The Utah Valley Wolverines routed the Seattle University Redhawks 65-51 in their first of a four-game homestand. The Redhawks kept things close until the Wolverines got hot and never looked back.
The Wolverine bench was a major factor as they scored 33 of the 65 total Wolverine points. Maria Carvalho led the way for the Wolverines with 16 points and three steals. Josie Williams flirted with another double-double, contributing 12 points and eight rebounds. Babalu Stewart had a dominant performance off the bench, adding 14 points and seven rebounds. Megan Jensen also had a great night off the bench with seven points and three steals.
The first period started slow for both teams as they had some great looks, but turnovers were an issue. After being tied 5-5 at the halfway point in the period, the Wolverines, behind Carvalho and Williams leadership, finished the period on a 12-4 run. The Wolverines ended the period with a 17-9 lead over the Redhawks. Carvalho had 7 points and Williams had 6 points in the first quarter. The Wolverines ended up shooting 5-10 from the field, 2-3 from three, and 5-6 from the line. The Wolverines also played outstanding defense, holding the Redhawks to a 28.56% (4-14) field goal percentage and 20% (1-5) from the three-point range.
The second period didn’t start well for the Wolverines, as it was riddled with turnovers and missed opportunities. The Wolverines allowed the Redhawks to go on an 8-0 run to tie the game 17-17 in the first four minutes of the period. Despite the Redhawk run, the tide shifted as the Wolverines would then erupt on a 15-2 run to close out the half with a 32-19 lead. This time Kayla Anderson led the way igniting the run with a quick five points. Despite the large lead, the Wolverines shot 5-15 from the field and 3-8 from three in the period. However, the team was able to hold the Redhawks to 0-5 from behind the arc.
The third period went well for the Wolverines as they were able to maintain their lead, outscoring the Redhawks 15-13 in the period. Megan Jensen had a great period, tallying five of her seven points and two of her three assists. The Wolverines shot 6-16 from the field and 0-2 from downtown. The Redhawks were once again challenged defensively as they were held to 4-12 in mid-range and 1-3 from three.
The Wolverines finished the game strong in the fourth period, leading by as much as 23 and never allowing the Redhawks to get closer than 12. Babalu was able to score six of her 14 points while Williams and Carvalho scored four apiece. The Wolverines shot 4-11 from mid-range and 10-10 from the line. The Wolverines defense finished strong, holding the Redhawks to 4-14 from the field and once again 1-5 from three.
The Wolverines overall shot 38.5% from the field, 31.3% from three, and scored 12 points off of second-chance points. The Wolverines’ defense came up big in the perimeter, holding the Redhawks to 16.7%.
The Wolverines now move to 8-10 and 3-4 in WAC play. They will look to continue the momentum after winning three of their four last games as they take on Chicago State on Thursday, on Jan. 27 in the UCCU Center. The game will tip-off at 6 p.m. MT and can be streamed on ESPN+.
