Ogden, Utah - Weber State University, from the Big Sky Conference, closed out the first half with a 19-6 run, led 55-23 at halftime, and coasted to a 110-52 victory over Arizona Christian University (1-0), 110-52, in exhibition collegiate men's basketball action in the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah, Friday, Nov. 9. 

Weber State (1-0), coming off a 25-7 season in 2011-12, officially began its 2012-13 season with Friday's victory, while ACU counts the game as an exhibition and will not count it against its season record or team and individual statistics. With two returning starters from last season, Weber State is picked to place second this season in the Big Sky Conference behind the University of Montana in the pre-season coaches and media polls, the first time in five seasons it has not been selected as the pre-season favorite. 

Led by first-year head coach Jeff Rutter, ACU plays an exhibition at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Saturday, November 17, at 3:05 p.m., Arizona and Mountain time. ACU's next official game and first home game of the new season takes place Tuesday, November 20, when the Firestorm host Chapman University (Calif.) for a 7:30 p.m. game in Fultz Memorial Gymnasium on the ACU campus. 

WSU put together runs of 7-0, 9-0, and 6-0 and led 42-16 with four minutes left in the first half and built its widest advantage on a three-pointer with nine seconds left before intermission by guard Davion Berry, his third of the first half, and led 55-23 at halftime. Berry finished with 13 points to lead Weber State in the first half, and junior guard Mason Jones (Huntington Beach, Calif./Ocean View H.S./Eastern Oregon Univ.) led ACU with eight points and two first-half three-pointers while junior guard Charles King (Houston, Tex./Stephen F. Austin H.S./Phoenix College) added seven points and a three-point field goal. 

The Wildcats' size advantage over ACU, with three post players over 6-10, became evident in the first 20 minutes as the three centers accounted for 18 points and eight rebounds, including 

eight points, two blocked shots and four rebounds by 6-9 reserve Joel Bolomboy and six points and four rebounds from 6-10 reserve James Hajek. 

WSU reached its first 40-point lead with 16:43 left in the second half and outscored ACU, 55-29, in the second half. 

Jones finished with 13 points, 3 three-pointers and one steal, for ACU, and King totaled 10 points, one three-pointer, four rebounds and two assists. Senior guard A.J. Koch (Tucson, Ariz./Flowing Wells H.S.) scored eight points, making all six of his free throw attempts, and had five rebounds and two assists, and junior forward Daniel Cornelius (Phoenix, Ariz./Phoenix Christian H.S.) scored four points and grabbed four rebounds. Reserve guard Derek James (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Alta Loma H.S.) also scored four points and had two rebounds, and freshman forward Jackson Helms (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley H.S.) finished with four points and five rebounds. Sophomore forward Bryant Avent (Phoenix, Ariz./Valley Christian H.S.) contributed six points and two steals. 

Seven Weber State players reached double figures in scoring, with Berry leading all scorers in the game with 17 points, with 3 three-pointers, four rebounds, three assists, one blocked shot and two steals. Bolomboy finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds and made all five of his shots, 6 of 8 free throws, and blocked two ACU shots. Guard Jordan Richardson added 15 points, 3 three-pointers, four rebounds and seven assists, and forward Frank Otis totaled a double-double of 13 points on 5 of 7 shots and 10 rebounds, and had one block and one steal. Guard Scott Bamforth contributed 12 points, four rebounds, eight assists and one steal, and Hajek finished with 10 points on 4 of 5 shots and six rebounds. Also off the bench, Royce Williams hit 4 of 5 shots for 11 points, gathered three rebounds and passed two assists.