.3%, giving Northern Colorado a 20-point cushion at the break.

Momentum continued to favor Northern Colorado in the second half, and the Wildcats had too much ground to make up. But Weber State attempted to claw back behind efforts from Trevor Hennig and Vasilije Vucinic, though they had no answer for Bears forward Isaiah Hawthorne, who delivered a dominant performance.

Hawthorne led all scorers with 29 points while adding seven rebounds and two steals to fuel Northern Colorado's relentless attack.

Weber State's shooting woes persisted in the second half, finishing the night shooting 30.6% from the field. While the Wildcats found some success at the free-throw line, converting 20-of-27, it wasn't enough to offset the team's struggles in open play.

Northern Colorado maintained at least a 20-point lead throughout the second half and extended the margin to as much as 25 in the final minutes.

Turnovers and missed opportunities defined Weber State's night, marking a tough end to a roller-coaster season.

The Wildcats, who saw standout performances earlier in the tournament — Vartiainen's 30-point explosion in the first round — couldn't replicate that offensive firepower in their final game.

Northern Colorado now advances to the Big Sky semifinals, where they will face the winner of Idaho State and Montana State on Tuesday, March 11.