LAS VEGAS – Utah Valley looked to continue its historic season but Grand Canyon prevailed, winning its third straight WAC Championship while punching another ticket to the Dance.
Tanner Toolson’s efforts were hard to miss, leading all scorers with a career-high 28 points, but Utah Valley wasn’t able to mount a late comeback, falling to Grand Canyon 89-82.
“It hurts obviously and it’s something we’ve dreamed of our whole lives,” Toolson said. “But I think the best thing for us is to turn the page right now.”
Carter Welling posted 18 points and six rebounds, while Trevan Leonhardt ended with 10 points and six assists.
Leading scorer and WAC player of the year, Dominick Nelson, scored nine points in the first half, but was shut down in the second, as he was held scoreless the rest of the way.
Despite dominant performances throughout the entire season, the Wolverines’ bench was limited to just 15 points, as the Lopes outscored them 24-15 in that category.
“Heck of a ball game, two big time teams going at it and I’m really proud of our guys,” head coach Todd Phillips said. “They battled through adversity and made big plays, but Grand Canyon made a few more.”
1st Half
GCU started with a quick 7-2 run, but back-to-back three-pointers from Toolson and Leonhardt had the Wolverine faithful roaring as they surged ahead 8-7.
Utah Valley dominated the glass early on while also turning the Lopes over consecutive times through the first ten minutes of play.
The Wolverines added upon its lead after the first media timeout, extending its lead to 13-7 but a tough and-1 from Makaih Williams cut it to 13-10.
UVU pushed their lead to its largest of the night to nine at 19-10, but GCU ignited on a 11-2 run, tying the ball game up at 21 a piece with 9:07 to play in the first.
After a quick timeout from Phillips, both sides traded shots over the next three minutes as GCU held a 26-25 advantage.
It was tough to come by any buckets in the remaining minutes of the first but Grand Canyon poured it on, closing the half out-scorcing the Wolverines 9-1 taking a convincing 40-33 lead into the locker room.
Utah Valley committed six turnovers at the half, but eight offensive rebounds for the Wolverines resulted in 11 second chance points, helping them stay within striking distance.
2nd Half
Despite opening the second half with two key triples from Welling and Toolson, GCU continued to dominate the interior, scoring with 10 paint points as they held a 50-41 lead at the first media timeout.
Toolson set the Wolverines off to a 6-0 run with two-consecutive tough layups at the rack as Utah Valley trimmed their deficit 52-47, forcing Scott Drew to call a timeout with 13:55 left.
Lok Wur responded with a three on the other end but three free throws from UVU cut it down to five, 55-50 with 11:56 on the clock.
Utah Valley cut it to a one-score game after Toolson sparked a 6-2 run with a finish at the rack, keeping the Wolverines in it 61-58 with 8:54 left.
Over the next minute the Lopes erupted on a 5-0 run, pushing its cushion back to eight, 66-58.
Welling helped the Wolverines gain a slight glimpse of momentum after a vicious slam dunk down the stretch, but the Lopes continued to have an answer, sensing its third straight WAC Championship.
Utah Valley put together a gritty effort, led by Toolson’s 11 points in the remaining two-minutes to make a comeback, outscoring the Lopes 18-13, but their efforts weren’t enough. Grand Canyon knocked down clutch free throws to seal an 89-83 win.
What’s next
After a masterful season put together by Todd Phillips and the Wolverines, and despite falling short to Grand Canyon in the WAC Championship game, Utah Valley secured an NIT bid for the second time in three years.
In Utah Valley’s most recent NIT appearance, they made a run making it all the way to the semifinals after losing to UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) in overtime, 88-86.
Utah Valley will face No. 1 San Francisco in the first round of the NIT Wednesday, Mar 19 at 8 p.m. MT. The game will stream live on ESPN+ and air on 960 AM/103.9 FM in Utah County.
