Utah Valley University secured its second consecutive Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular-season title with a 92-88 win over Southern Utah at the America First Event Center on Thursday night. The victory ensures the Wolverines will be the No. 1 seed and receive a first-round bye in next week’s WAC Tournament in Las Vegas.
Following the win, Utah Valley’s record improved to 23-7 overall and 13-4 in conference play. Southern Utah dropped to 10-20 overall and 6-11 in league games. The result guarantees at least a share of the conference title for Utah Valley, which can claim it outright with a win against Utah Tech on Saturday.
“We’re really proud of the guys,” said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips. “We didn’t have a lot of returners coming back this season, but we’ve had new guys step up all year. To come in here and get a win against a really good Southern Utah team and clinch a regular-season championship says a lot about this group.”
Utah Valley started strong, leading by as many as nine points early before building its advantage throughout the first half. Key three-pointers from Tyler Weaver helped push the lead to 51-33 late in the period, though Southern Utah trimmed it to 53-39 by halftime.
The Wolverines extended their lead to as much as 19 points early in the second half before Southern Utah narrowed the gap late. In the final minute, Trevan Leonhardt made four free throws to secure the victory.
“It feels fantastic,” said redshirt junior guard Trevan Leonhardt. “What a way to win it here in Cedar City. I’m proud of a bunch of the guys that stepped up tonight and helped us get this one done.”
Isaac Davis led all scorers with a career-high 28 points, making 11-of-16 shots from the field and six free throws out of nine attempts.
Leonhardt contributed 18 points along with seven assists and five rebounds, shooting efficiently from both inside and outside while hitting six of eight free throws.
Jackson Holcombe added 14 points and eight rebounds, nearly achieving a double-double performance. Sherman Weatherspoon IV and Isaac Hawkins each scored ten points, while Weaver added two crucial three-pointers off the bench.
Holcombe praised Davis for his performance: “He’s a problem,” Holcombe said. “He’s tough, he’s strong, he’s athletic, and he has really good touch around the basket. That’s a hard person to guard. I’m just glad he’s wearing the same jersey as me.”
Utah Valley shot over fifty-three percent from the field compared to Southern Utah’s sixty-two percent but maintained an edge by outrebounding their opponent (30-26) and scoring more points in the paint (50-46).
Reflecting on winning another conference title but looking ahead, Holcombe said: “It definitely feels sweet,” Holcombe said. “This was one of our goals, but we’ve got bigger goals. We’re trying to win that one in Las Vegas and go dancing in March.”
Utah Valley concludes its regular season at Utah Tech on Saturday night at 7 p.m., with live coverage available on ESPN+ and ESPN The Fan through Wolverine Sports Network.
