A very unique regular season has come and gone with CBU cutting down nets as regular season champion for the third time in Division I program history. On this Monday let’s take a look at the postseason awards, a postseason primer on the national women’s basketball postseason tournaments, the NCAA leaderboards and more in a pre-WACVegas notebook.

Postseason Awards:

Regular season champion CBU won four of the five yearly awards and took four of the 11 first or second team selections as the WAC released yearly awards on Tuesday evening.

Player of the Year» Payton Hull, ACU

Coach of the Year» Jarrod Olson, CBU

Freshman of the Year» Lauren Olsen, CBU

Defensive Player of the Year» Emma Johansson, CBU

Sixth Woman of the Year» Khloe Lemon, CBU

First Team All-WAC»

Payton Hull, ACU

Filipa Barros, CBU

Lauren Olsen, CBU

Ava Uhrich, SUU

Kaylee Borden, Utah Tech

Second Team All-WAC»

Erin Woodson, ACU

Emma Johansson, CBU

Grace Schmidt, CBU

Sierra Chambers, SUU

Brooklyn Fely, SUU

Jakoriah Long, Tarleton State

Cambree Blackham, UVU

All Defensive Team»

Payton Hull, ACU

Emma Johansson, CBU

Elodie Lutbert, Tarleton State

Brie Crittendon, Utah Tech

Cambree Blackham, UVU

All Freshman Team»

Reyleigh Hess, CBU

Lauren Olsen, CBU

Devyn Kiernan, SUU

Elodie Lutbert, Tarleton State

Kira Reynolds, UT Arlington

WAC Teams/Student-Athletes on the NCAA Leaderboard:

*All rankings are as of Wednesday morning

Utah Valley (25.55) and Abilene Christian (21.55) both remain in the national top-20 for turnovers forced at fourth and 16th respectively.

The Wolverines (15.5) and Wildcats (11.3) are also in the national top-25 for steals per game at third and T24.

UT Arlington is T26 in 3-point percentage defense, holding opponents to 27.5% shooting from beyond the arc.

Southern Utah is 17th in rebounding margin with a +8.3 mark. Tarleton State is just inside the top-100 with a +3.4 mark.

CBU (72.6) and ACU (72.4) are both in the top-75 for scoring offense at T64 and T67 respectively. Southern Utah (72.3) is 70th.

CBU (28.3) and Utah Tech (27.1) are among the national leaders in 3-point attempts per game at eighth and 12th. ACU (25.4) is T28th.

The Lancers (5.5) and Lady Mavs (4.9) are both in the national top-25 for blocks per game at 12th and 25th. Tarleton State is T47 at 4.2.

Utah Tech’s Chardonay Hartley is T33 for assists per game at 5.1. CBU’s Filipa Barros is T58 at 4.6. Utah Valley’s Cambree Blackham is just inside the top-100 at 4.2 (T91).

CBU’s Emma Johansson is 3rd nationally in Blocks per Game at 2.74 with UT Arlington’s Kira Reynolds not far behind at 2.37 (9th). Tarleton State’s Elodie Lutbert is 18th at 2.07 and Utah Tech’s Lauren Crocker is T32 at 1.75.

Barros is T21 in double-doubles with 14. Southern Utah’s Ava Uhrich and Brooklyn Fely have 10 double-doubles and are T50 nationally.

Payton Hull is T38 in scoring at 18.5 points per game.

Uhrich is T28 in rebounds per game at 9.9 with Barros T36 at 9.8.

In Steals per Game, Blackham is 27th at 2.79 with Barros T31 at 2.74, Hull 32nd at 2.71, Halle Nelson at 2.5 (T52), and Saige Gibb at 2.33 (T76).

Utah Valley’s Amanda Barcello is 24th in 3-point percentage at 41.46%.

Barcello is also 42nd in free throw percentage at 86% with Tarleton State’s Gia Adams 53rd at 85.06%. Souhern Utah’s Sierra Chambers is just inside the top-100 (T96th) at 82.76%.

Home Teams finish the regular season with impressive winning mark:

Home teams completed the triple-round robin with a 40-23 mark in this final campaign of the WAC.

CBU led the WAC with nine road wins, accounting for 39.1% of wins by visiting teams.

WACVegas Broadcast Crews Announced:

Broadcast crews for this year’s WAC women’s basketball tournament have been announced.

Calling the final on Saturday, March 14 from Orleans Arena will be Krista Blunk, returning for a second straight year as Play by Play voice, and Layshia Clarendon (former Cal Golden Bear who played in the WNBA for 13 years). ESPNU has the championship game with a 12:30 P.M. Pacific Time tipoff.

Handling the rounds leading to Saturday’s final will be Chris Mycoskie (one of a rotating stable of PxP voices calling Lady Mavs women’s basketball this year) and Brandi Poole (former UT Arlington analyst who is currently a WNBA assistant with the Atlanta Dream but previously called Lady Mavs games while a Dallas Wings assistant).

Women’s Basketball Postseason Tournament Primer:

For those folks new to women’s basketball there are three or four (depending on if the WBI is held) national postseason tournaments teams can go to.

In Las Vegas this week the WAC will determine its automatic representative to the NCAA tournament.

Also available for teams to play in are the WBIT (another NCAA operated championship), WNIT (operated by Triple Crown Sports), and WBI (operated by Sport Tours International).

WBIT:

The regular season champion of every Division I conference (as determined by their tie-breaking protocol) that does not win their tournament earns a bid to this tournament. The remainder of the 32-team field is filled with at-large entries. As the regular season champion, CBU has the WAC’s automatic bid if they were to fall in WACVegas.

If the Lancers advance to the NCAA tournament the WAC’s auto-bid is returned to the at-large pool.

Games are played at campus venues until the Final Four. Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas serves as the Final Four host this year.

WNIT:

This is a 64-team tournament that gives an automatic bid to the highest ranked team in each conference not selected for either the NCAA or WBIT fields. Last year the WAC got four teams (ACU, UT Arlington, UVU, and Tarleton State into this field). Three won an opening round game with ACU making a run all the way to the Super 16.

ACU has the WAC automatic bid if they do not prevail in WACVegas based on their runner-up regular season finish with CBU in the WBIT.

The WNIT takes at-large entries based on the following criteria…

A. An overall record of .500% or better

-Teams may ask for consideration if they are under this threshold, providing they have a minimum of 13 wins against Division I opponents and finished between 1-120 in the NET.

Southern Utah and Utah Valley have enough wins over Division I opponents to meet the 13-win threshold but are outside of the 120 NET number as of Monday morning.

Games are played at campus venues.

WBI:

CBU won the WBI in 2023 with Grace Schmidt earning Most Outstanding Player honors, defeating New Mexico State in Transylvania, Kentucky. The 2024 edition was cancelled after tournament operators were unable to fill a field, with UT Arlington having qualified and 2025’s tournament was not held. If this tournament is held it’s an 8-team tournament that guarantees three games in bracket play.

Six games in three days to determine the final Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball representative to next week’s NCAA tournament. That’s the road that will begin on Wednesday afternoon from Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Let’s take a look at the bracket and some storylines for each team.

Chris Mycoskie and Brandie Poole will have the call for all games through Friday’s semifinals with Krista Blunk and Layshia Clarendon jumping in for the championship game.

G1: UT Arlington v Utah Tech, Wednesday, 3 P.M. Pacific (ESPN+)

All three games in the season series were decided by ten points or less, including a double-overtime thriller on February 5 at the College Park Center.

Scoring Offense: Trailblazers 6th (63.21 PPG), Lady Mavs 7th (60.77 PPG)

Scoring Defense: Trailblazers 6th (67.32 PPG), Lady Mavs 7th (67.57 PPG)

FG% Defense: Trailblazers 2nd (38.0%), Lady Mavs 4th (39.4%)

3-point% Defense: Lady Mavs 1st (27.5%), Trailblazers 2nd (30.3%)

For Utah Tech, the big question is who will support Kaylee Borden as a second or third scoring option? Borden, a Nevada transfer, has been on a tear over the last eight games…averaging 19.1 points per game. That includes a 29-point outburst on February 18 in a 60-58 win over the Lady Mavs.

Brie Crittendon has reached double-digit scoring in eight of the last nine games but was held to just six points on February 18, when Utah Tech and UT Arlington last met. Paige Cofer has four straight games in double-digits but scored just five points in that last matchup with the Lady Mavs.

That night, at Burns Arena, Borden was 10-19 FG’s while the rest of the team was 9-34.

The second question is can Utah Tech be more competitive on the glass? On February 18 the Trailblazers were a -16 in total rebounding but scored 23 points off 22 UT Arlington turnovers to prevail 60-58.

One has to wonder if Utah Tech would be in this game for a second straight year with a fully healthy side? Maddie and Macie Warren along with all-freshman team selection Ellie Taylor have been out for all or portions of the season with season ending injuries. That’s roughly 40 points per game missing from a Trailblazer side averaging 63.21 points a contest.

For UT Arlington the first question has to be about ball security and offense.

The Lady Mavs have turned it over 20+ times in four of their last five regular season contests, including 27 against Utah Valley and 22 against ACU. On Saturday, in the regular season finale, 22 giveaways led to 38 Wildcat points…which included a 12-0 ACU run to start the game.

They were last in the conference in scoring offense during WAC play…failing to reach 60 points in half of their regular season contests and recording just one win in those games.

Then, can they defend well enough to advance?

During this seven-game losing streak the Lady Mavs have allowed opponents to shoot 175-399 (43.9%) and 48-136 (35.3%) from 3-point range while scoring 71.0 points per game.

Utah Tech shot 24-79 (30.4%) from 3-point range in the three regular-season matchups and 62-168 (36.9%) in total.

G2: Utah Valley v Tarleton State, Thursday, 12 P.M. Pacific, (ESPN+)

Scoring Offense: Texans 5th (65.14 PPG), Wolverines 6th (63.83 PPG)

Scoring Defense: Wolverines 2nd (60.59 PPG), Texans 3rd (65.07 PPG)

FG% Defense: Texans 3rd (39.3%), Wolverines 6th (41.7%)

3-pt% Defense: Texans 5th (32.4%), Wolverines 7th (34.9%)

Utah Valley swept the season series and has won five of the last six games, dating back to March 2024.

Only one of the three games this year was an under 10-point margin of victory, a 70-67 Wolverine victory at Lockhart Arena on January 29.

It starts with ball security for the Texans, who recorded 20+ turnovers against UVU in all three regular-season matchups. Those giveaways led to a total of 75 Wolverine points across the series.

Amanda Barcello has had an all-WAC caliber year for UVU so far, averaging 14.1 points per game while shooting just under 42% from 3-point range. Who will the Wolverines X-Factor be in this matchup? Cambree Blackham’s offensive game has gotten much better, reaching double-digit scoring in seven of the final nine games in regular season play. Kaylee Headrick has been in double-digit scoring three times down the stretch and Halle Nelson has also had a pair of double-digit performances in scoring.

Good news for the Wolverines as Tessa Chaney returned last week after missing a month and a half due to injury. Gracie Sorenson has filled in quite capably for Chaney, with four games of eight or more points.

UVU’s turnovers forced numbers have tapered off a bit down the stretch, as they haven’t had a game with 20+ forced giveaways in about a month. If the Texans can handle Utah Valley’s myriad defensive pressures and keep turnovers to a minimum they’ll have a chance to win this game.

