While you were away: men’s basketball sits at No. 1 in WAC, boast 11-game winning streak
Utah Valley University men’s basketball squad went a perfect 8-0 in the month of December, featuring wins against Long Beach State, BYU and Oregon.
Utah Valley University men’s basketball team, at the time of reporting, has not lost a game since Nov. 26, when they were defeated by the Boise State University Broncos.
This season, the team has won 10 straight games, including wins over the University of Oregon, Brigham Young University, Western Athletic Conference frontrunner Sam Houston, and Long Beach State University.
Beginning their streak on Dec. 3, the Wolverines defeated the LBSU Beach 88-78 at home in the UCCU Center, a contest in which UVU’s Le’Tre Darthard recorded a season-high 25 points and seven three-pointers. The Wolverines then traveled to Provo to face off against BYU in the UCCU Crosstown Clash, where the Wolverines rode a dominant second half to a 75-60 victory over the Cougars, the Wolverine’s second-straight win over BYU.
After defeating Northern Arizona University on the road 80-75, the Wolverines picked up two dominant wins over SAGU American Indian College and Antelope Valley, winning by an average of 36 points over the two-game span.
UVU’s toughest test would come on the road in Eugene, Oregon, where they faced the University of Oregon on Dec. 20. The Wolverines battled and picked up a 77-72 win, behind a game-icing step-back jumper from Wolverine Trey Woodbury, who had a team-high 24 points on the night. This was just the second meeting between the two programs, with UO claiming victory in the previous matchup which took place during the 2013-2014 season.
The Wolverines got little rest, as immediately after the matchup against Oregon, they traveled home to host SHSU, the #1 team in the WAC at the time and a team that had beaten both Oklahoma and Utah this season. The Wolverines once again showed up in a big way, defeating the Bearkats 80-64 behind a season-high 19 points from UVU’s Tahj Small.
Most recently, the Wolverines picked up wins against Utah Tech University, the University of Texas-Arlington, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
On Jan. 11, the Wolverines faced California Baptist University, where they defeated the Lancers in come-from-behind fashion thanks to a step-back three from Woodbury with 13 seconds remaining to take the lead.
The Wolverines are currently sitting in the number one spot in the Western Athletic Conference, with a perfect 4-0 record in conference play and a 13-4 record on the season. With plenty of basketball left to be played before #WACVegas, keep an eye on the Wolverine squad as they make strides toward the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
Sports Editor and Senior Staff Writer
Senior at Utah Valley University majoring in applied communications.