UVU MBB downs ACU, locks fifth seed in WAC Tournament

The Utah Valley Men’s Basketball team won their season finale against Abilene Christian University 74-67, securing a record above .500 and ending their season two-game winning streak while winning seven of their last eight while also finishing as the fifth-seed heading into the WAC Tournament.

The Wolverines started strong with Tanner Toolson – who ended the game with a team-high 17 points – getting things going with a three, already beating the Wolverines’ three-point total from last game. From there they would jump out to an encouraging 15-4 lead behind some great play in the paint by Ethan Potter and Trevin Dorious, and another three from Jaden McClanahan. 

The Wildcats would respond however, going on a hot streak of their own, finding their touch from three and finding easy buckets down low thanks to some nifty finishing at the rim and strong drives that would have them take the lead. From there it was a tight contest to end the half, with neither team able to find any substantial advantage, a last-minute three-pointer by ACU’s Hunter Jack Madden would give the Wildcats the lead going into the break.

As the second half started the back-and-forth nature of the game would continue, the Wolverines would break through the gridlock with back-to-back buckets by Caleb Stone-Carrawell, and Mcclanahan. The Wolverines would have a lead as high as six, but once again, the wildcats would claw their way back into things. 

This was a game of runs, and Utah Valley would need a big one, and luckily for them, they found it. Drake Allen would come alive, hitting three straight buckets and single-handedly pushing the Wolverines back in front, giving them their biggest lead of the night. Allen would stay hot, staving off any attempts from the Wildcats to take the lead, scoring 13 points in the second half alone, and helping UVU secure the win. 

Allen would tag on five assists and three rebounds with his 13 points.

Potter continued his unprecedented stretch of games with 10 points and nine boards while his counterpart Dorius, who only played 14 minutes due to foul trouble, finished with nine points and six boards.

Stone-Carrwell scored 15 off the bench while going 6-13 from the field.

This win was a good one and a good bounceback offensively to end the regular season on a high note. The Wolverines now set their sights on the WAC tournament as this win keeps them in fifth place in the WAC conference standings pending any major changes when the final rankings are released. Last year, it was the fifth-seeded Grand Canyon Lopes who took home the hardware and secured the auto-bid into the big dance.

The Wolverines will likely face Cal Baptist to open up the tournament on Wednesday, March 13 at 6 p.m. Pacific time. The Wolverines beat CBU twice this season – for their fifth consecutive victory over the Lancers – by a combined 30 points between the two outings.

All games will be broadcast on ESPN+ or ESPN2.