After a slow start to the season, Jakoriah Long has found her stride offensively…with nine out of 10 games in double-digit scoring. That includes four games of 20+ points.

Can the Texans get Long, Gia Adams, and Elodie Lutbert or Shadasia Brackens with solid offensive performances on the same day is the question?

Adams closed with consecutive games in double-digit scoring while Lutbert had a double-double in the senior night loss against CBU.

The other question for Tarleton State is how they handle the seven days off since the Texans had that bye on the final day of regular season play?

Storylines for the Top-3 seeds:

1. CBU: Can the Lancers remain perfect in WAC play away from Fowler Events Center and in the process earn a third tournament title?

When the year started if you were going to say that anyone would run the table in conference road games I’m not sure if I’d have believed it.

That’s exactly what CBU did during the regular season, winning their nine road games by an average of 7.3 points per game…which included a 2-0 mark in overtime games.

With a double-bye in hand, the Lancers will begin their tournament quest on Friday afternoon against either Utah Valley or Tarleton State.

The Lancers went 3-0 against Tarleton State with wins by 12, 10, and nine points. CBU won in Orem by 10 points in their lone visit with Shawnee Nordstrom connecting on seven 3-pointers. In Riverside, the Lancers won by 31 and then lost by two in mid-February as a late rally came up short.

In the Orleans Arena, CBU is 7-3 over five tournament appearances.

There are three players on the current roster with ties to the 2024 championship team that defeated SFA in Filipa Barros, Khloe Lemon, and Grace Schmidt. Barros and Schmidt did not play in that game due to injuries while Lemon connected on a 3-pointer and logged 14 minutes of playing time.

In the 2023 final (a loss to Southern Utah) Schmidt scored 10 points with a pair of rebounds in 17 minutes of work. Barros was scoreless in 25 minutes of playing time.

CBU has access to postseason basketball next week through either the NCAA tournament (with two more wins) or the WBIT (as regular season champion).

2. ACU: Can the Wildcats get past the Vegas curse?

It’s been one and done for the Wildcats these last three years at WACVegas.

In 2023, the Wildcats had a double-digit lead and then fell by a point to Sam Houston State at Michelob Arena.

In 2024, Tarleton State’s defense held the Wildcats to 41 points in a 13-point loss at Orleans Arena, also in the quarterfinal round.

And a year ago, Amanda Barcello and Tahlia White combined to go 10-13 from 3-point range as Utah Valley defeated ACU 85-75 in a quarterfinal matchup.

Payton Hull, Emma Troxell, and Breanna Davis were part of both of those losses while Natalia Chavez and Erin Woodson played on last year’s side that lost to UVU in their opening game.

If that weren’t motivation enough, ACU had regular-season champion CBU on the ropes twice at Moody Coliseum…only to fall on a late Khloe Lemon 3-pointer in the first home game and a Filipa Barros 3-point barrage in overtime on Senior Night.

You can bet the Wildcats would love nothing more than to earn another shot at CBU on Saturday afternoon.

In order to do that, they’ll have to get by either UT Arlington, Utah Tech, or Southern Utah. ACU swept UT Arlington and Utah Tech (although their last couple of games against the Trailblazers were games decided by ten points or less). Southern Utah took two of three games in Cedar City, both by ten points or less.

As the No. 2 seed ACU would only need to win two games to get back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019. The Wildcats do have access to postseason basketball, either as the WAC’s NCAA tournament representative (by winning this week in Las Vegas) or in the WNIT as an automatic selection.

3. SUU: Can the TBirds get back on track defensively after a three game losing streak to end the regular season?

The finish to regular season play wasn’t at all what Tracy Mason and company were looking for with a shot at the regular season title in their hands.

Southern Utah went 0-3 on the final road trip, dropping games at Utah Tech, CBU, and Utah Valley by an average of 18 points a game.

Defense has been the issue for Southern Utah. Opponents are shooting a combined 96-204 (47.1%) from the field in their last three games, which includes 22-63 (34.9%) from 3-point range.

If they can get right on that end of the floor, the TBirds have shown that they have the ability to keep up with the WAC’s top offenses.

Sierra Chambers and Ava Uhrich are having the best years of their careers to-date and Brooklyn Fely has made enough of a splash that she should garner some Newcomer of the Year votes.

Devyn Kiernan, Morgan Triguero, and Kortney Doman have been excellent from 3-point range…combining to make 103 shots from beyond the arc.

Southern Utah would have to win three games in three days to earn a second NCAA tournament berth in four years.

With 16 wins against Division I opponents, Southern Utah can petition for WNIT at-large entry status if they do not prevail this week in Las Vegas. Their NET is outside the 120 mark that is listed on the criteria but we’ll see what Triple Crown officials decided to do if SUU chooses to file.

If you’re building a prototype of a dominant Western Athletic Conference point guard, Trevan Leonhardt probably isn’t the first image that comes to mind.

At 6-foot-5 and 175 pounds, the Utah Valley University starting point guard is wiry. Long. Lanky.

More Nigel Gruff than glossy poster star — all elbows and angles, not much bulk.

The kind of player you glance at during warmups and think, interesting, not dominant.

Then the ball goes up.

For the past two years, Leonhardt has been running the show in Orem, and Utah Valley has followed his lead.

He plays with fearlessness and command that flips every assumption on its head.

He’s fast, in control, mistake-free, and surprisingly explosive when he needs to be.

He leads. He organizes. He does everything — and he does it without ever looking rushed.

That steadiness is a big reason Utah Valley hasn’t lost a home game over the past two seasons with him at the controls.

Leonhardt is 25–0 at the UCCU Center as a starter, a remarkable stretch that reflects not just talent, but trust.

“Yeah, that’s pretty cool, actually,” Leonhardt said recently after Utah Valley won its 24th straight home game on Feb. 7, 2026. “Thinking about how many games I’ve played here now and how many games I’ve won here and we’ve won here lately. It’s pretty sweet.”

Over the last two seasons, the Wolverines have put the offense in his hands, and he has rewarded them with consistency, poise, and winning basketball.

“He’s just an extension of the coaching staff,” head coach Todd Phillips said. “Not only to run our offense, but to read and make plays when plays break down. He knows what we’re trying to do, and when the ball’s in his hands, you kind of know he’s going to make a really good play for you.”

That trust shows up clearly in the numbers.

Leonhardt is averaging 11.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and just over 6 assists per game, anchoring a Utah Valley team that sits at 18–6 overall and 8–3 in WAC play.

He leads the conference with a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, a reflection of how rarely he forces the game.

His 145 assists rank among the league’s best, while his 51 steals — third-most in the WAC — highlight his impact on both ends of the floor.

And yet, the box score still doesn’t fully explain why Utah Valley hums when Leonhardt is on the floor.

“He doesn’t do a lot of things where you’re like, ‘I’ve never seen him do that before,’” Phillips said. “He’s pretty solid in what he does. He’s going to drive you, flip his hips a little bit, make the quick skip, throw the lob to the basket. You kind of know what you’re getting — and that’s a really good decision.”

Leonhardt’s game isn’t built on flash.

It’s built on control.

Over two seasons as the floor general, he has mastered the tempo of games, knowing when to push, when to settle things down, and when to take over.

“What’s interesting about Trev is he checks so many boxes,” Phillips said. “Sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh, he only had six assists,’ but then he hits two huge threes. He rebounds the ball at a high level for a point guard. He steals the ball. Every game, he does a lot for us.”

Leonhardt rebounds like someone bigger than his frame, defends passing lanes with long arms and sharp instincts, and adjusts his role based on what the team needs most on any given night.

One night, he’s the distributor. Next, he’s the scorer. Sometimes, he’s simply the steady hand making sure everything stays connected.

“And we put a lot on his shoulders,” Phillips added. “Sometimes it’s guard and rebound. Sometimes it’s, ‘We need you to score and carry the load.’ And he just keeps answering the bell.

That versatility is why Phillips doesn’t hesitate when asked where Leonhardt stacks up.

“I think he’s the best point guard in the league,” he said. “He’s not the leading scorer, but he’s at the top of almost every category you want your point guard to be involved in.”

Leonhardt may not look the part at first glance.

He’s not built like a bruiser. He doesn’t overwhelm with size. But over the past two years, he has proven that control, confidence, and consistency win games.

And as long as Trevan Leonhardt is running the show at the UCCU Center, Utah Valley keeps winning

.

Before they were assistant coaches, before their names climbed to the top of the Utah Tech Trailblazers record book, Breaunna Gillen and Emily Isaacson, now Chamberlain, after getting married September 20, 2024, were simply competitors who believed in something that didn’t yet fully exist.

Now, they’re back at Utah Tech — not as players rewriting history, but as coaches guarding it.

“It is so much more stressful than being a player,” Gillen admitted with a laugh. “When I was on the court, I could control the game. I could shoot it, defend, and make plays. Now I’m pretty much just watching. I can make adjustments and tell them things, but they’re the ones who have to deal with it. I don’t have control anymore — and that’s the hardest part.”

Chamberlain, who played as recently as last season, sees it from a different angle.

“You don’t really know what your coaches go through until you walk the walk,” she said. “It makes me 100 times more grateful for them. But it’s been cool because we were just in that position. I feel like we can touch them in a way or bond with them in a way because we can relate.”

That relatability matters.

Because no one understands Utah Tech’s rise quite like Gillen and Chamberlain.

Record Holders — and Program Builders

Gillen sits atop Utah Tech’s all-time scoring and assists lists — a rare dual achievement that reflects her ability to both take over games and elevate teammates.

Chamberlain holds the program records for three-pointers made and three-point percentage, the most efficient long-range shooter in school history.

Both scored more than 1,100 career points. Both grabbed more than 500 rebounds. Neither was one-dimensional.

But their legacy is bigger than numbers.

They, alongside Maggie McCord, were foundational pieces during Utah Tech’s transition from Division II to Division I — a leap that requires patience, sacrifice, and belief before wins follow.

“We all made the decision on our own,” Chamberlain said of the trio committing to what was then Dixie State. “But once we were all signed, we were like, we’re a team.”

Gillen remembered the recruiting process vividly.

“JD was one of the only ones who was like, ‘I want you here.’ Other places were kind of like, ‘Maybe we have a spot.’ You want to go where you’re wanted. And he gave me that shot.”

For Chamberlain, it was culture.

“I remember standing in the Burns Arena on my visit and telling my parents, ‘I’m coming here.’ I didn’t commit right then, but I knew. The culture JD creates — it’s family. It’s home away from home. That mattered to me.”

They committed to a vision. And then came the chaos.

Injuries, COVID, and the What-Ifs

The transition years weren’t smooth.

There were injuries — devastating knee injuries that became a recurring theme for the program. There was COVID, which shut down Utah Tech’s first Division I season after just three games.

“It was heartbreaking,” Chamberlain said. “You want to play. That’s why you’re here. And when it gets taken away from you, it’s really hard mentally and emotionally.”

For her, the pain was compounded. She lost significant time to injuries across multiple seasons.

“It was two years in a row where I didn’t really get to play,” she said. “That sucked.”

Gillen’s experience was similar.

“We had made it through preseason — which is the hardest part — and we were finally playing games,” she said. “And then it just gets cut off. It was frustrating. It was sad. But looking back, I think we grew a lot.”

The injuries lingered beyond COVID.

