Utah Valley lost a close game to George Washington, 79-78, in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on March 18 at the UCCU Center. The defeat ended Utah Valley’s season and snapped its 27-game home win streak, which had been the fourth-longest active streak in the nation.
The outcome marks the end of a successful season for Utah Valley, which finished with a record of 25-9 and secured its second consecutive outright Western Athletic Conference regular-season championship. The team had not lost at home since March 2, 2024.
Head coach Todd Phillips said, “I’m really proud of our guys. We fought back. We scored 49 points in the second half, got stops, got the crowd behind us, and made a push. It just comes down to making one more play.”
The game saw both teams struggle offensively early on before George Washington took control with an extended run in the first half. Utah Valley trailed by as many as 16 points but mounted several comebacks throughout the second half. Jackson Holcombe led Utah Valley with a career-high 27 points and contributed seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals. “I think we went into the locker room more upset with our effort and body language than the score,” Holcombe said about halftime adjustments. “That wasn’t us. We said we were going to go out swinging and compete until the final buzzer, and I think you saw that in the second half.”
In a dramatic finish, Trevan Leonhardt hit a three-pointer to bring Utah Valley within one point with less than a minute remaining. After forcing a turnover on defense, Utah Valley had one last chance but missed at the buzzer. Holcombe reflected on his final shot: “Coach put me in a great spot and my teammates got me a good look. I think I passed up a good one and took a tougher shot. I should’ve shot the floater.”
Phillips praised Holcombe’s performance: “Jackson was unbelievable,” he said. “He’s a warrior. He does everything for us; scoring, rebounding, passing. He just fills up the stat sheet, and we needed every bit of what he gave us tonight.” Weaver added 12 points for Utah Valley while Welling also scored 12.
Despite being eliminated from postseason play, Phillips concluded by saying: “These aren’t easy,” he said about tournament losses. “But I’m proud of the fight, the resilience, and the way our guys competed until the very end.”
