Isaac Davis led Utah Valley to a 79-72 victory over Tarleton State on Thursday night at the UCCU Center, scoring a career-high 24 points. The win extends Utah Valley’s home winning streak to 26 games, which is currently the fourth-longest active streak in NCAA Division I men’s basketball.
With this result, Utah Valley moves to 21-7 overall and remains at the top of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) standings with an 11-4 record in league play. Tarleton State drops to 14-15 overall and 5-11 in conference action.
Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips credited his team’s ball security against Tarleton State’s defensive pressure. “I thought the guys battled,” Phillips said. “They come at you all night long with their pressure, and the big thing for us was taking care of the basketball. We only had nine turnovers against a team that’s one of the best in the country at forcing them.”
The game began slowly on offense for both teams, tied at 10 after more than eight minutes. Davis then fueled a key run for Utah Valley, scoring eight points during a 17-2 stretch that put his team ahead by double digits. Tarleton State responded before halftime but trailed by seven points at intermission.
In the second half, Utah Valley increased its lead before Tarleton State closed the gap and eventually tied the game with just over seven minutes left. Tyler Hendricks broke that tie with a jumper and scored six points during a critical run that put Utah Valley back in front.
Tarleton State narrowed the deficit to one point late in regulation, but Utah Valley responded with consecutive baskets from Hendricks, Davis, and Braden Housley to secure control in the final minutes.
“It was a chippy game, and I think it came down to composure,” Davis said. “We just stayed together, stayed consistent and made plays when we needed them.” He added: “We know these games are huge for us. Just staying composed and playing together, that’s what helped us get this win.”
Davis shot 10-of-13 from the field while adding five rebounds, three assists, and one block. Hendricks contributed across multiple categories with 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Jackson Holcombe finished just shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds; Trevan Leonhardt added another strong performance with 11 points plus seven boards; Isaac Hawkins provided scoring off the bench with ten points.
Utah Valley shot an even 50 percent from the floor but struggled from beyond the arc (25 percent). Tarleton State hit over half its three-point attempts but finished below 41 percent overall shooting.
Tarleton State held a slight rebounding advantage—including grabbing more offensive boards—but Utah Valley outscored them inside by twelve points.
“We won the battle in the paint, and that’s big this time of year,” Phillips said. “We moved the ball well, had 19 assists to nine turnovers, and that’s a good formula for us.”
Utah Valley will close out its home schedule Saturday against Abilene Christian at UCCU Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., featuring Senior Night honors for Noah Taitz and Hayden Welling prior to tipoff. The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+ as well as on ESPN The Fan radio.