“It feels like a recurring nightmare,” Gillen said. “The what-ifs are always there. But if you get stuck living in that, it’s not the best way. We were proud of how we finished with the circumstances.”

Chamberlain remembers watching from the sideline during one of those injury-plagued seasons.

“I just felt so sad that I couldn’t even help them. I just wanted to give them a break from their minutes. You feel helpless. The only thing I could do was focus on my rehab.”

And yet, even in the what-ifs, growth happened.

“One of JD’s favorite things is he always says we’re going to take a bad situation and flip it on its head,” Chamberlain said. “I feel like we’ve done a good job of that.”

The Breakthrough

The payoff came in 2023.

Utah Tech defeated rival Utah Valley in the WAC Tournament — the program’s first-ever conference tournament win at the Division I level.

For a team that had endured injuries, shutdowns, and skepticism, it was validation.

It wasn’t just a win. It was proof they belonged.

The victory over Utah Valley wasn’t symbolic alone — it was historic. It marked the program’s 19th win of the season, the most in Utah Tech’s Division I era at the time, and it set a new standard for what the Trailblazers could accomplish at the highest level.

The trio of Gillen, Chamberlain, and McCord had carried the program through its transition years. That night felt like arrival — not just emotionally, but statistically and structurally. It raised the bar.

Nineteen wins. A tournament breakthrough. A rivalry statement.

For a program learning how to compete at Division I, that moment didn’t just celebrate progress.

It demanded more.

A year later, the Trailblazers posted their best finish in the WAC, fourth place with a 12-8 mark.

That was good enough for an opening round bye at WAC Vegas before falling against UT Arlington.

Macie Warren missed the last nine games of the year, while Maddie Warren missed that WAC tournament loss after both re-injured their ACLs.

Chamberlain also tore an ACL in the third game of that same season against Jacksonville, as part of the WAC/Conference USA Challenge in Burns Arena.

But still Utah Tech found ways to win, including a historic 92-86 win against Oregon on December 19, 2023, as part of the Trailblazer Classic.

The Trailblazers hit 21 3-pointers.

Gillen posted a triple-double of 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.

McCord hit a record-tying eight 3-pointers in that game, which marked the program’s first victory over a power conference program.

That year, in his WAC Vegas press conference, Gustin said that he’s never seen a team show such resilience in his 20+ years of coaching.

He also said that he wouldn’t be surprised to one day see the jerseys of Breaunna Gillen, Emily Isaacson, and Maggie McCord hanging in the rafters of Burns Arena.

From Teammates to Coaches

Now, they stand on the sideline.

For Chamberlain, the transition from teammate to coach happened almost overnight.

“I was the only senior. It was my sixth year. I already had that leadership role,” she said. “But I was grateful JD gave me the opportunity. And the girls have been cool with it. There’s a mutual respect.”

Gillen nearly went another direction entirely. She was preparing to apply to PA school when the coaching opportunity emerged.

“I had my application ready,” she said. “And then JD called. Basketball is my passion. Nothing compares to it for me.”

The return felt natural.

“The culture here is amazing,” Gillen said. “They welcomed me with open arms.”

They still jump into practice when needed. They still compete. But the lens has changed.

“I’ve never watched this much film in my life,” Chamberlain laughed. “Now I see it so much better. We were joking — we’re like, ‘We’re sorry if we ever messed up a scout.’ Because it takes so much work.”

And that work deepens their appreciation for what they built.

Full Circle

The numbers will always be part of their legacy.

Gillen — all-time leader in scoring and assists, and top-10 in many other categories
Chamberlain — all-time leader in 3-pointers made and percentage, and top-10 in other categories.
Both — 1,100-plus points, 500-plus rebounds.

But their true imprint is cultural.

They committed when the program was still proving itself.

They endured the transition.

They absorbed the heartbreak of injuries.

They delivered the breakthrough — a 19-win season and the first Division I tournament victory in school history.

Now, they teach the next generation how to handle the same adversity.

They understand what it feels like to sit helplessly with an injury.

They understand the pressure of Division I expectations.

They understand what it takes to flip a bad situation on its head.

Most of all, they understand Utah Tech.

Because they didn’t just play here.

They built it.

Barros is in her fourth season in Riverside and has battled back from a knee injury that knocked her out of the 2024-25 season.

The Lancers sit in first place atop the WAC standings with a two-game lead over ACU.

By the time Southern Utah’s Jaiden Feroah steps onto the floor at the America First Event Center, most of the work is already done.

The walkthrough is over. The locker room has settled. The crowd hasn’t fully arrived yet.

And somewhere on the court, before things turn loud and official, Feroah is already competing.

“It’s become a little bit of a pregame ritual for us,” he said.

That ritual doesn’t involve a coach or a teammate.

Instead, it’s a shooting contest with Southern Utah broadcaster Spencer McLaughlin — a familiar voice around the program and a constant presence on game days.

First to make five shots. Sometimes best of five. Sometimes best of seven.

No prize. Just rhythm.

A Routine That Says More Than It Should

The routine started naturally.

After the team’s game-day walkthrough, Feroah heads out to grab his meal. McLaughlin stays behind to get shots up. When Feroah returns, they meet on the court.

“He’ll stay down and get warm, and I’ll go get my meal,” Feroah said. “Then I’ll come back, and we’ll go first to make five.”

It’s competitive, but relaxed.

Serious, but fun.

And it’s one of those small, in-between moments that says a lot about both the player and the program.

“He’s actually a pretty good shooter,” Feroah said. “He’s given me a run for my money a couple of times.”

More than anything, it’s part of how Feroah eases into game mode — a bridge between preparation and performance.

Getting Comfortable in Cedar City

Feroah carries himself with an easy confidence.

There’s competitiveness there, but no ego.

Even when the conversation drifts away from basketball, that honesty shows up.

After a recent round of golf, he didn’t sugarcoat the results.

“It wasn’t my best showing,” he said with a laugh. “But that’s to be expected. I had a couple of months off.”

A Utah native from Draper, Feroah has found comfort playing in-state, especially with family able to attend games regularly.

“I obviously love that my family gets to show up to the games,” Feroah said. “That’s probably the biggest thing for me. Having them close and being able to see them in the stands means a lot.”

But Cedar City itself has surprised him.

“Utah is a beautiful place,” he said. “Cedar City, the red rocks are incredible. And because there’s not much going on here, the community is pretty close.”

That closeness shows up quickly.

“Anytime we’re in public, people are like, ‘Hey, nice game the other night,’” he said. “Everybody’s been super great.”

At Southern Utah, players don’t fade into the background. They’re part of the town.

Rivalries You Feel Immediately

One thing Feroah didn’t fully understand before arriving was just how intense Southern Utah’s rivalry with Utah Tech would be.

“I had no idea, really,” he admitted.

After two road games in St. George, he gets it now.

“It’s pretty intense,” he said. “That second one, the atmosphere was pretty incredible. There was a sea of white in their student section.”

Even with Utah Tech taking both matchups so far, Feroah already has his eye on the return game in Cedar City.

“I love hostile environments,” he said. “But when they come here, I hope we pack the place out. We definitely gotta get ’em.”

A Night You Don’t Forget

Not every lesson this season came in a rivalry setting.

One game — a historically lopsided loss at Gonzaga in November — forced the team to confront something entirely different.

“That was a first for I think all of us,” Feroah said. “We talked about it afterward and realized we might’ve made history for the worst Division I loss this year.”

The Zags shot nearly 70 percent from the field in the 72-point win on Nov. 17 in Spokane.

Foul trouble piled up. The margin ballooned.

“I’d never won by 70 and I’d never lost by 70,” he said. “So that was a very unique experience.”

The game felt surreal — like a slow spiral.

“You think things are going well, then something goes wrong,” Feroah said. “And then you’re deeper and deeper in. That’s what it felt like.”

It wasn’t a moment to run from, just one to absorb.

Wednesday Nights at the Bowling Alley

Life in Cedar City means finding your own fun, and for Feroah and a group of teammates, that’s meant bowling.

“Earlier in the fall, we heard about this bowling league on Wednesday nights,” he said. “So me, Kai (Burdick), Isaiah (Cottrell), and Tanner (Hayhurst) formed a team.”

Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 now belong to the Cedar Bowling Alley.

“When we started, we weren’t great,” Feroah said. “But now we’re formidable opponents.”

It’s a small detail, but it fits.

Competition doesn’t shut off — it just changes lanes.

Where He Is, Right Now

As the season moves forward, Feroah isn’t focused on defining what comes next. He’s focused on where he is — the routines, the rivalries, the town, the people.

Sometimes that means Wednesday nights at the bowling alley.

Sometimes it means walking through town and talking hoops with fans.

And sometimes, before the building fills and the game truly begins, it means five made shots against the broadcaster who knows his game as well as anyone.

No crowd.
No spotlight.
Just preparation — before the lights come on.

Six weeks down and four to go until the regular season concludes and all eyes turn towards WACVegas for one last time. Before we get to that point however, there’s still a round and a half of regular season play left.

Let’s take a look at the week that was, the week ahead, some bracketology just past the halfway point, the national stat leaderboards and more in this week’s edition of the WAC Hoops Nation Women’s Basketball Weekly Notebook.

WAC Players and Teams on the NCAA Leaderboards:

»Note: rankings are as of Tuesday morning…

Utah Valley (26.05) and ACU (22.33) remain in the national top-20 for turnovers forced at fourth and 16th respectively. Both are also in the top-25 for steals per game with Utah Valley recording 16.0 a game (2nd) and ACU posting 11.8 (T22nd).

CBU and Southern Utah continue to be just outside of the top-75 for assists per game as a team at 15.0, which is T76.

The Lancers are also T10th in blocks per game as a team at 5.6. UT Arlington is T21 at 5.0, Tarleton State is T43 at 4.3, Southern Utah is T47 at 4.2.

At 36.9% opponent field goal shooting, CBU is ranked 35th and leading the WAC. They are the lone WAC defense in the top-75 nationally for this category.

ACU is the lone WAC offense inside the top-100 for field goal shooting percentage at 92nd (43.13%).

Southern Utah continues to be inside the top-20 for rebounding margin at a +9.3 per game, good for T16th nationally. The TBirds are also 12th in total rebounding at 42.78 per game. CBU is also 24th at 42.04 a game.

The Wildcats are T46th in scoring defense at 58.4 points per game and the lone WAC squad in the top-50. They are also 37th in scoring margin at +14.8 and 71st in points per game at 73.2.

UT Arlington is fifth in the country for 3-point percentage defense at 25.2%.

Utah Valley is 12th in turnover margin at +7.77 while ACU is 14th at +7.38.

CBU’s Emma Johansson maintains the national lead in total blocks at 69 while UT Arlington’s Kira Reynolds is seventh at 63. Johansson and Reynolds continue to remain second and fourth in blocks per game at 2.88 and 2.74 per game.

The Lancers’ Filipa Barros is T24 for double-doubles at 10.

Two WAC players are in the top-75 for free throw percentage in Utah Valley’s Amanda Barcello (56th, 85.51%) and Southern Utah’s Sierra Chambers (61st, 84.96%)

Southern Utah’s Ava Uhrich is T25 for rebounds per game at 10.0 while Barros is T40 at 9.4.

In Steals per Game there are currently four players within the top-50. Utah Valley’s Cambree Blackham and Saige Gibb are 33rd and T36th respectively at 2.77 and 2.73 per game. Barros is 34th at 2.75 per game and ACU’s Payton Hull is T39 at 2.71.

