Big-shot Barnes leads Utah Valley past Weber State in 101-93 track meet
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- Utah Valley guard Jordy Barnes (2) drives against former preps teammate and Weber State guard Gavin Lowe (13) during a game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Ogden.
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- Utah Valley guard Dominick Nelson (3) rises to score a layup past Weber State’s Brock Felder (33) during a game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Ogden.
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- Weber State center Brock Felder, center, tries to fight off Utah Valley defenders Tyler Medaris (12) and Sherman Weatherspoon IV (4) on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Ogden.
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- Utah Valley center Isaac Hawkins (23) jumps to dunk against Weber State during a game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Ogden.
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- Utah Valley guard Braden Housley (9) checks out during a game at Weber State on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Ogden.
OGDEN — Staying home or keeping ESPN+ turned off to nurse a Holy War hangover would be an understandable choice, but anyone who chose to consume Saturday night basketball in Ogden got more than their money’s worth.
While both teams had red-hot moments in a 40-minute track meet that destined triple digits for the winner from the opening tip, Utah Valley men’s basketball made the plays it needed to win a 101-93 barnburner over Weber State at the Dee Events Center.
“We knew going in that they’d get up and down, and run; we usually don’t play that fast,” UVU head coach Todd Phillips said. “If you told me we’re going to score 100 tonight, I don’t know if I’d believe you. But really proud of our guys; they played with good tempo and took the right shots.”
UVU (2-0) shot a blistering 14 of 23 from distance, but every time the Wolverines got an especially big triple, it was Jordy Barnes.
The Utah State transfer, getting his first major role in college basketball, was 5 of 7 from deep for 15 points. He hit two 3s in the second half to push UVU’s lead to 12 points each time and, after Weber State whittled that down to 80-78, a Barnes triple restored the Wolverines to an 85-78 lead with 4:35 left.
“It’s just trusting your work,” Barnes said about his team’s shooting performance. “It takes a lot of confidence to come out here and shoot … we’re all looking for each other. We have no selfish guys on the team, so everyone’s always got their head up. So it’s fun.”
After Utah State routed Omaha 90-56 earlier Saturday afternoon, Mason Falslev, Karson Templin and a few other Aggies drove to Ogden to watch Barnes, forward Isaac Davis and guard Braden Housley, who were all former teammates with them at USU.
Barnes didn’t disappoint and helped shape the start of a season with several new faces as the last-ever regular-season WAC champion now takes its game to the Big West this season.
“Very proud of him tonight. He had all his buddies here from Utah State and he performed,” Phillips said. “He’s been really good for us since he got here and now it’s time to play live. We’ll see what can happen; excited for him and the game he had.”
After UVU took a 52-45 lead into halftime, the game hinged on the aforementioned sequence.
UVU wing Tyler Weaver hit a 3-pointer to put the Wolverines up 74-62 with 10:45 left.
That’s when ArDarius Grayson, the small Weber State sophomore guard and Damian Lillard acolyte, scored 10 straight for the Wildcats, including a pair of 3s. When Brock Felder dunked home an alley-oop from Mason Abittan, Weber State (0-2) had cut the deficit to 80-78.
Still stacking stops, Grayson cast up a 3 that would’ve brought the house down and put Weber State — the youngest Division I team in the country after an ACL injury to former Lone Peak guard Alvin Jackson III — ahead, but it rimmed out and with it, the Wildcats’ hopes soon deflated.
Barnes hit his final big triple to start Utah Valley’s answer and it was Weaver who drove in the final nail. The third-year wing led UVU with 21 points and hit five 3s of his own; he followed the Barnes make with his final long ball, then immediately grabbed a perimeter steal and dunk, putting the Wolverines up 97-87 with 1 minute left.
“It’s DI basketball. Everyone’s talented, guys are going to make runs. They got a spark going; we knew they could hit the 3,” Barnes said. “We had to lock in, really buckle down and get some stops.”
Dominick Nelson scored 18 points for Utah Valley and center Isaac Hawkins added 13 points with six rebounds. Housley had 15 points and six assists.
Abittan scored 22 to lead Weber State and Grayson had 19 points, with 15 after halftime; both hit four 3-pointers as WSU finished 12 of 29 as a team. Gavin Lowe, the freshman guard who was Barnes’ teammate at Olympus High School for two seasons, had eight points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
“Gavin’s great, he’s fun to play against,” Barnes said. “It’s crazy, my dad’s the coach at Olympus and after all those years and good players, I don’t think anyone’s ever really gone head to head in college. So it was a cool moment.”
Utah Valley gets a week before traveling to face Nevada on Nov. 14. Weber State is next at Utah on Tuesday for a reprise after an overtime loss to the Utes last season.
