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OGDEN -- When it comes to winning basketball games at the Dee Events Center, history tells Southern Utah it's almost easier to break into Fort Knox and steal gold.

The Thunderbirds (2-3), who play at Weber State (3-2) tonight at 8 p.m., are 12-1 in the Purple Palace, with their last victory coming during the 1986-87 season when the T-Birds pulled out a 92-90 win in overtime. WSU leads the overall series between the schools 16-3 and has only suffered one defeat to the T-Birds since the 1986-87 season.

What's more, SUU coach Bill Evans has issues with the way his team is playing right now. The T-Birds are coming off losses at Montana and Utah and have struggled at times with foul shooting and scoring.

"My biggest concern right now is our inconsistency," Evans said.

Evans' other big concern was the size mismatch between his T- Birds and the Wildcats. In last year's game in Cedar City, WSU center Lance Allred scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Evans thinks Allred, a 6-foot-10, 270-pound senior, will be the x-factor in tonight's game as well.

"Lance had a good game against us last year, and we just don't have that size," Evans said.

Weber State comes into the game following a three-game road trip, in which it went 1-2. While the Wildcats may have the advantage of playing on their home court, coach Joe Cravens is concerned about the way the Wildcats will respond when the T-Birds play their 1-1-3 trapping zone defense.

"They are a hard team to prepare for because of the defense they play," Cravens said. "We were fortunate to have shot well from the outside last season, but if you aren't making those shots, you can be in for a very long night."

The Wildcats will most likely focus on stopping SUU top players Tim Gainey and DeAngelo Newsome. Gainey is averaging 14 points per game, and Newsome is scoring 9.8 points and leading the team with 5.6 rebounds per game. Newsome had 16 against the Wildcats last year.

The Wildcats may also have problems of their own as they have struggled to score in the first half of games. WSU is averaging only 42 percent in the opening halves of their first five games.

With their size the Wildcats could have the advantage in the rebound department. No team has grabbed more than 29 rebounds against the Wildcats this season, making WSU the rebound margin leader in the Big Sky.

# posted by Medical Information : 5:09 AM