CBU’s Lauren Olsen enters the top-50 for 3-point percentage at 40.5% (42nd) with Barcello at 83rd (37.98%). Barcello is also 46th in 3-pointers per game at 2.58.

Home Teams Continue Dominant Season in WAC Play:

Home teams are currently 27-12 (.692%) on the year in WAC play after a 5-2 showing last week.

That includes UT Arlington coming away with a double-overtime win against Utah Tech on Thursday and a overtime win against Utah Valley on Saturday afternoon.

CBU continues to lead the league with six road wins through Saturday afternoon’s play.

There have also been three overtime or double-overtime games so far this year.

Wild Saturday:

Of the 15 game days and six weeks so far in this 2026 WAC Women’s Basketball season last Saturday was the wildest of the lot.

All three games were decided by one possession with an overtime at the College Park Center as UT Arlington rallied from 11 points down with about four minutes left to force overtime and eventually defeat Utah Valley.

At Moody Coliseum, Khloe Lemon hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from the right wing with 14 seconds left to give CBU a 74-71 win that kept the Lancers with sole possession of first place in the conference standings. CBU rallied from a nine point deficit after three quarters by outscoring ACU 25-13 in the game’s final stanza.

And at the EECU Center, Tarleton State rallied from an early 18-point deficit to defeat Southern Utah 59-57. It was the largest comeback in Tarleton State’s Division I era and Elodie Lutbert hit the game winner with 55 seconds left to play.

Bracketology:

As of Tuesday morning ESPN’s Charlie Creme has CBU projected as a No. 16 seed, playing UCLA in Los Angeles for a second time in three years.

Megan Gauer of Her Hoop Stats continues to project ACU as the WAC representative, despite CBU’s two game lead, and has the Wildcats playing LSU in Baton Rouge.

Weekly Awards:

It was a Texas sweep of the weekly awards as Tarleton State’s Elodie Lubert was named WAC Newcomer of the Week while ACU’s Payton Hull earned Player of the Week honors.

Both Hull and Lubert led their teams to 2-1 weeks as the Texans and Wildcats had to play a makeup game on Tuesday, rescheduled from January 24 as a result of weather.

Lubert recorded back-to-back double-doubles on Tuesday and Thursday against ACU (16 points/13 rebounds) and CBU (15 points/13 rebounds. She also connected on the final shot of Saturday’s 59-57 win against the TBirds.

Meanwhile, Hull had back-to-back 25+ point performances in a pair of Wildcat wins over Tarleton State and Utah Valley at Moody Coliseum. She continues to lead the race for overall WAC scoring champion and also has the most 20+ point performances with 10 so far.

It’s Lubert’s first Newcomer of the Week honor while Hull wins Player of the Week for the second time this year. They are the seventh and ninth different winners of the awards this year.

Standings:

California Baptist University 16-8 Overall, 10-1 WAC

Abilene Christian University 17-7 Overall, 8-3 WAC

Southern Utah University 15-8 Overall, 7-4 WAC

Tarleton State University 12-11 Overall, 6-6 WAC

UT Arlington 10-13 Overall, 4-7 WAC

Utah Valley 10-12 Overall, 3-8 WAC

Utah Tech 6-15 Overall, 1-10 WAC

The Week Ahead:

Thursday, February 12, 2026»

6 P.M. MT Utah Tech at Utah Valley (As a reminder this game will not be broadcasted as a result of the WAC lawsuit against Utah Valley for failure to pay exit fees)

6 P.M. PT Southern Utah at CBU

6 P.M. CT Abilene Christian at UT Arlington

Idle: Tarleton State

Saturday, February 14, 2026»

1 P.M. PT: Utah Tech at CBU

2 P.M. CT: ACU at Tarleton State

6:30 P.M. CT: UT Arlington at Southern Utah

Idle: Utah Valley

“Isn’t this crazy?”

That was ACU head coach Brette Tanner’s first words to me before tip-off at the UCCU Center on Thursday night.

You all know what he is talking about because we have all had similar reactions to this mess between Utah Valley University and the Western Athletic Conference.

So, from all of us following along, UVU fans, basketball fans, and so many more…let me spell it out for both parties.

GET YOUR SH*^ TOGETHER!

Whatever the reason, the adults in the room are causing immense harm to the so-called student-athletes they say they are looking out for.

Yet, one side is holding out on paying an exit fee that has some significant consequences.

The other side believes it is upholding its bylaws by enforcing a rule that impacts the student-athletes more than anything.

Matt Brown at Extra Points stated that in all the years he has covered college athletics, he couldn’t recall the extreme measure the WAC took on Thursday night in removing a Utah Valley home game from its broadcast schedule.

“Maybe it’s happened before, but I can’t recall any time since I started covering college sports professionally that a conference has straight up taken a team off TV during a realignment battle.”

The social media reaction was nearly one-sided when the WAC put out a statement by Commissioner Rebekah Ray.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Here is a gallery of some of the quote tweets since initially the WAC turned off the replies.

Yes, you can see that it turned into quite the circus.

Removing Utah Valley from its broadcast schedule doesn’t just hurt the Wolverines; it hurts the Abilene Christian men’s basketball team, too. What’s worse is that both teams had NOTHING to do with the decision of the adults in the room.

Now, some people all over social media were screaming to ‘let the student-athletes play’.

Well, the student-athletes did play. In fact, both Utah Valley basketball teams played.

While the men’s team played at home at the UCCU Center, the women played at Abilene Christian.

So, we can’t say that the WAC didn’t let the student-athletes play.

It did.

Unfortunately, that statement of letting the student-athletes play could become a real issue if this crap show between the league and its long-time member isn’t resolved by Feb. 27. That is the date the WAC Indoor Track & Field Championships begin in Spokane, Washington.

If this issue isn’t resolved by that time, per what the WAC has posted, the Utah Valley student-athletes won’t be able to compete for a WAC championship.

So, who is to blame for this mess?

I am going to go out on a limb and say both are to blame for this mess.

First, Utah Valley.

Whatever the reason is that you gave for telling the WAC, when you made the announcement you were leaving to join the Big West, that you weren’t going to pay the exit fee, perhaps you should have known the WAC would come after you as it has and had a plan in place so your student-athletes weren’t in jeopardy of not competing for WAC championships.

Whatever the beef is that you want to continue to stand on and feel a moral superiority, let it go…for now.

Take the plunge, pay the exit fee, and stop putting your student-athletes at risk because of your pride or whatever other reason you have.

Once you pay that exit fee, perhaps then revisit the significant issues you feel are at hand.

As long as you stand your ground, the worse this could get, and not just from a PR standpoint but from a financial standpoint, as well.

Your reasons may be justified. And perhaps you take the WAC to court on those reasons.

But don’t let those reasons ruin opportunities for your student-athletes to compete for championships.

Second, the Western Athletic Conference.

You have stated time and time again through the lawsuit and the social media post about Thursday night’s broadcast news that you are “open to discussion should Utah Valley University seek to resolve this matter.”

If that is the case, then you should be open to the fact that the ones truly being hurt here are the student-athletes.

By-laws aside, if you are in negotiations with Utah Valley admins on how to resolve this issue, then withholding home games from being broadcast, eliminating anything Utah Valley-related from your social media/marketing content, should not happen.

This is a school that has stuck around for 12 years. It is the only school remaining from the original group of schools dating back to 2013-14.

EVERY other school from the time Utah Valley joined the WAC has LEFT already.

Utah Valley stayed loyal to you over that time. It had other opportunities. It could have gone elsewhere. But, it CHOSE to stay in the Western Athletic Conference.

Here is something to consider.

First, the WAC is down to 7 teams in 2025-26 after hitting a high of 13 in 2021-22 in men’s basketball.

It means six other teams have left, and one that initially agreed to join the WAC reneged on its commitment. So, technically, 14 teams.

If we are being honest, the WAC hasn’t done anything to solidify the league since 2021-22. There were 13 teams that season. That number in men’s basketball stayed the same the following year. Then, the number went to 11 in 2023-24, then it went to nine in 2024-25, and now it is at seven.

So, Utah Valley made a choice. The same choice as CBU, GCU, UTRGV, SFA, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, and Seattle U, among others.

Yes, all of those schools paid an exit fee. CBU just paid its exit fee ahead of the Feb. 1 deadline.

Why punish ONE school that made the same choice as others? If you want to go after them for not paying the exit fee, then sue them for the exit fee.

But, don’t say you are for the student-athletes when the student-athletes are the ones who will be hurt the most by this situation.

Should Utah Valley pay the exit fee as put forth in the by-laws? Absolutely.

Should the WAC allow Utah Valley home games to be broadcast? Absolutely.

Is this a petty shit show between the adults in the room? ABSOLUTELY.

Figure it out. And figure it out QUICKLY.

All you’re doing is hurting the student-athletes.

Look to your left. Then look to your right.

One of the people you look at will be affected by cancer at some point in their lifetime.

Specifically, when it comes to breast cancer.

The rate is one out of every eight women, according to statistics provided by the American Cancer Society.

For Tarleton State’s Caroline Lyles, that one person was her late mother Donna, who passed away in 2019 after a battle with breast cancer.

Lyles missed her last two Play4Kay games last year, recovering from an ACL injury, and is looking forward to the opportunity to take the floor on Thursday evening against league leader CBU.

“I’m motivated every night to go out there and play for my mom, but Thursday definitely will have more meaning considering I’ve missed the last couple of Play4Kay games,” Lyles said. “I may get a little bit teary-eyed during the pregame announcements (and did last year at Toledo), but it’s so inspiring to look into the crowd and see those folks who are fighting or have won their battle, and it definitely puts things into perspective.”

Donna Lyles practiced family law and imparted several lessons on a young Caroline, specifically when it came to academics and work/career balance.

“I’m learning now that I need to put my family first as she did,” Caroline said. “My mom was also big on the academic side of student-athlete and was always there with study tips and skills that I’ve taken into college and still use to this day. She also taught my sister and I a ton about how to battle adversity in her battle.”

Caroline credits her dad, James, with stepping into the void and taking on the mother role for her and her siblings.

“I think mothers have a certain way of going about things that he picked up on and was able to provide me with the same love and comfort she did,” Caroline said.

“Any time it came to emotions, I went to mom,” Caroline continued. “But I’ve become more and more comfortable in talking with my dad about everything because he didn’t want me to go through certain things by myself.”

James and the rest of the Lyles family will be in attendance Thursday night at the EECU Center in their usual spot, rooting Caroline and the Texans on.

We also inherit certain things from our parents, and one thing Caroline inherited from Donna was a love for the beach.

“We’d spend a lot of time in Florida and California on the beaches with her, enjoying a book on the sand while we ran around,” Caroline reminisced. “I’ve become a little bit of a beach fanatic as a result of those experiences.”

Lyles was highly complimentary of head coach Bill Brock and staff for being so bought into their players on and off the floor.

“I’ve never had a staff that has been so bought into you personally and that will just pull you aside to see if you’re doing ok,” Caroline added. “That’s one of the most important things for someone in college.”

Caroline gives a lot of credit to the Director of Operations, Ashleigh DeBoue, in particular, one person in the program she feels really comfortable with.

“She’s that person who will just pull you aside and ask you if you’re doing ok or if you just want to talk. It’s really special to have that.”

