Wolverines defeat TSU 72-58, advance to WAC Tournament semi-final
The regular season conference champion Utah Valley Wolverines started out their WAC Tournament with a statement victory over the Texans.
Justin Harmon and Trey Woodbury combined for 44 points as the Utah Valley men’s basketball team defeated Tarleton State 72-58 in the quarterfinal round of the Hercules Tires Western Athletics Conference tournament Thursday.
UVU had it rolling offensively, as they shot 54.2% from the field and 46.7% from three on the night. Aziz Bandaogo and Le’Tre Darthard also reached double figures for the Wolverines, as Bandoago scored 12 and Darthard tallied 11 points. The Wolverines scored 32 points in the paint and outrebounded the Texans 37-26.
The Wolverines started slowly in the contest, turning the ball over on their first possession and missing a couple of shots out of the gate. After TSU took a one-point advantage with 16:12 remaining, the Wolverines responded with an extended 20-9 run to take a double-digit lead.
After Woodbury hit a three-pointer with 40 seconds remaining in the half, TSU’s Shakur Daniel made a layup to cut the Wolverines’ lead to seven just before the buzzer. UVU would go into the locker room leading 34-27. Woodbury scored 13 and Harmon scored 11 as each player reached double figures in the first half alone.
The Texans kept things close and continued to hang around, and with 14:21 remaining in the contest they cut the Wolverine lead down to just one point off of a fastbreak layup. Harmon then took over, scoring back-to-back baskets, including a converted and-one to fuel an 11-3 Wolverine run. From that point on, everything began to fall for the Wolverines and their lead ballooned to as many as 17 points. The Wolverines coasted to the finish line in this one, claiming a 72-58 victory.
UVU advances to the semi-final round of the Hercules Tires WAC Tournament. They will face the No. 3 seed and in-state rival Southern Utah University. The Wolverines lost their first matchup of the season against the Thunderbirds 79-69 in January, however, most recently defeated SUU 90-83 on Feb. 11. The semi-final game between the two programs will take place today, March 10. The matchup tips off at 9 p.m. MT and can be streamed on ESPN+.
Sports Editor and Senior Staff Writer
Senior at Utah Valley University majoring in applied communications.