NCAA

Utah Valley Undefeated In WAC After Pulling Away From Utah Tech

Jan 18, 2025, 4:12 PM | Updated: Jan 20, 2025, 2:49 pm

OREM, Utah – A close first half turned into a rout as Utah Valley extended its winning streak to eight with a 96-80 win over visiting Utah Tech.

The Wolverines (12-6, 4-0) hosted the Trailblazers (6-12, 2-1) at UCCU Center on Saturday, January 18.

First Half

Nobody could gain the upper hand as eight ties and 13 lead changes were the story of the opening 20 minutes.

Hakimn Byrd led Utah Tech with ten points, trailed close by eight points, and four rebounds on perfect shooting from Beon Riley. The Trailblazers shot 56.7 percent (17-of-30) from the floor.

Dominick Nelson led all scorers with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Tanner Toolson knocked down two triples for seven points. The Wolverines knocked down 12-of-21 (57.1 percent) in the opening half.

Utah Tech took a 42-40 lead into the break.

Second Half

A 10-0 UVU run out of halftime gave the Wolverines their largest lead at 52-44. It was a scoring burst that gave Utah Valley control of the game.

Utah Tech quickly cut the deficit to two but would get no closer down the stretch.

Utah Valley ran away with a 96-80 win.

Trevan Leonhardt scored all 14 of his points in the second half. Leonhardt hit a trio of threes on four attempts. Toolson added ten points to finish with 18 on the afternoon,

Following Utah Valley With KSL Sports

Utah Valley travels to Riverside, California, for a Thursday, January 23, date with California Baptist. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. MT.

Find KSL Sports coverage of Utah Valley University Athletics here.

Utah Tech returns to St. George, Utah, where they will host the Grand Canyon Antelopes on Saturday, January 25. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. MT.

Find KSL Sports coverage of Utah Tech University Athletics here.

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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.

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Utah Valley Undefeated In WAC After Pulling Away From Utah Tech