Thursday’s game between CBU and Tarleton State in Stephenville is the first of three Play4Kay games across the WAC this week. On Saturday afternoon, the Utah Valley at UT Arlington game has also been designated a Play4Kay matchup.

Also, Saturday afternoon’s CBU at ACU matchup from Moody Coliseum has been designated as a Hoops for a Hope game. The Wildcats will be donning a pink jersey for that game.

Give it a listen.

The friendly confines of the UCCU Center.

Rally the Valley.

Home Sweet Home.

PROTECT THE DEN!

It’s a phrase you see all over the UCCU Center on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

It’s a perfect phrase in every sense, especially over the last year and a half. Specifically, since March 2, 2024.

That is the last time the Utah Valley men’s basketball team lost a game at the UCCU Center, inside The Den.

Yes, UT Arlington came to Orem, and walked out of the UCCU Center with a 78-65 win over the Wolverines.

And that is where the story continues.

Since 2021-22, Utah Valley is 57-7 at the UCCU Center.

“I’d say it is the altitude,” Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips said after the Wolverines won against Weber State on Dec. 17.

The Wolverines went 11-2 and 14-1 in Mark Madsen’s final two seasons as head coach in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

One of those 14 wins in 2022-23 was in the NIT Elite 8 over Cincinnati in front of the biggest crowd of the season.

Following Madsen’s departure following the NIT Final Four loss to UAB, Todd Phillips took over, and the Wolverines have continued the winning ways inside their home arena.

In Phillips’ first season as head coach in 2023-24, the Wolverines went 10-4 at the UCCU Center.

Utah Valley followed that up, going a perfect 12-0 at the UCCU Center in 2024-25, helping the Wolverines capture a second WAC regular season title in three years.

Some may say the winning streak is inflated due to playing multiple non-Division I opponents at the UCCU Center each season.

It is true.

Utah Valley doesn’t have the money to buy home games, so it makes it challenging to get high-quality home games.

Thus, the reason the Wolverines have to schedule two or three non-Division I games per season.

However, there have been some high-quality wins at the UCCU Center, outside of WAC games.

“I think we have a really good feel at home,” Phillips said. “Our guys shoot it well. I think the confines of that help us. Obviously, our crowd behind us is huge.”

In 2021-22, the Wolverines knocked off then-12th-ranked BYU in front of a sellout crowd at the UCCU Center.

In 2022-23, there was the win over Cincinnati in the NIT Elite 8.

In 2024-25, there was a 29-point win over UTEP in the WAC/Conference USA Scheduling Alliance.

Utah Valley also has a win over Weber State at the UCCU Center during the 2022-23 season.

And thus far in 2025-26, Utah Valley is a perfect 10-0 with wins over mid-major foes UC Irvine, Idaho State, and Weber State.

Along with those non-conference wins, Utah Valley also has conference wins over CBU, UT Arlington, Utah Tech, and Southern Utah.

Here are the seven losses at the UCCU Center since 2021-22.

ACU - Dec. 30, 2021 - Wildcats opened their WAC tenure with an 80-76 win.

GCU - Feb. 10, 2022 - Jovan Blacksher Jr. and Holland Woods couldn’t be stopped in the 79-69 win.

Seattle U - Jan. 14, 2023 - another barn burner between the Wolverines and Redhawks with the Redhawks pulling out the 85-80 win.

Liberty - Dec. 20, 2023 - Flames just threw a fireball at the Wolverines in a 79-63 win in the WAC/Conference USA Scheduling Alliance

GCU - Feb. 3, 2024 - WAC regular season champs just took it to the Wolverines in an 86-67 blowout win.

Tarleton State - Feb. 8, 2024 - Texans picked up a big road win to stay within contention of the WAC regular season title as part of a 25-win season.

UT Arlington - March 2, 2024 - Mavs ended Utah Valley’s home season with a 78-65 win.

Did you notice something? Out of those seven losses, only one was to a non-conference foe. Liberty is a member of Conference USA.

The rest are from WAC foes.

However, since that loss to UT Arlington on March 2, 2024, Utah Valley has not lost a home game at the UCCU Center.

“You start to get a little swagger to that, right? Don’t lose at home,” Phillips said. “I think the guys accept that mantra; they like that mantra, so they absorb it.”

Currently, in 2025-26, Utah Valley is averaging over 83 points per game against Division I opponents at the UCCU Center.

In its win over Utah Tech on Jan. 10, the Wolverines scored 61 points in the second half and shot 65 percent from the field after the break in a 92-76 win.

“I think a lot of it’s confidence,” Phillips said. “One, we don’t get a lot of home games, so just to win those, I think that’s huge. It bolsters guys coming off the bench; they just play better at home.”

The UCCU Center doesn’t sell out on a regular basis for Utah Valley men’s basketball home games.

The student section isn’t like the GCU Havocs or The Hurd at Utah State.

But for Utah Valley, that’s okay.

The loyal Wolverine fans who show up on Thursday nights and Saturday afternoons to Protect The Den make a difference.

At least it has for 22 straight home games, fifth-longest home win streak in Division I basketball.

Protect The Den.

A simple, yet profound statement.

Last week marked the halfway point of conference play.

CBU has the lead in the race for the regular season title with ACU and Southern Utah in hot pursuit.

And Tarleton State has given themselves a little bit of separation from Utah Valley, UT Arlington, and Utah Tech in the race to avoid Wednesday’s opening round game in Las Vegas.

However, there is still a round and a half of play left until the regular season concludes.

Let’s take a look at WAC players and teams on the NCAA leaderboards, the weekly awards, current standings, and what’s ahead in this week’s WAC Hoops Nation Women’s Basketball notebook.

WAC Players/Teams on the NCAA Leaderboard:

Note: All stats as of Monday, February 2, 2026…

Utah Valley and Abilene Christian maintain their top 20 national rankings in turnovers forced per game at fifth (26.70 per game) and 16th (22.70 per game) respectively.

CBU and Southern Utah are T73 in assists per game as a team at 15.2 per game.

The Lancers are also tied for eighth nationally in blocks per game at 5.9 while UT Arlington is T21 at 5.0 per game.

Southern Utah is also in the national top 20 for rebounding margin, sitting T14 at +9.8 per game while Tarleton State is also T57 at +5.6.

Abilene Christian is 36th nationally in scoring margin at +15.9.

The Wildcats and TBirds are both also in the top-75 for scoring offense. ACU is T64 at 73.7 points per game while Southern Utah ranks 66th at 73.4 points per game.

Utah Valley is second in the nation for steals per game at 16.6 while ACU is T20 at 12.0 a contest.

CBU is eighth in 3-pointers attempted per game at 29 while Utah Tech is 18th at 26.8. ACU is also T29th at 25.8. In made 3-pointers per game CBU is T26 at 8.6 while the Trailblazers are T67 at 7.5. ACU is just inside the top-100 at T96, averaging 7.1 made 3-pointers a game.

Utah Valley and ACU are also both top-15 nationally in turnover margin. The Wolverines are 10th at +8.7 a game while ACU is 15th at +7.71 per contest.

CBU’s Filipa Barros continues to stay inside the national top-40 for assists per game at 4.9 (T38). Just outside the top-50 is Utah Tech’s Chardonay Hartley at 4.7 per contest while just inside the top-100 is Utah Valley’s Cambree Blackham at 4.2 (T92).

Emma Johansson has taken the lead in total blocks nationally at 67 and is second nationally at 3.05. Meanwhile, UT Arlington’s Kira Reynolds is T8 in total blocks per game at 56 and seventh in blocks per game at 2.67. Tarleton State’s Elodie Lutbert is T23 in blocks per game at 2.11 and T28 in total blocks at 40.

Barros is also T27 nationally for double-doubles at nine. T49 are the Southern Utah duo of Ava Uhrich and Brooklyn Fely along with Tarleton State’s Shadasia Brackens at seven.

ACU’s Meredith Mayes continues to stay second nationally in field goal percentage at 68.24%.

Southern Utah’s Sierra Chambers and Utah Valley’s Amanda Barcello are T48 in free throw percentage at 85.71%.

ACU’s Payton Hull is the lone WAC women’s basketball player in the top-100 for points per game at 16.9, which is T74.

Uhrich, who last week crossed the career 1,000 point scored mark, also is T22 in rebounds per game at 10.

Barros and Blackham are T30 for total steals at 59 while Saige Gibb is T36 at 58. Blackham is T24 in per game steals at 2.95 with Gibb’s 2.90 mark good for 27th. Barros’ 2.68 steals per game mark is good for 40th.

Barcello is also 27th for 3-point percentage at 41.74%.

Career Milestones:

Southern Utah’s Ava Uhrich crossed the career 1,000 points scored mark in Saturday afternoon’s thrilling win over ACU from the AFEC.

The TBirds Brooklyn Fely and CBU’s Filipa Barros also set new career-highs for scoring on Saturday afternoon, leading their teams to critical wins in the regular season race. Southern Utah visits CBU a week from Thursday.

Tarleton State set a program milestone on Saturday in recording their 1,00th win, dating back to 1968.

Gia Adams set a new career-high in scoring with 25 points in Thursday’s loss at Utah Valley. She is a half-dozen points away from the career 1,500 point mark.

Utah Valley’s Gracie Sorenson also set a new mark for scoring in a Division I game with eight points.

Home Teams Continue Impressive Dominance:

Through five weeks of conference play home teams have continued their impressive dominance, going 4-2 on the week. They are currently 22-10 on the season…pending today’s make-up game between Tarleton State and Abilene Christian from Moody Coliseum.

CBU leads the WAC with four road wins with ACU a game behind in that category after nearly pulling out a win in Cedar City on Saturday.

Home teams are winning their games by an average of 13.3 points per game while visitors are winning by 11.8 points a game so far at the halfway point.

Weekly Awards:

CBU’s Filipa Barros earned Player of the Week honors after a career performance against UT Arlington on Saturday afternoon in a win which kept the Lancers atop the WAC standings with a Texas road trip on tap this week.

She scored 32 points, the new high for points scored by a WAC player this season, connecting on eight 3-pointers and nine total shots from the field in 27 minutes of work. Barros also chipped in eight rebounds, five steals, and a pair of assists in the 83-55 win.

Meanwhile, Southern Utah’s Brooklyn Fely repeated as Newcomer of the Week with a double-double average of 19 points and 11 rebounds in a pair of TBird wins that kept them in the regular season championship race. Fely set new career-highs in both scoring (26 points) and rebounding (17) in a thrilling 71-68 win over ACU from the AFEC. ACU returns to Cedar City in just over three weeks for the final meeting between the two sides.

Barros is the third student-athlete to repeat as Player of the Week so far this year and the ninth different winner of the award.

This is the third selection as Newcomer of the Week for Fely, who trails UT Arlington’s Kira Reynolds by one for the league’s lead.

Standings:

1. CBU 14-8 overall, 8-1 WAC

2. ACU 15-6 overall, 6-2 WAC

3. Southern Utah 15-7 overall, 7-3 WAC

4. Tarleton State 11-9 overall, 5-4 WAC

5. Utah Valley 10-10 overall, 3-6 WAC

6. UT Arlington 8-13 overall, 2-7 WAC

7. Utah Tech 6-14 overall, 1-9 WAC

Wildcats and Texans Embark on Marathon Week:

As a result of snowmagedon, the storm that struck much of the midwest and eastern seaboard, round two of the ACU vs Tarleton State series was postponed to Tuesday, February 3.

