Utah Valley will play against California Baptist for the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tournament championship on Saturday night at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, according to a March 14 announcement. The game is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Pacific Time and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 as well as the Wolverine Sports Network.
The matchup follows Utah Valley’s narrow 67-65 victory over UT Arlington in Friday’s semifinal, where Jackson Holcombe scored 14 points and made decisive free throws with less than 20 seconds left. Isaac Hawkins contributed a key defensive stop in the final moments to secure the win.
This marks only the second time in program history that Utah Valley has reached the WAC Tournament championship game, and it is their second consecutive appearance. The team is aiming for its first tournament title and an inaugural berth in the NCAA Tournament since joining Division I play in 2003.
California Baptist advanced after defeating Utah Tech 86-72, led by Dominique Daniels Jr., who scored a record-setting 41 points. Daniels Jr. is currently one of the top offensive players in the conference.
Saturday’s contest will be the fourth meeting between Utah Valley and California Baptist this season. Utah Valley leads the series two games to one, having won both matchups at home while California Baptist claimed an overtime win on their court.
Utah Valley features All-WAC First Team selections Trevan Leonhardt and Jackson Holcombe. Leonhardt averages 12.3 points, six assists, and over five rebounds per game, recently breaking his own school record with 191 assists this season. Holcombe leads his team with averages of 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, also setting a single-season steals record with 71.
Sherman Weatherspoon IV has played an important role recently for Utah Valley, scoring eleven points including three three-pointers during their semifinal win.
The Wolverines have won seven of their last eight games and secured their second straight outright WAC regular-season championship. The winner of Saturday’s title game will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
