UVU women’s hoops comeback falls short vs. SUU
Courtesy UVU Athletics
Utah Valley's Kaylee Headrick (14) drives in for a shot against Southern Utah in a Western Athletic Conference women's basketball game in Cedar City on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.CEDAR CITY — Utah Valley dropped a 76-68 decision to Southern Utah in a Western Athletic Conference matchup Thursday night at the America First Event Center. The Wolverines (9-6, 2-2 WAC) mounted a late rally, trimming a 16-point deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but could not overcome Southern Utah’s efficient shooting night. The Thunderbirds (11-4, 3-0 WAC) connected on 11 3-pointers and were led by Ava Uhlrich’s 20-point, 16-rebound double-double.
Amanda Barcello paced all scorers with 21 points, finishing a perfect 7-for-7 at the free-throw line. Saige Gibb added 11 points, while Kylee Mabry knocked down a pair of key corner 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as part of Utah Valley’s comeback effort. The Wolverines forced 27 turnovers and recorded 16 steals, converting those miscues into 18 points.
The Thunderbirds led 57-44 entering the fourth quarter but UVU came out with renewed energy as Mabry buried consecutive corner 3-pointers and Cambree Blackham finished at the rim to make it a 10-point game. Utah Valley continued to press, using a 13-0 run highlighted by a Barcello layup and a mid-range jumper from Gibb to pull within 60-57 with just over five minutes remaining. Uhlrich answered with a second-chance 3-pointer, and Southern Utah closed out the game at the free-throw line to secure the win.
Utah Valley shot 44% in the fourth quarter and totaled 24 points in the final frame, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
The Wolverines renew the Old Hammer Rivalry at Utah Tech on Saturday, Jan. 10, with a 2 p.m. MT tip at Burns Arena.