It sets up a high-stakes marathon week for both teams in terms of their regular season positioning.

ACU is a game behind in the loss column with CBU visiting Moody Coliseum on Saturday. Before that though they’ll host the Texans and Utah Valley. The Wolverines defeated ACU in Orem by two points in their first matchup. Meanwhile, in Riverside the Wildcats raced out to a 21 point lead and then hung on as CBU made a late run before falling.

Defending home floor is imperative to winning this title as the numbers are showing so far with home teams having a .688% winning percentage so far.

Tarleton State is three games clear of UT Arlington in the race to avoid Wednesday’s opening round at WACVegas. However, the Texans are still in the thick of the race for second place and a bye all the way to Friday’s semifinals. How they handle this week’s marathon could go a long way to determining if they get one or two byes.

CBU visits the EECU Center on Thursday while Utah Valley makes the trip on Saturday from UT Arlington

The Week Ahead:

Tuesday, February 3, 2026»

6 P.M. CT: Tarleton State at Abilene Christian (Originally rescheduled from January 24 and 26)

Thursday, February 5, 2026»

6 P.M. CT: Utah Valley at Abilene Christian University

6:30 P.M. CT: Utah Tech at UT Arlington

7 P.M. CT: California Baptist University at Tarleton State

Idle: Southern Utah

Thursday, February 7, 2026»

1 P.M. CT: California Baptist University at Abilene Christian University

2 P.M. CT: Utah Valley at UT Arlington and Southern Utah at Tarleton State

Idle: Utah Tech

Jon Judkins doesn’t spend much time counting things anymore.

Not wins. He has 635 of them as a head coach. 351 of those have during his tenure as head coach at Utah Tech.

Not seasons. Judkins is in his 33rd season as a head coach dating back to 1992-93 when he began his career at the junior college level at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah.

Not games. 1,003 of them and still going strong.

As he approached his 1,000th career game as a head coach on Jan. 23, 2026, when Utah Tech faced off against California Baptist, the milestone seemed to matter far more to everyone else than it did to him.

He acknowledged it when asked, then shifted the conversation back to preparation—what was coming next, what still needed fixing, what details might decide the next forty minutes.

“I don’t even think about the 1,000 games,” Judkins said. “I don’t think about wins either. I want to win every game I coach, but right now I’m just focused on the next one. When it’s all over, then it’ll be fun to look back.”

That mindset isn’t false humility. It’s habit. After more than three decades on the sideline, Judkins has trained himself to stay forward-facing. Reflection can wait. There’s always another practice, another group of players, another chance to get it right.

It’s the reason he’s still here.

Coaching Wasn’t the Dream — It Became the Work

Judkins didn’t grow up imagining himself as a coach. Like most kids who loved basketball, he wanted to play. Coaching felt distant, almost accidental.

“I never really thought about coaching at all,” he said. “I figured I’d go into sales like my dad. That’s what my brothers were doing. Coaching wasn’t something I planned on.”

College changed that, slowly. At Utah State, basketball became more than a game. Film sessions stretched longer. Conversations went deeper. Coaches talked about preparation and details in ways Judkins hadn’t experienced before.

During his junior year—when he wasn’t playing as much as he hoped—he started paying attention differently.

“I knew I was probably going to coach,” he said. “So I took a notebook and started writing stuff down. I was trying to learn everything I could, trying to understand the game better.”

That instinct—to study, to prepare, to keep learning—never left him. When the chance to play overseas required leaving his wife behind, the path became clearer

“They wanted me to leave my wife at home and go,” he said. “I just wasn’t going to do that.”

His wife Lanette knew it would be tough but considering she had waited for him before, she figured if he had gone to Europe to play, she could handle it.

“I did wait for him while he was on his mission,” Lanette said. “So I think I could have waited while he went to play for a little bit.”

Coaching offered something else: continuity, purpose, and the chance to build something that lasted longer than a contract.

“That really was his choice — not to go overseas — and it was a blessing.”

Staying When Leaving Was Easier

Judkins’ career is defined by a choice he made repeatedly: he stayed.

He stayed 16 years at Snow College.

He stayed through the early uncertainty of Division II basketball at Dixie State, now Utah Tech.

Judkins and the Trailblazers then made the jump to Division I—a transition complicated by COVID, NIL, and a transfer portal that reshaped the profession almost overnight.

“I didn’t want to chase jobs,” Judkins said. “I didn’t want to be one of those guys where every year it’s, ‘Where are you going next?’ I wanted to build something and get it where it needed to be.”

That approach runs against the current of modern coaching, where movement is currency and patience is rare. Judkins understands that reality. He’s watched colleagues bounce from job to job. He’s felt the temptation himself.

But building mattered more.

Especially with his wife Lanette and their four children.

“We haven’t bounced around, and I think that’s made a big difference for our family,” Lanette Judkins said.

Culture, he believes, can’t be rushed. It has to be lived.

The Family Cost No One Talks About

When Judkins talks about longevity, he doesn’t start with strategy. He starts with family.

“Coaches’ wives are special,” he said. “It’s a tough gig. There’s no question. You’re gone a lot. It’s not an eight-to-five job. You’re recruiting, you’re traveling, you’re up late all the time.”

That’s why he talks about his wife, Lanette, with such clarity and appreciation.

“She’s my biggest fan by far,” he said. “She loves the game. She loves the guys. She wants to come to every game. If we’re sitting in a hotel, she wants to watch basketball. She’s completely bought into it.”

That buy-in matters.

Go to a Utah Tech ball game, and you might hear someone whistling from behind the Trailblazer bench.

Rest assured, it is Lanette Judkins, in her usual manner, cheering on her husband and his team.

“I could never get his attention, so I just kind of whistled,” Lanette Judkins said. “And he said, ‘I think that’s Lanette.’ And I’ve just kind of continued to do it.”

The whistling is not just to cheer on the Trailblazers; it’s to let her husband know she is there in support of him and to let him know she arrived a little early to the arena.

“I whistle so he knows we’re there. He likes us to be early — he doesn’t like us to be late.”

While early on, coaching wasn’t something they shared, life has a funny way of changing things.

Instead of going overseas to play, where they asked him not to bring his young wife, Judkins instead chose to stay home and get into coaching. And Lanette has been onboard for the journey ever since.

“It really has been the best life,” Lanette said. “I haven’t really known anything different because we’ve done it for so long.”

The grind is mutual. The joy is too.

“If I came home and it was all complaints about how much I’m gone,” Judkins said, “I don’t think I could do this. It would be really hard.”

“I’ve almost been doing this basketball thing with him for almost 40 years,” Lanette said with a smile as she thought about their lives together.

The family has gotten bigger and will continue to get bigger. With a soon-to-be new grandbaby and a soon-to-be new daughter-in-law.

Relationships Matter More Than Records

Judkins wants to win. He expects to win. But when he talks about what’s kept him in the profession, he rarely leads with results.

“I just love the guys,” he said. “I love the relationships. I still talk to a lot of them. I try to go to weddings when I can. I love seeing their kids.”

He recalled moments that never show up in box scores—former players returning to games years later, introducing him to their families.

“I don’t think it’s about the wins and losses as much as the relationships we’ve made,” Lanette Judkins said. “Those people have made our lives so much better.”

“That stuff means a lot to me,” he said. “It’s not like you come play for me and then you’re gone, and I never talk to you again. I want those relationships to last.”

In an era of constant movement, Judkins still believes coaching is a long-term commitment. His job, as he sees it, is to help young men succeed—not just in basketball, but in life.

The Job Has Never Been Harder

Judkins has coached through nearly every version of college basketball. Nothing compares to the present.

“It’s completely different now,” he said. “You’re recruiting guys to bring them in, and you’re recruiting your own guys to keep them.”

NIL and the transfer portal have reshaped the job. Conversations that once centered on development and fit now often begin elsewhere.

“You call a kid in the portal, and the first thing you hear is about money,” Judkins said. “I don’t blame the kids. I get it. But it’s changed everything.”

What concerns him most isn’t opportunity—it’s structure.

“We need guardrails,” he said. “For the kids, for the coaches, for everybody. Without that, the rich just keep getting richer.”

Loyalty Still Costs Something

Judkins knows his approach isn’t always efficient in the modern game.

“When I offer a kid, it’s because we really want him,” he said. “I don’t want to pull offers or lead people on.”

That philosophy slows things down. It requires patience in a sport that increasingly rewards speed and volume. But for Judkins, credibility still matters. Trust still matters. He believes players deserve honesty, even when it makes recruiting harder.

He understands that not everyone operates that way anymore. He just doesn’t know how to coach any other way.

When Will He Be Done?

Judkins doesn’t think about retirement in terms of age or milestones.

“When I wake up, and I don’t want to go to work anymore,” he said, “that’s when I’ll know.”

That day doesn’t feel close.

“I still love it,” he said. “I love coming to work. I love the game. I love the kids. I love my staff.”

A Quiet Legacy

Ask Jon Judkins about legacy, and he won’t point to banners.

He talks about people.

Former assistants who became head coaches. Players who stayed connected. Programs built patiently, not flipped quickly.

“He’s done a really great job of surrounding himself with good people,” his wife Lanette said. “And I would never want to take that away from him because he loves it so much.”

After more than thirty years, his philosophy remains simple: care about people, do the work, and stay when it would be easier to leave.

For Jon Judkins, that’s the long game—and it’s one he’s still playing.

Kylee Mabry has been a Utah Valley Wolverine for the entirety of her collegiate basketball career.

Through ups and downs, new heights, setting a program record for wins at the Division I level, and much more, Mabry has been a big part of Dan Nielson’s plan at Utah Valley University.

Mabry spoke with Derryl about the Wolverines, the season thus far, and much more.

The second round of WAC play got started with one of the closest weeks of competition thus far. We take a look at what happened, the WAC tournament finals schedule, WAC teams and players in this week’s national leaderboards, and the week ahead in this week’s Women’s Basketball notebook.

WAC Student-Athletes/Teams on the NCAA Leaderboards:

Utah Valley and Abilene Christian continue to be within the national top-20 for turnovers forced per game. UVU is T4th at 26.89 per game while ACU is 16th at 22.63 a game. They are also in the national top-20 for steals per game at 16.5 (second) and 12.3 (18th) respectively.

CBU’s Filipa Barros is T36 nationally at 5.0 assists per game. Utah Tech’s Chardonay Hartley is just outside the national top 50 (T51) for assists per game at 4.7.

Emma Johansson from CBU is T2 for blocks per game nationally at 2.95 while Kira Reynolds of UT Arlington is fourth at 2.89 blocks a contest. Tarleton State’s Elodie Lutbert also has worked her way into the top 25. Her 2.06 blocks per game average is good for 24th.

Barros is also T19 in double-doubles with nine so far. Southern Utah’s Ava Uhrich and Tarleton State’s Shadasia Brackens are T36 in double-doubles with seven.

Uhrich is also T18 in rebounds per game at 10.3.

Despite missing the last three games, ACU’s Meredith Mayes has moved to second nationally in field goal percentage at 68.24%.

Southern Utah’s Sierra Chambers is 27th nationally in free throw percentage at 87.96% (95 of 108) while Utah Valley’s Amanda Barcello is 40th at 86.27% (44 of 51).

