LAS VEGAS – Utah Valley entered the quarterfinals on Thursday, having won four of its last five games. Their only loss came against Abilene Christian, whom they defeated today 75-65, advancing to the semifinals.
Tahlia White led all scorers with 26 points shooting 60% (9-of-15) from the field and 80% (4-of-5) from deep. Amanda Barcello also contributed, scoring 24 points while knocking down six three-pointers on 66% (8-of-11) shooting overall.
Both White and Barcello combined for 50 points, knocking down 10 of the Wolverines 11 three-pointers.
“I think it’s all about having confidence in each other and trusting our coaches,” White said. “Our coaches tell us to take the open shot, and we trust that whoever is open will take it and finish in rhythm.”
Ally Criddle helped facilitate and lead the offence with a season-high nine assists along with six points. Danja Stafford Collins anchored the paint, being a force down low recording 10 points while also reeling in nine rebounds.
The Wolverines shot 49% (25-of-51) from the field while going 45.8% (11-of-25) from beyond the arc, holding ACU to just 36.4% (20-of-55) overall and 30.9% (8-of-26) from deep.
This victory marks the first time in Division-1 school history Utah Valley has recorded 18 wins in a single season.
“I’m just so proud of our group in general,” head coach Dan Nelson said. “Two years ago we faced a lot of challenges, but the players who stayed and bought in made this success possible.. Their commitment and fight mean everything to this program.”
1st Quarter
The game began with a masterful start for UVU as they got off to a 9-0 run while also forcing five turnovers in the first four minutes of play.
Abilene Christian first points came at the 4:42 mark as they were able to put together a 5-0 run, trimming the lead to six before White knocked down a triple to regain a nine point lead, 14-5.
In the remaining two minutes of play, both teams increased the intensity defensively as they split buckets to close out the first-quarter, 16-7.
2nd Quarter
Stafford recorded two blocks to open up the second, turning one of them into two points on the other end, helping Utah Valley push the lead back to double digits, 18-7.
Despite both teams converting a few free throws, neither team scored any field goals over the next five minutes until Troxell drained a three-pointer, trimming the lead to six (20-14) with 4:44 to go in the first half.
UVU took its largest lead of the game after going on a 10-0 run to close the half, capped off by an and-1 triple from Barcello with five seconds left on the clock, sending the Wolverine faithful into a frenzy, as the Wolverines took a 36-18 lead into the half.
3rd Quarter
The Wolverines opened the half by drilling back-to-back triples but ACU maintained composure, going on a 10-2 run over the next three minutes to put them within reach 42-28.
Despite an and-1 conversion from Ally Criddle midway through the third quarter, the Wildcats put together a 6-1 burst before White bottomed a three-pointer pushing the cushion back to 15 points.
ACU started to gain momentum, outscoring the Wolverines 9-2 over the next two minutes, but Utah Valley responded with a 7-1 run of their own. This included another three-pointer from Barcello as time expired, taking a 58-44 advantage into the fourth quarter.
4th Quarter
Both sides traded buckets over the first four minutes of the fourth before the Wildcats ignited on a 6-0 run cutting the lead to single digits with 4:57 to play, 62-54.
The Wolverines responded and maintained a firm lead thanks to a dagger three-pointer from White down the stretch. Utah Valley outscored the Wildcats 13-11, securing a 75-65 victory to move on to the semifinals
What’s next
No. 5 Utah Valley will now face top-seeded Grand Canyon University for a spot in the WAC Championship game, aiming to reach the title game for the first time in school history.
Tip-off is set for 12 p.m PT/1 p.m MT and will be streamed live on ESPN+
