DAMIAN LILLARD (6-2, 185 Jr. Guard / Oakland, California), the 2009-10 Big
Sky Conference Most Valuable Player, suffered a "Jones Fracture" on his right
foot (5th metatarsal) in WSU's 81-79 overtime loss at the University of Tulsa on
Thursday night (Dec. 16). Lillard will miss the remainder of the 2010-11
season. He is tentatively set for foot surgery on December 26. A "Jones
Fracture" usually requires 10-12 weeks of healing to make sure the bone is
solid.
The injury occurred at the 16:08 mark of the second half as Lillard and
Tulsa players were going after a loose ball, a just minutes after he had made
his first, and only, basket of the game from beyond the three-point arc. He
finished with five points, five assists, one blocked shot and two steals in 21
minutes.
Lillard came into Thursday's game leading the Big Sky Conference in scoring
at 21.5 points per game and averaging nearly 33 minutes of playing time per
game. Lillard had scored in double figures, 15 straight games dating back to
last season. His last single digit scoring game was nine last year at home vs.
Idaho State on February 20.
He leaves the 2010-11 season having played in 71 career games and has been
a starter 66 times. He has 1,150 career points. He is currently the 13th
all-time leading scorer in Weber State history and is second in career
three-point shots made with 152. He is 292-343 (.851) in his career from the
free throw line and has 234 career assists (3.3 pg). His career scoring average
is 16.2.
Weber State plays host to the University of the Southwest tomorrow
(Saturday, December 18) at 7:35 p.m. (MST) at the Dee Events Center, then hosts
nationally-ranked BYU this coming Tuesday, December 21 at 7:05 p.m. (MST).
Big Sky Conference play begins for the Wildcats with a road trip to Montana
State (Wednesday, December 29) and Montana (Friday, December 31).
