Dominick Nelson scored a season-high 21 points with eight rebounds and Tanner Toolson scored 16 to lead Utah Valley to an 89-60 win over UTEP on Saturday afternoon at the UCCU Center in Orem.

Utah Valley improves to a perfect 2-0 on the season and will now head out on the road for seven straight games over the next month on the road. UTEP falls to 1-1 on the season.

“I’m really proud of our guys for the resilience they showed tonight,” said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips following the team’s win. “UTEP is a talented team, and they feed off turnovers, turning those into easy points. We had 19 turnovers, which is still too many, but considering they usually force around 24 or 25, we did well limiting their transition opportunities. Our guys shared the ball, finishing with 23 assists on 25 field goals, and made a concerted effort to get to the free-throw line, which is a big part of our strategy.”

Nelson scored his 21 points on a 6-of-10 clip from the field, including a 1-of-3 mark from long range. He knocked down 8-of-11 shots from the free throw line. Nelson nearly had a double-double, pulling down eight rebounds with two assists in 30 minutes of action.

Toolson tallied his 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor with a 4-of-7 mark from beyond the arc. He also had six rebounds, three assists, and a steal.

Hayden Welling recorded his second straight double digit scoring game with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including three shots from three-point range. He also had four rebounds and a game-high three blocks.

Trevan Leonhard nearly had double digit assists with nine dimes to go along with two points and five rebounds. Ethan Potter was in double digits with 10 points and five rebounds.

“I was also impressed with how our guys handled the physicality and pressure they faced. Tanner stepped up big for us, hitting four three-pointers, and Dominick was outstanding, getting to the basket and grabbing eight rebounds. Our front court held its own against theirs, out-rebounding them by 16, and that was a testament to our size and athleticism. Overall, it was a great team effort, and I’m excited about the growth we’re seeing early in the season.”

Utah Valley shot 52.1% (25-of-48) from the field with a 52.6% (10-of-19) clip from three-point range. The Wolverines held UTEP to just a 26.3% (15-of-57) mark from the field with a 33.3% (5-of-15) clip from long range. UVU outrebounded the Miners 44-28 and outscored UTEP 28-20 in the paint. UVU got 33 points from its bench.

Utah Valley now heads out on the road for seven straight games beginning with a trip to Grand Forks, North Dakota to take on the University of North Dakota on Nov. 14. The game will tipoff at 11 a.m. (MT) and will be broadcast live on the Summit League Network and over the airwaves on the Wolverine Sports Network (960 AM/103.9 FM in Utah County and 98.3 FM/101.5 FM HD2 in Salt Lake).

“As we head on the road, our focus is on growth,” said head coach Todd Phillips. “I’ve been telling these guys from day one that we’re going to experience highs and lows, and it’s about how we respond, especially in tough road environments. We saw a lot of positives tonight, but now we need to carry that same energy and resilience when we’re away from home. This next month is about coming together, defining roles, and continuing to push each other. If our bench is playing this well, it pushes everyone to step up, and that’s exactly what we need to keep growing as a team.”

Late score by Saige Gibb gets Wolverine women’s hoops road victory

Saige Gibb scored, was fouled, and knocked down a free throw with just 3.1 seconds left to lift Utah Valley University to a 64-61 road win at Kennesaw State University on Saturday night at the KSU Convocation Center in Kennesaw, Georgia. The game was the first of two that the Wolverines (2-0) will play as part of the WAC/Conference USA Challenge.

Both teams had big runs and long stretches without a bucket in the fourth quarter in a game UVU led for much of the way. An 8-0 run in the first half of the fourth gave the Wolverines a 57-47 advantage with 6:38 to go. The Owls (1-1) were without a made field goal for over eight minutes before making four straight to tie it in the closing seconds.

Utah Valley suffered through a stretch of six minutes and 35 seconds without a field goal before Gibb’s bucket. KSU had tied the game on a 3-pointer from Kailyn Fields with 8.9 seconds left, setting up the final play that saw Gibb drive to the hoop, score on an underhand scoop while also taking a hit to the arm on her way in. The Owls had one last chance but didn’t have a timeout to advance the ball and the desperation look hit off the backboard.

“What a big win for us. Making this long trip isn’t easy, and I’m so proud of how the team played,” head coach Dan Nielson said. “We answered every time they made a run, and for Saige to make that play when we needed it most, what an awesome thing for her. It’s never easy to win on the road in college basketball so we’ll savor this one and have a happy flight home.”

Kylee Mabry led UVU with 16 points and six steals while Danja Stafford Collins had her first double-double in a Wolverine uniform with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Amanda Barcello added nine points and a three steals while Ally Criddle finished with eight points before fouling out. Gibb finished with five points off the bench while also collecting a pair of steals. Kennesaw State’s Keyarah Berry led all scorers with 20 points with Keiara Griffin finishing with 13 and Prencis Harden adding a double-double of 10 points and 10 boards.

Both teams were above 40% from the field but suffered from too many turnovers, combining for 55 in the game with KSU turning it over 29 times. The Wolverines, who had 23 steals in the season-opening win over Kansas City, finished with 18 on Saturday.

Utah Valley will return home for a four-game homestand beginning next Wednesday against Park University. The Wolverines will also host CSU Bakersfield next Saturday afternoon.

UVU men’s soccer loses heartbreaker in WAC quarterfinals

Utah Valley’s season came to an end on Sunday night, as a controversial 82nd-minute penalty led to a 1-0 San Jose State win at GCU Soccer Stadium in Phoenix.

Following a scramble in the 18, the Spartans shouted for a penalty, but none was given at the time. After nearly a minute of game action — which included a goal-line clearance on the opposite end of the field in a Wolverine scoring opportunity — the referee went to video review and awarded a penalty due to a handball in the box.

The loss ends what proved to be a historic season for Utah Valley. The 2024 season saw Yehya put together one of the best offensive seasons in team history, scoring a program-record 12 goals in the regular season and tying a school record with a goal contribution in seven straight games.

The Wolverines will look forward to the 2025 season, when the team gets to open the doors to the brand new UCCU Stadium, which is expected to be completed by next August.

Stafford Collins honored as WAC Newcomer of the Week

Utah Valley graduate student Danja Stafford Collins was named the WAC Newcomer of the Week after leading the Wolverines to a pair of wins to open the season last week.

Stafford Collins made her UVU debut last Wednesday against Kansas City and finished with nine points and 10 rebounds, along with career highs of five assists and five steals in the 72-48 win. She followed that up with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds to help the Wolverines to a road win at Kennesaw State, 64-61, in the WAC/CUSA Challenge. For the week, she averaged 10.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 2.5 assists.

The Santa Clara transfer returned to her hometown to finish her basketball career just down the street from where she grew up and attended high school, at Mountain View in Orem.