ACU’s Payton Hull is T73 nationally in points per game at 17.0 points per game.

Five WAC players are in the national top-75 for steals per contest led by Utah Valley’s Cambree Blackham at 3.00. The Wolverines’ Saige Gibb is right behind her with 2.89 steals per game. Hull (2.68, 40th), Barros (2.57, T51), and Barcello (2.44, T68) finish off the list.

Barcello is also 22nd in 3-point percentage at 42.45% (45 of 106) and 27th in made shots from behind the arc per game at 2.81.

Three WAC teams are in the top-100 for assists per game led by ACU at 15.1 (T78). Joining them are CBU and Southern Utah at T83 with 14.9.

CBU is also T14 in blocks per game as a team at 5.7 with UT Arlington and Tarleton State also in the top-50 at 5.0 per game (T23) and 4.5 (T44) respectively.

ACU is 64th in team field goal percentage at 44.26% and the only team in the top-100. The Wildcats are also 30th nationally in scoring margin at +17.3 points per game.

The Lancers also T49 in field goal percentage defense at 37.1% while Tarleton State is the only other team in the top-100 at 38.1% (T83).

Home teams continue impressive dominance:

After three days of second round play, without the Tarleton State at Abilene Christian game from Moody Coliseum that still needs to be made up as a result of weather, home teams are currently 18-8 so far.

Three of last week’s five games were decided by ten points or less.

Tarleton State and UT Arlington were on a collision course for a similar ending last Wednesday, but the Texans defense held UT Arlington without a field goal in the fourth quarter en route to a 14 point win.

14 games so far have been decided by 10 points or less (53.9%) with the conference-wide average of victory at 12.6 points per game after 26 games.

Home teams are winning their games by an average of 13.3 points per game while road teams are winning by an average of 9.8 points per game.

CBU leads the WAC with four road wins so far.

Power Rankings:

1. Abilene Christian (14-5 overall, 5-1 WAC): Wildcats are coming off of a 10+ day layoff as they visit Utah for a pair of games this week against Utah Tech and Southern Utah (2nd time in two weeks).

2. California Baptist Univeristy (13-8 overall, 7-1 WAC): After dropping what became a thriller at Fowler Events Center against ACU on Education Day, the Lancers got a pair of wins in Utah to maintain position at the top of the WAC standings.

3. Southern Utah (13-7 overall, 5-3 WAC): After a disappointing trip to Texas the TBirds bounced back with a pair of wins against in-state schools to stay two games out of first place.

4. Tarleton State (10-8 overall, 4-3 WAC): Bill Brock’s team swept their most recent homestand and has a little bit of separation over the three teams fighting over one last bye out of Wednesday’s opening round on March 11.

5. UT Arlington (8-11 overall, 2-5 WAC): After taking care of business during a two game homestand against Utah Valley and Utah Tech, the Lady Mavs dropped their second road game at Tarleton State to reach the five loss plateau.

6. Utah Valley (9-10 overall, 2-6 WAC): After starting 2-1 in WAC play with the two point win over Abilene Christian, Utah Valley has dropped five straight by an average of nine points per game.

7. Utah Tech (6-12 overall, 1-7 WAC): The Trailblazers have dropped four straight by an average margin of 7.8 points per contest.

WAC Tournament Scheduling Update:

The WAC has released tip off times for this year’s tournament championship games to be played on March 14 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Our women’s championship game will be in the mid-afternoon broadcast window with a 12:30 P.M. local time tipoff.

Meanwhile, it’ll be a long wait for the men’s championship game as that matchup is slated for a 9 P.M. local time tipoff. Which means that if a Texas team makes the men’s final and you’re watching from the Lone Star State, rest up because it’ll be a long night.

Network assignments and broadcast crews will be released by ESPN at a later date.

Weekly Awards:

On Monday afternoon the WAC office announced that Southern Utah’s Brooklyn Fely swept both the Newcomer and Player of the Week awards.

Fely, who transferred to Southern Utah after spending time at Umpqua Community College, averaged 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game across two Thunderbird victories against Utah Valley and Utah Tech. The victories kept Southern Utah two full games behind league leader CBU and two games in the loss column behind Abilene Christian, who they’ll play Saturday.

She is the ninth different student-athlete to win Player of the Week honors, seventh different Newcomer of the Week, and it’s also her second sweep of the weekly awards (week of November 10).

Standings:

1. California Baptist Univeristy 13-8 overall, 7-1 WAC

2. Abilene Christian 14-5 overall, 5-1 WAC

3. Southern Utah 13-7 overall, 5-3 WAC

4. Tarleton State 10-8 overall, 4-3 WAC

5. UT Arlington 8-11 overall, 2-5 WAC

6. Utah Valley 9-10 overall, 2-6 WAC

7. Utah Tech 6-12 overall, 1-7 WAC

Monday evening’s makeup game at Moody Coliseum between Tarleton State and Abilene Christian was postponed by the league office and has been rescheduled for Tuesday, February 3 with a 6pm CT tipoff. Andy Penney and the ACUTV crew will have the ESPN+ call with Clayton Neville on the call for the Tarleton Sports Network.

The Week Ahead:

Thursday, January 29, 2026»

6:00 P.M. MT: Tarleton State at Utah Valley

6:30 P.M. MT: UT Arlington at Southern Utah

7:00 P.M. MT: Abilene Christian at Utah Tech

Idle: California Baptist University

Saturday, January 31, 2026»

1:00 P.M. PT: UT Arlington at California Baptist University

2:00 P.M. MT: Abilene Christian at Southern Utah and Tarleton State at Utah Tech

Idle: Utah Valley

At the one-third mark of WAC play ACU and CBU find themselves tied for first with four teams separated by a game in the race for third place.

Let’s take a look at what has happened, and what is to come over the next several weeks.

Remember that regular season finish determines how many byes, if any, teams get when they get to WACVegas in March.

Wildcats press on…to the top of the WAC standings:

For a second straight year the Abilene Christian women’s basketball team appears to be down a starter for at least a portion of conference play as Meredith Mayes was at Saturday’s 28-point win over Southern Utah sitting behind the bench with a knee brace on.

Mayes, third in the country for field goal percentage while averaging 15.2 points per game and on track for an all-WAC type of year, has missed three straight games after suffering a knee injury late in a January 8 win over Tarleton State at Moody Coliseum and is listed as day-to-day going forward.

Yet, the Wildcats have kept stacking wins in rather impressive fashion like last week’s pair of wins over CBU and Southern Utah. At CBU, the Wildcats built a 21-point lead then had to hang on as the Lancers cut it to a two-possession game before prevailing. Meanwhile, on a short prep after flying home from Riverside, the Wildcats defeated Southern Utah by 28…despite trailing after a quarter.

“This was a really pivotal week for us and our players did just a phenomenal job of preparing for two really talented basketball teams and coming out with two big wins…particularly getting CBU on the road.” ACU coach Julie Goodenough said after Saturday afternoon’s win

Natalia Chavez has stepped into the starting lineup and filled in nicely, averaging 15.7 points per game on 56.3% shooting from beyond the arc.

Emma Troxell has stepped into the five spot and is averaging 10 points and eight rebounds over the last trio of games.

ACU has won four straight since a tough loss at Utah Valley on January 3 with a combined scoring margin of +48, +43 in the three complete games that Mayes has missed.

Can Southern Utah right the ship?

Southern Utah was the surprise of WAC play at 3-0 going into their first of three matchups against CBU at the America First Events Center on January 10.

That loss, in overtime to the then undefeated Lancers, along with an 0-2 trip to Texas last week with losses at Tarleton State and ACU has the TBirds at 3-3. They’d currently have the No. 4 seed if WACVegas were to begin today.

It’s not unexpected that they lost two games on that trip, especially looking at the success that home teams have had so far this year. But what has to be disappointing for Tracy Mason and her staff is that the TBirds offense, No. 1 for scoring at the start of the week in conference play at 76 points per game, was held to 54.5 on 36.2% field goal shooting (8-37 from 3-point range) in two blowout losses this past week.

Ava Uhrich, who had reached double-digit scoring in seven straight games with five double-doubles, averaged just seven points per game on 6-26 field goal shooting without a made 3-pointer on the trip. She did spend much of Saturday’s loss at Moody Coliseum on the bench, saddled by early foul trouble.

Sierra Chambers also had a six game double-digit scoring streak snapped on the trip, being held to single-digit field goal attempts by two of the conference’s top three scoring defenses.

Brooklyn Fely’s 18 point, eight rebound effort at Moody Coliseum in an 82-54 loss Saturday was the TBirds offensive bright spot for the week.

Southern Utah is just two games out of first place going into a Thursday trip to Utah Valley and a Saturday home game against Utah Tech…two games they desperately need to win to stay in contact with the league’s co-leaders in ACU and CBU.

Home Sweet Home:

With one-third of the slate gone home teams are an impressive 16-5. They’ve won those games by an average margin of 13.9 points per game.

CBU has two of the five road wins. Road teams have won their games by 11.6 points per game, including an overtime game between CBU and Southern Utah on January 10.

Is this a trend that will continue over the next nearly two months of conference play or will it begin to even out?

Here are the road slates remaining for each team in standings order…

ACU» @ Utah Tech x2, @ Southern Utah x2, @ UT Arlington x2, (Total: 6)

CBU» @ Utah Tech x1, @ Utah Valley x1, @ ACU x2, @ UT Arlington x1, @ Tarleton State x2 (Total: 7)

Southern Utah» @ Utah Valley x2, @ Utah Tech x1, @ Tarleton State x1, @ CBU x2, (Total: 6)

Tarleton State» @ ACU x1, @ Utah Valley x1, @ Utah Tech x2, @ UT Arlington x1, @ Southern Utah x1, (Total: 6)

Utah Valley» @ ACU x2, @ UT Arlington x1, @ CBU x1, @ Tarleton State x1 (Total: 5)

UT Arlington» @ Tarleton State x1, @ Southern Utah x2, @ CBU x1, @ Utah Tech x1, @ Utah Valley x1 (Total: 6)

Utah Valley» @ ACU x2, @ UT Arlington x1, @ CBU x1, @ Tarleton State x1, (Total: 5)

How high can UT Arlington finish despite the slow start?

There’s no denying that UT Arlington got off to a disappointing start at 0-4 in WAC play.

However, after sweeping last week’s homestand against Utah Tech and Utah Valley the Lady Mavs are now a game out of a tie for third. And two games out of a tie for first, with both teams in that tie still having visits to College Park Center (ACU x2 and CBU x1).

Everything comes in threes for the Lady Mavs from here to the end, starting with a three-game trip that includes visits to Tarleton State, Southern Utah, and CBU. UT Arlington lost their initial matchups to those three teams by a combined 33 points, although they were without Nya Threatt due to injury in those games.

Then they have an early February homestand with Utah Tech, Utah Valley, and ACU.

The final regular season road trip is a Utah trip with visits to Southern Utah, Utah Tech, and Utah Valley.

To close the regular season they’ll host CBU, Tarelton State, and ACU.

RIVERSIDE, CA— A year ago the road team won each time CBU and ACU got together.

Wednesday morning, in their third Education Day game of the year, the Wildcats took the floor at Fowler Events Center and will fly home Friday morning with a 70-58 win after watching a lead that got as large as 21 points get whittled to four points in the fourth quarter. That trend continues with ACU hosting the next two matchups in early February and early March.

