Utah Valley lost 63-61 to California Baptist in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tournament championship game on March 15 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
The defeat ended a seven-game winning streak for Utah Valley, which now holds a 25-8 record. With the win, California Baptist also moves to 25-8 and secures the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Utah Valley led 61-60 with just under forty seconds left before Dominick Daniels Jr. of California Baptist hit a three-pointer with seventeen seconds remaining, giving his team a two-point lead. The Wolverines attempted a lob play out of a timeout but missed, allowing California Baptist to claim the tournament title. “I’m really proud of our guys,” said Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips. “They battled all night and put themselves in a position to win the game. It’s tough when it comes down to one play like that, but our guys showed a lot of heart and toughness.”
California Baptist started strong from beyond the arc, building an early lead before Utah Valley responded with runs led by Isaac Hawkins and Hayden Welling. The teams were tied at halftime, and both sides traded leads throughout the second half. Jackson Holcombe scored eighteen points for Utah Valley while Isaac Davis added twelve points and six rebounds.
Holcombe finished with eighteen points on six-of-twelve shooting along with three rebounds and two steals. Trevan Leonhardt contributed six points, ten rebounds, and eight assists for Utah Valley. The Wolverines shot forty-four percent from the field compared to thirty-seven point nine percent for California Baptist.
Leonhardt and Holcombe were named to the WAC All-Tournament Team following their performances. Utah Valley now awaits word on whether it will receive an invitation to participate in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), with postseason announcements expected soon.
