Weber State University has had two players recognized on the All-Big Sky Conference teams, as announced by the conference on Friday. The selections are determined by votes from the league’s head coaches.
Junior transfer Tijan Saine Jr. was named to the All-Big Sky first team, while junior Viljami Vartiainen received honorable mention all-conference honors.
Saine is one of seven players to make the first team. He led the Big Sky in scoring during conference games with an average of 20.8 points per game and was Weber State’s leading scorer in 14 out of 18 conference matches. Saine scored at least 20 points in 12 Big Sky games this season.
Overall, Saine averaged 17.2 points per game and became the 26th player in school history to reach at least 500 points in a single season. Ahead of the conference tournament, he ranks second in the Big Sky and 24th nationally for free throw percentage at 89.5 percent, which is currently third best for a single season at Weber State.
The Everett, Washington native also holds fourth place in the conference for assist-to-turnover ratio and fifth place for assists. After transferring from Western Washington following two seasons there, Saine has accumulated 1,247 career points over his 83 collegiate games.
Vartiainen earned All-Big Sky honors for the first time with an honorable mention selection. Heading into the tournament, he is second on Weber State’s roster with an average of 12.8 points per game and reached double figures in scoring during 20 out of his 25 appearances this season; he surpassed twenty points twice.
The Helsinki, Finland native stands second both in three-point percentage (43.2%) and three-pointers made per game (2.9) within the Big Sky Conference; his shooting percentage from beyond the arc is also ranked thirteenth nationally. Vartiainen has made at least two three-pointers in each of his last fourteen games and tied his career high with seven threes during Weber State’s victory over Montana on February 21.
With a total of 175 career three-pointers made so far—ninth most in program history—Vartiainen also ranks eighth all-time at WSU for career three-point percentage.
Weber State ended its regular season tied for fourth place alongside two other teams within league standings. The Wildcats have secured a No. 6 seed spot for the upcoming conference tournament where they will face No. 3 seed Eastern Washington on Monday, March 9 at 8 p.m., during quarterfinal play held in Boise, Idaho.
