WOODS’ CAREER-HIGH 21 POINTS NOT ENOUGH AS MEN’S HOOPS FALLS AT WEBER STATE

1/23/2008

OGDEN, Utah -- Sacramento State senior Clark Woods scored a career-high 21 points, but the Hornets went ice cold in the second half (22.2 percent shooting) and fell to Weber State, 69-56, in a Big Sky Conference men’s basketball game Wednesday evening at the Dee Events Center.

With the victory, Weber State won its fifth in a row while improving to 10-8 overall and 5-1 in the Big Sky. The Wildcats, who won last year’s Big Sky regular season and tournament championships, are now tied with Northern Arizona atop the Big Sky standings. Weber State also improved to 24-4 all-time against the Hornets, including 14-1 in Ogden.

Sacramento State (3-15, 1-6) dropped its fourth straight game and remained winless on the road this season (0-10). The team continues its brief road trip this Friday, Jan. 25, when it travels to Pocatello to face Idaho State at 6:05 p.m. PST.

The Hornets shot 54.2 percent (13-24) from the field in the first half, including 7-for-13 (.538) from beyond the arc, and trailed just, 39-35, at halftime. Woods made all four of his field goal attempts in the half, including three three-pointers, to lead the Hornets with 11 points at the break.

However, Sacramento State missed five straight and eight of its first nine field goal attempts in the second. Weber State took advantage of the Hornets’ cold spell, outscoring Sacramento State, 8-2, during the first 6:11 of the second stanza. Sacramento would cut that lead to seven points on a three-pointer from Woods (12:14), but that was as close as the team would get the rest of the night. Weber State opened up a lead as large as 19 points (64-45) before settling for the 13-point victory.

In the second half, Sacramento State made just four field goals (4-for-22), and converted on one three-pointer (in six attempts) after knocking down seven three-pointers in the first half.

Weber State finished the game shooting 51.8 percent (29-56) from the field, with 44 of its 69 points coming inside the paint. In addition, the Wildcats dominated the glass, 36-23, converting 22 second-chance points to the Hornets’ five second-chance points. Sacramento State finished the game shooting 40.5 percent (17-42) from the field, 42.1 percent (8-19) from the three-point line and 70.0 percent (14-20) from the free throw line.

Three players scored in double figures for Weber State, comprised of Steve Panos (16 points, nine rebounds), Arturas Valeika (11 points, nine rebounds and three steals) and Dezmon Harris (13 points).

For the Hornets, Woods’ 21 points came on 5-of-6 shooting from the field (4-for-5 from the three-point arc) and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. The shooting guard from Lansing, Mich., eclipsed his previous career high of 20 points, set on Jan. 19, 2006, against Montana. Joining Woods in double figures for Sacramento State was junior Loren Leath, who dropped in 11 points (4-of-11 shooting) to go along with a game-high four steals.

No other Hornet had more than seven points as freshman Vinnie McGhee, Jr., finished with seven points, three assists and three steals in 34 minutes. Leath (4) and McGhee (3) combined for seven of the Hornets’ eight steals. Woods, sophomore Justin Eller and freshman Darnell Ferguson each had five rebounds to lead Sacramento State.

The game was finished in a brisk one hour and 40 minutes, as the game featured just 29 fouls, 13 committed by Sacramento State and 16 by Weber State. The Hornets fell to 0-15 this season when being outrebounded by their opponent. Conversely, the team is 3-0 when outrebounding its opponent.

After Friday night’s Idaho State game, the Hornets return home for three-straight games, including dates with Northern Colorado (Feb. 2), Eastern Washington (Feb. 7) and Portland State (Feb. 9).