Fardaws Aimaq recorded his national-leading 12th double-double of the season with 21 points and 16 rebounds and Connor Harding added 17 points to lead Utah Valley to a 77-55 win over WAC foe Tarleton on Saturday afternoon at the UCCU Center.

Utah Valley improves to 10-4 overall and 1-1 in WAC play, while Tarleton falls to 6-9 overall and 1-1 in league play.

“I thought our defensive intensity was strong from the start today,” said Utah Valley head coach Mark Madsen. “Fardaws with five blocked shots was in great position and anchored our defense. It was great to see Jaden back out there and was impressive with his five assists in only nine minutes. I believe Connor (Harding) had a career high with seven assists. We had 24 assists on 27 made baskets and that always makes you happy as a head coach.”

Utah Valley got off to a quick start with Tim Fuller scoring the six early points as the Wolverines opened the game with an 11-0 lead 5:30 into the game. Tarleton then scored six of the next eight points to cut the UVU lead to seven points, 13-6, with 11 minutes to go in the first. UVU held its seven-point advantage, 17-10, before using a 9-2 run to jump out 26-12 advantage with 5:28 to go in the half. A Le’Tre Darthard three gave UVU its largest lead of the half, a 16-point, 31-16, with 3:27 remaining. Tarleton then scored seven of the final nine points in the second half to cut the UVU lead to 11 points at halftime, 34-23.

The Wolverines outscored Tarleton 13-3 to over the first five minutes of the second half to take a 21-point 47-26 lead. UVU held on to its lead, 59-37, after a pair of Asa McCord free throws at the 11:43 mark. The Texans responded with a 10-1 run to cut the UVU lead to 13 points, 60-47, with eight minutes to play. UVU extended its lead back to 20 points and then held on to claim the 22-point, 77-55 win.

Aimaq scored his game-high 21 points on 9 of 16 shooting from the field. He also knocked down a three and went 2 for 4 at the free throw line. Aimaq matched a career high with five blocks to go along with two assists.

Harding scored his 17 points on a 4 of 7 mark from the field, including a 2 of 3 clip from long range. Harding knocked down 7 of 8 shots at the charity stripe. He also had a career-high seven assists with four rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.

Fuller was also in double figures with 13 points on a 6 of 7 clip from the field. He also had two rebounds, a block, and a steal. McCord had a career-high eight points, while Blaze Nield and Tim Ceaser each had five points. Nield also pulled down eight rebounds with six assists.

As a team, Utah Valley shot 50 percent (27-54) while holding Tarleton to just 29 percent shooting (17-58). UVU shot 50 percent from three (8-16) while limiting the Texans to just a 27 percent mark (4-15) from beyond the arc.

The Wolverines outrebounded Tarleton 48-29 and had 38 points in the paint to Tarleton’s 18.

Utah Valley will continue WAC play at home on Saturday, Jan. 7 against in-state rival Dixie State in an Old Hammer Rivalry game. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.

Wolverine women’s hoops falls at Tarleton

Utah Valley University got a career-high 19 points from Madison Grange but a big fourth quarter pushed Tarleton to a 61-48 win on Saturday afternoon in Wisdom Gym in WAC women’s basketball.

The Texans (9-4, 1-1) went on a 9-0 run with just under five minutes to go and outscored the Wolverines (5-8, 0-2) 26-11 in the fourth quarter. The run turned a 45-44 lead for the Utah Valley into a 53-45 advantage for Tarleton with just 2:28 to go.

The Wolverines got quality looks early but struggled to convert, making just two of their 16 attempts in the first quarter. Tarleton hit 6-of-10 in the quarter and finished the first with an 11-2 run and led 17-6 after one.

The Wolverines trailed 19-8 early in the second when Grange got going. She scored 13 straight UVU points and went on her own 11-0 run, converting on her first five attempts – three of which were 3-pointers. Shay Fano capped a 13-0 run and gave UVU its first lead when she put back her own miss with just over two minutes until halftime and the Wolverines led 23-21. The Texans scored the last four points of the half with Jenna Dick’s runner falling through right before time expired at UVU trailed 25-23 at the break.

Both teams had runs of six straight early in the third, afterwhich neither team led by more than two the rest of the quarter. Josie Williams and Maria Carvalho hit consecutive jumpers to give Utah Valley a 35-33 lead and, with the game tied 35-35, Tahlia White scored right before the end of the third to make it 37-35 after three.

Carvalho scored with her left hand to start the fourth as UVU pushed the lead to five early in the quarter. It was 42-37 when Tarleton got back-to-back jumpers from Malaya Kendrick and a corner three from Dick to take a 44-42 lead with six minutes remaining. Grange came back with her fourth 3-pointer of the game before the Texans went on their decisive run.

Williams finished with 11 points for the Wolverines while Fano pulled down 10 rebounds. Tarleton’s Iyana Dorsey led all scorers with 20 points, hitting all 12 of her attempts from the line, while Malaya Kendrick added 13. Those two combined to score 19 of the Texans’ 26 points in the fourth quarter.

The Wolverines continue WAC play next Saturday in the Old Hammer Rivalry and the first contest at the NCAA Division I level against former junior college rival Dixie State. That game is slated for a 3 p.m. MT tip from St. George and will be the final game of seven straight on the road for UVU.

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