After beating Grand Canyon (72-64) at home for the first time since 2020, the Wolverines entered Saturday’s game ready. Utah Valley men’s basketball prevailed with a win over conference foe California Baptist University (CBU).
Things started slow for the Wolverines, with aggressive defensive pressure from CBU. Utah Valley started the game 0-9 from the field as the Lancers took an early lead.
After two quick buckets from Dominick Nelson and Carter Welling, the groove kicked in, taking the Wolverines into the first timeout off of a 9-0 run.
Defense continued, however, with pressure from CBU’s Martel Williams and Kendal Coleman. The Lancers went on a 10-0 run with points from Williams and Dominique Daniels Jr.
Wolverine Trevan Leonhardt broke that streak with a mid-range floater, followed by an electric block by Tanner Toolson. This led to a dunk by Nelson that got the crowd electric. Ethan Potter tied the game with three minutes left in the half.
After some back-and-forth scoring, the Wolverines went into the half up 29-25.
Going into the second half of the game, it was clear that head coach Todd Phillips wanted his players to get open shots and take them.
Hayden Welling and Nelson followed suit by getting in some quick and easy buckets. Another crowd favorite happened as C. Welling had a massive block on Daniels Jr. of CBU.
The Lancers took another scoring run, and AJ Braun tied it at 61. Daniels Jr. then went on a streak for CBU.
Late in the game, two massive back-to-back threes came from Leonhardt and Toolson, sending the crowd into a frenzy. In this high-pressure situation, the player CBU relied on most could not execute.
Daniels Jr., going into this game, not only led the Western Athletic Conference in PPG (points per game) but was 7th in the country. However, with defensive pressure from Nelson, he was held to his season low.
After statement shots, an Osiris Grady dunk, and some crucial free throws, the Wolverines put the game to an end with a final score of 75-69. This confidently seals Utah Valley as the leader of the Western Athletic Conference.
Coach Todd Phillips appreciates the success of a gritty win like this one, stating, “Really proud of our guys and how we maintained our discipline.”
Trevan Leonhardt has been a crucial part of the recent winning streak here in Orem, leading the WAC with 5.5 assists per game. “I mean, we want more fans every single game, we try to be entertaining, and we’re 7-0 at home, so we just gotta keep ‘protecting the den’ as we say here.”
Looking to extend their six-game winning streak, the Wolverines head to Cedar City, Utah to take on Southern Utah University. The game starts at 6:30 p.m. MT on Saturday, Feb. 15. Streaming will be provided via ESPN+.
