Utah Valley is one win away from an NCAA Tournament berth after escaping with victory in the WAC semifinals

Utah Valley looked like it was well on its way to a victory with 9:12 remaining in its WAC tournament semifinal game against UT Arlington Friday night.

The Wolverines had grabbed a game-high 58-42 lead on a Trevan Leonhardt 3, capping a 9-0 run that had followed an 8-0 spurt earlier in the second half to break the game open.

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The Mavericks had other plans though, as they made the contest go down to the wire at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

But UVU, after enduring a 19-4 UT Arlington run and then watching the Mavericks tie the game at 65-65 in the final minute, finally could breathe easy when Isaac Hawkins blocked a shot in the lane from Bahsil Laster, then a Raysean Seamster desperation 3 was off the mark as time expired.

The stop came moments after the Wolverines’ leading scorer, Jackson Holcombe, hit two pressure-filled free throws to give UVU the go-ahead points in an eventual 67-65 win, and it clinched the Wolverines’ second straight trip to the WAC tournament championship game.

“When he drove in there, we got the block, you’re ecstatic. I thought we had the ball, and then they get that shot and your heart sinks,” UVU coach Todd Phillips told reporters about the final sequence.

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“Your heart sinks because you think the worst all the time and it hit the rim. It’s a huge stop for us and just proud of our guys.”

If UVU wins Saturday night (10 p.m. MDT, ESPN2) in the WAC tournament title game, the Wolverines will clinch their first NCAA Tournament appearance.

They’ll play the winner of No. 3 seed Utah Tech and No. 2 Cal Baptist, who played in the second semifinal game of a late night Friday.

“There’s a lot to clean up, but rest is the most important,” Phillips said about preparing for Saturday night’s championship game. “You gotta get rest here and get guys ready to go because it’s, you know, it’s about how hard you can play.

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“You’re gonna make some mistakes, you’re gonna make some great plays and you just got…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/utah-valley-one-win-away-045944938.html

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Publish date : 2026-03-14 04:59:00

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