Utah Valley University’s women’s basketball team secured a 74–53 win over Southern Utah on Thursday night at the UCCU Center. The Wolverines improved to 15-13 overall and 8-9 in conference play, while Southern Utah fell to 19-10, 11-6.
Utah Valley’s defense was key, forcing Southern Utah into 34 turnovers—marking the fourth most in program history and the third most against a Division I opponent. The Wolverines also tallied 25 steals, setting a new program record for most steals against a Division I team.
Kaylee Headrick led UVU with 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Teammates Amanda Barcello, Cambree Blackham, and Halle Nelson each recorded at least five steals. Blackham achieved her 79th steal of the season during the game, surpassing Taylor Christensen for the single-season record at UVU.
“I really liked our discipline on defense tonight,” said UVU head coach Dan Nielson. “To create 34 turnovers and 25 steals against a good team is impressive. I thought we were balanced, and Kaylee was especially aggressive. It’s always great to win in-state games, and hopefully, this helps us build some momentum for Vegas next week.”
After falling behind early in the first quarter, Utah Valley responded with scoring runs led by Gracie Sorenson and Kaylee Headrick. A strong second quarter saw UVU capitalize on SUU’s turnovers to take a halftime lead of 30–23.
The Wolverines maintained control throughout the second half. Amanda Barcello contributed with key three-pointers in the fourth quarter as Utah Valley extended its advantage to as many as 20 points late in the game.
This victory marked Utah Valley’s first win over Southern Utah this season and ensured that they have defeated every conference opponent at least once this year. The Wolverines have now won five of their last six games heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale against Utah Tech at home.
Tipoff for Saturday’s matchup is scheduled for 2 p.m. MT.
