For the first time in school history, Utah Valley finished its season unbeaten at the UCCU Center going 12-0.
“This was a great win and a big milestone for us,” Head coach Todd Phillips said. “It feels great right now and the guys got to celebrate but we’ve got two huge ones next week in Texas and we need to stay dialed in for those.”
In its home finale, Utah Valley rolled Southern Utah 100-59 winning its sixth straight while improving to 21-7 and 12-1 in WAC play.
The Wolverines remain atop the WAC standings with two games left before heading to Las Vegas for the WAC tournament.
Dominick Nelson finished with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists.
“We wanted to attack the paint, it was a big emphasis from Coach Phillips and Coach Jacobson,” said Nelson. “We know we’re at our best when we’re finishing around the rim, and we’ve got a lot of guys who can get to the basket and score.”
Tanner Toolson also scored 17 along with four rebounds and two assists. Cory Wells provided a massive spark off the bench with a career high 12 points and five rebounds while Carter Welling and Ethan Potter both contributed 11 points.
The Wolverines also produced 49 points off the bench which was its largest this year in WAC play.
“Our guys are really unselfish, and we’ve got some really good players all around,” said Phillips. “It’s very contagious and it goes to show the character of our guys.”
It was a slow start from both sides as neither team made a bucket until the 16-minute mark when Welling drove to the rack for two, opening up the scoring.
In the ensuing possessions, both Welling and Wells brought the house down with back-to-back slam dunks.
After SUU responded with a 4-0 run, Utah Valley scored 11 straight giving them a 25-8 lead at the mid-way point of the first half.
Both teams traded shots over the next three minutes before Utah Valley went on a 7-0 run right out of a timeout, taking a 25 point lead with 5:58 to play.
Utah Valley maintained a firm lead, entering halftime 52-24.
Closing the Game
Utah Valley didn’t hold back to start the second half, maintaining a comfortable 28-point lead through the first five minutes, holding a 62-34 advantage. UVU then erupted with a 7-3 run, pushing their lead to 69-37 with 12:34 left.
The lead continued to grow, reaching 34 points at 81-47 with just under eight minutes remaining. Utah Valley kept its foot on the gas, extending the margin to 90-55 with 3:47 to play.
They closed the game with a 10-4 run, capping off a remarkable performance with a 100-59 victory.
Upcoming Championships
With just two games remaining, the Wolverines will travel to Texas for the first of two road games in the Lone-Star State, taking on Abilene Christian Thursday, March 6 at 6pm. Then they will take on Tarleton State on Saturday, March 8.
With the WAC tournament just around the corner, set for March 12-15 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Utah Valley has locked in at least a No. 2 seed and is aiming for its first regular season championship and No. 1 seed in school history.
