It is certainly fitting that on Super Hero night at UVU it would be an epic battle between two formidable foes. And just like is seen in most super hero sagas, the good guys came out on top.
A back-and-forth battle between two future Great West Conference teams, Utah Valley and Chicago State battled it out at the McKay Center and it came down to the wire with UVU winning 77-72.
“This truly was a forty-minute basketball game,” coach Dick Hunsaker said after the victory. “This game really wasn’t decided until there was 1.2 seconds left. This really was a great game for the fans.”
As soon as the game was underway the crowd knew the game was going to be exciting. The Wolverines opened up an 11-7 lead and then the Chicago State Cougars went on an 11-0 run to put them up 18-11. UVU would then come roaring back and took a 35-31 lead into the break.
The second half was not much different, with both teams battling it out. The Cougars eventually starting rolling, jumping out to a 57-50 lead with 9:59 to go in the game.
But the Wolverines were relentless, and with clutch shooting by sophomore Justin Baker, senior Josh Olson and Ryan Toolson’s near perfection from the line UVU would close it out giving them a 74-70 lead and they would not look back.
In total there were 10 ties in the game and 14 lead changes. The Wolverines had three players in double figures, Ryan Toolson led the way with 23, Jourdain Scoubes had 14, and Justin Baker put up 13 off the bench.
For the game Utah Valley shot 49 percent from the floor and 35 percent from long range. The win gives the Wolverines a 15-11 record on the season and as of Feb. 24 UVU only has two games left in the season.
The next and final game for the Wolverines will be March 4 at the McKay Center and this game will mark the end of the Ryan Toolson era.
