UVU records tough conference win
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Senior Jordan Swarbrick hoists up a shot over a Houston Baptist defender. Dave Iba / UVU Review
With Houston Baptist coming to town tied for the top spot in the Great West Conference, UVU looked to one of its seniors to lead the Wolverines to victory. Enter Jordan Swarbrick. The 6-foot-6 guard from El Dorado, Calif. led the way with 21 points as the Wolverines sent the Huskies packing with a 72-66 victory.
Swarbrick also notched team highs with seven rebounds and five assists to help UVU pick up its second straight GWC victory.
The Wolverines got off to a rough start, falling behind by nine with 6:44 left in the first half. But UVU’s defense would hold the Huskies scoreless over the next five minutes, and Aaron England went on to score 11 of his 13 points in the first half as the Wolverines found themselves leading 30-29 at the break.
The lead changed back and forth coming out of the half with neither team able to gain a sizable advantage over the other. That all changed when Jourdain Scoubes drained consecutive three-pointers and scored eight straight Wolverine points to stretch UVU’s lead to nine with 2:50 remaining.
Scoubes finished with 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting, including 3-for-5 from downtown. Houston Baptist would try to close the gap, but UVU prevailed thanks to stellar free throw shooting down the stretch. The Wolverines shot 21-for-25 from the charity stripe, including 6-for-7 in the final minute to secure the victory. Swarbrick hit all 10 of his free throw attempts.
UVU head coach Dick Hunsaker said he was pleased with his team’s effort. “I thought it was an overall inspired win. The kids battled and fought,” he said. “Everyone played well, and I liked the way we maintained our aggressiveness.”
UVU will hit the road for its next four games before returning home to close the season against NJIT and Seattle University. UVU will then play host to the Great West Conference Championships, with tip off on March 10.