Tuesday, March 10th, 9:30 p.m. (et).

FACTS & STATS: Site: Dee Events Center (11,500) -- Ogden, Utah. Television: Altitude 2. Home Record: MSU 7-5, WSU 10-2. Away Record: MSU 6-10, WSU 9-4. Neutral Record: MSU 0-1, WSU 2-2. Conference Record: MSU 6-10, WSU 15-1. Series Record: Weber State leads, 69-33.

GAME NOTES: Facing each other for the second time in the span of a week, the Weber State Wildcats host the Montana State Bobcats in the semifinals of the 34th annual Big Sky Conference Tournament tonight at the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah. Top-seeded Weber State played in the very first championship game in this conference back in 1976 and has been picking up trophies ever since, winning eight overall. This season, the Wildcats won all but one of their conference games and that just happened to be a 75-70 setback versus Montana State at home on January 15th. Since that time, WSU has reeled off 12 consecutive wins, including an 84-64 revenge bout with MSU to close out the regular season on March 3rd. As for the sixth-seeded Bobcats, they slipped by in-state rival Montana in the quarterfinal round of this tournament on Saturday with a 56-54 final. MSU has captured the title twice in this event, but has not done so since 1996 when it defeated this same Weber State program by a score of 81-70. As far as the all-time series between these two teams is concerned, Weber State owns a commanding 69-33 mark and has been dominant at home with a 43-7 record since the relationship began in 1963 when the teams became charter members of the conference. The winner here will challenge the survivor of the Idaho State/Portland State bout in the title game on Wednesday night.

With six seconds to play against the Montana Grizzlies over the weekend it was Will Bynum who took control with a steal, a layup and a converted free-throw to provide MSU with the narrow two-point win at Dahlberg Arena. Bynum finished the night with a team-best 15 points, adding five rebounds and five assists for the squad, while Divaldo Mbunga and Erik Rush handled the action on the glass with 11 and 10 rebounds, respectively, the former adding nine points and five blocked shots as well. A rather ordinary team from an offensive standpoint, the Bobcats are averaging just 65.7 ppg this season on 41 percent shooting from the field. The group is led by Bynum with his 10.8 ppg, followed by Bobby Howard and Divaldo Mbunga with 10.6 and 10.1 ppg, respectively. Mbunga is a force in the paint with his seven rebounds per contest and 53 blocked shots.

While Montana State is a team that tends to struggle from the field, the Wildcats have converted a strong 48 percent of their field goal attempts and just under 40 percent from three-point range this season. Kellen McCoy accounts for 14.1 ppg as the top scorer for the program after 29 games, shooting an impressive 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. McCoy makes sure to keep his teammates involved as well with 82 assists and he clears close to four rebounds per game. Damian Lillard checks in with 11.7 ppg as the only other double-digit scorer on the roster, his 87 assists giving him top billing in that category. Putting up 8.8 ppg, Nick Hansen is responsible for a team- best 67 three-point field goals, while Kyle Bullinger (9.1 ppg) adds another 42 triples to the attack and gives the Wildcats multiple options out on the perimeter.

The fact that Montana State was the only team from the Big Sky to defeat the Wildcats this season, is more than enough fuel to fire up Weber State as it shoots for yet another league title.

Predicted Outcome

Weber State 81, Montana State 66