“We had two really good days of prep where we cranked up the stereo to simulate this crowd and I had a feeling we were going to play well. But we also knew that they had the firepower to come back and I’m super proud of that defensive effort,” Wildcats coach Julie Goodenough said.

Erin Woodson led the way with 23 points and was a perfect 7-7 at the free throw line for ACU (13-5, 4-1 WAC). Natalia Chavez stepped into the starting lineup for a second straight game with Meredith Mayes out due to injury and was 4-6 from 3-point range en route to 20 points with seven rebounds. And WAC Preseason Player of the Year Payton Hull was steady with 15 points in addition to six rebounds. ACU shot 42.9% from 3-point range and 35.5% in total while holding CBU, the WAC’s No. 1 scoring offense in conference play, to ten points and ten percentage points under their averages through five games.

Woodson and Chavez both tied career scoring highs in the win.

ACU flies home Friday and will host Southern Utah on Saturday while CBU has the bye.

Khloe Lemon converted a 3-point play with 1:43 left in the first quarter to cut ACU’s lead to 13-10. From there Hull scored the final six Wildcat points on a 3-pointer and 3-point play to give ACU a 19-12 lead after a quarter.

Woodson went on a personal 8-0 scoring run to push the Wildcat lead to 32-19 with 5:27 left to the half, connecting on the first of two 3-pointers and converting a 3-point play in that stretch. Chavez converted a Jazmyn Stone steal into a layup with 29 seconds left as the lead reached 20 for the first time before a late Lauren Olsen layup cut the lead to 18 with 20 minutes gone.

“Ever since Christmas Break Erin has done such a good job of reading defenses and not forcing things offensively. She’s tough in the paint and can really finish when she gets down there” Goodenough added. “And Natalia today was a great option for us on those dribble drive kickouts from beyond the arc.”

“We had to be the grittier team on the floor today to get this win, especially after that close loss at Utah Valley,” Woodson said. “Now it’s about going home and defending home court against a very good Southern Utah team on Saturday afternoon.”

CBU (11-8, 5-1 WAC) went on a 6-0 run to cut their deficit to 11 points before Emma Troxell connected on her lone 3-pointer of the day to take the lead back to 14 points. Reyleigh Hess’ layup with 12 seconds left cut the deficit to 17 after three quarters.

A 7-0 CBU run cut ACU’s lead to 62-58 with 71 seconds left after Lemon’s layup, a pair of Sofia Alonso free throws, and a 3-pointer from Olsen. However, Troxell got behind the CBU press and beat it for a layup with 56 seconds left and from there the Wildcats made their free throws to pull away for a big road win.

“You can’t dig yourself that kind of a hole against a good team like ACU and expect to come out on top,” CBU coach Jarrod Olson said. “They just came in here and kicked our butts for 40 minutes. We’re in a good spot at 5-1 but I think the more concerning thing for me is that we didn’t do the work during the week and it showed today. Hopefully, we’ll learn that lesson as we move forward.”

After two weeks of conference play home teams were 11-4, illustrating just how hard it is to get a win on the road in WAC play.

Olsen had 19 points to lead CBU while Johansson added 15 points, six rebounds, and six blocks in the loss.

CBU maintains a half-game lead in the WAC standings over ACU, who will host Southern Utah on Saturday. The TBirds lost 81-55 at Tarleton State on Thursday night.

When the people ask about a men’s basketball newsletter, we try to deliver.

Yes, the newsletters have been few and far between this year. To be honest, the desire to write anything lately has been a struggle.

Between working a full-time job, all the changes in college basketball, and so many other factors, the energy and excitement for the 2025-26 season just haven’t been there.

Along with that, knowing full well this is the final season of the Western Athletic Conference has put quite a damper on things.

Sure, there is still a ton of basketball to play over the next two months. Sure, we still have WAC Vegas and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

That’s exciting.

But the desire to sit down and write a 1,000-word article has been a huge struggle.

Although after a visit to Stephenville and Arlington this past weekend, some story ideas are rushing through my head. So, stay tuned as I work to put together some of those ahead of WAC Vegas.

Anyway, with all that being said, let’s get to this week’s WAC Hoops Power Rankings.

1 - UT Arlington

The Mavs are good. Marcell McCreary is a dude. And KT Turner might have his best in his third year as head coach.

The Mavs have won four straight to improve to 3-1 in WAC play. UT Arlington beat CBU on New Year’s Day, went to Southern Utah and led nearly wire-to-wire in a double-digit win, and after a week off, picked up an impressive win over ACU.

The Mavs are one of the top teams defending the 3-point line, and if the offense stays locked in as it has in the past three games, UT Arlington could win the WAC.

Just a reminder that the Mavs also feature All-WAC selection Raysean Seamster.

However, Cash Chavis and Bahsil Laster could be the x-factors if the Mavs want to go dancing in March.

2 - Utah Valley

Will a WAC team ever win at the UCCU Center again? The Wolverines swept Southern Utah and Utah Tech to run the winning streak on their home floor to 21 games.

Let’s put this in perspective: Utah Valley scored 61 points in the second half to roll past Utah Tech on Saturday. The Wolverines finished the first half on a 6-0 run to take a 31-30 lead into the break before exploding in the second half.

Utah Valley has a week off before hosting UT Arlington on Saturday in what could be a game for first place in the WAC standings.

3 - Abilene Christian

The Wildcats are interesting.

In the first week of WAC play, ACU got blown out at home by Utah Tech, then blew out Utah Valley two days later.

In the second week of WAC play, the Wildcats went toe-to-toe in the I-20 rivalry game at Tarleton State en route to an 84-80 win.

And then on Saturday, at UT Arlington, the Wildcats couldn’t match the Mavs run in the second half in an 82-72 loss.

Bradyn Hubbard is a baller. Hubbard won WAC Player of the Week honors after averaging 24.5 points and 5.5 rebounds this past week.

But the Wildcats have to pick up the defense if they are to make noise heading into March.

Giving up 80 and 82 points, respectively, is not what a Brette Tanner defense is known for.

It’s an interesting two weeks for the Wildcats.

ACU hosts CBU on Thursday, goes to Southern Utah on Saturday, and then back to Stephenville for round two against Tarleton State on Jan. 24.

4 - Tarleton State

The 2025-26 Tarleton State Texans might be the most talented team Billy Gillispie has had during his tenure in Stephenville.

Dior Johnson has scored 30-plus points in three straight games. Cam McDowell can take over a game, when he gets the ball. The veteran Freddy Hicks is always a matchup problem. Chris Mpaka has moments where he looks like a million bucks.

The problem for the Texans is that they can’t defend. The Texans are giving up 78.5 points per game in WAC play. After holding UT Arlington to 63 in the WAC opener for both teams, Tarleton State then gave up 91, 76, and 84.

Sure, the Texans can score. Tarleton State has scored 69, 85, 81, and 80. But, if you can’t get stops, it doesn’t matter how many points you score.

Similar to UT Arlington and its offense catching up to its defense, if the Texans can defend, they would be a tough out because of the offensive weapons Billy Gillispie can put on the floor.

5 - California Baptist

If the Lancers hadn’t lost to Utah Valley, UT Arlington, and Tarleton State to start WAC play, they would most likely be in the top-2 or atop these power rankings.

However, the Lancers rebounded rather well at home this week, with a double-digit win over Utah Tech followed by a surprising three-point win over Southern Utah.

Sure, the Lancers were without second-leading scorer Martel Williams against the T-Birds, but that game, at least on paper, never should have been that close.

The WAC preseason favorites got behind the 8-ball a little bit to start WAC play. Can the Lancers get back on track over the next two weeks?

CBU goes to ACU on Thursday, has a week off before hosting Utah Tech again, and then gets Utah Valley at Fowler Events Center on Jan. 24.

Time will tell.

6 - Utah Tech

Ah, the good old Trailblazers. Starting WAC play 2-0 with a pair of impressive wins, and then going on the road against some of the league’s best, getting beaten by double figures in both games.

It is almost par for the course.

Okay, that might be a little harsh.

The 2025-26 version of the Trailblazers is better. Ethan Potter has been good in his first season in St. George. Noah Bolanga has been a breath of fresh air. And Chance Trujillo plays with a huge chip on his shoulder.

Here is the big question: can the Trailblazers win without Madiba Owona?

The 6’4 sophomore suffered what is believed to be a torn ACL in the win over ACU last week.

It’s a big week for the Trailblazers. UT Arlington and Tarleton State come to town.

7 - Southern Utah

The T-Birds have looked better in recent weeks.

Sure, a 17-point loss at Utah Valley doesn’t look great.

But, the T-Birds had arguably their best effort of the season in a 58-55 loss at CBU on Saturday.

It is the spurts of four or five minutes that do the T-Birds in on most nights. The scoring droughts have to stop, whether that is Jaiden Feroah attacking the rim or Tanner Hayhurst knocking down a shot; someone has to make a play.

If the T-Birds can avoid those scoring droughts, they could surprise people heading into February.

SUU hosts Tarleton State and ACU at the AFEC this week.

Week two of WAC play, particularly Saturday, was what we all thought we’d see from the jump. The two preseason regular season championship favorites narrowly survived upset bids and Utah Tech broke through for their first win of WAC play in the Old Hammer Rivalry.

Week 2 Review:

Home teams went 4-2 on the week and are currently 11-4 after two weeks with an average margin of victory of 13.2 points per game.

Utah Tech, after losing Maddie Warren to a season ending injury late in Thursday’s loss against CBU, responded by coming up with a gritty win against Utah Valley…overcoming 32 turnovers in the process. Kaylee Borden had 14 points in the win, missing a double-double by a rebound while Lauren Crocker connected on four 3-pointers, finishing with a career-high 13 points in the win. Chardonnay Hartley added 12 points.

After a disappointing loss at Utah Valley, ACU got back on the right track with two close home wins against Tarleton State and UT Arlington. Erin Woodson averaged 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for the week.

By the Numbers:

83: Number of assists for the CBU offense in five WAC games so far.

32: Number of turnovers forced by the Utah Valley defense in Saturday’s loss against Utah Tech. A new season-high against a Division I opponent.

21: Number of points on Saturday for CBU’s Emma Johansson against Southern Utah, setting a new career-high.

9: Number of assists for Southern Utah’s Sierra Chambers in Saturday’s overtime loss to CBU, also a new career-high.

4: Number of 3-pointers for ACU’s Natalia Chavez in Saturday’s win over UT Arlington and Utah Tech’s Lauren Crocker in the Trailblazer’s win over Utah Valley.

Records in games decided by 10 points or less:

CBU: 3-3 (1-0 OT)

ACU: 3-5

SUU: 5-3 (1-1 OT)

UVU: 4-3

Tarleton State: 3-3 (1-2 OT)

Utah Tech: 4-4

UT Arlington: 3-3

WAC Student-Athletes/Teams on the NCAA Leaderboards:

After a 32 turnover effort on Saturday against Utah Tech, Utah Valley is now second in the country for turnovers forced at 27.88. Abilene Christian moved to 15th at 23.18 per game.

The Wolverines continue to lead the country in steals at 17.5 per game while Abilene Christian is T16 at 12.8.

CBU’s Filipa Barros stays in the national top 40 for assists per game at 5.1 per game (T35). She’s also 28th nationally in total assists at 91, 70th in assist/turnover ratio at 1.94, and T14 in double-doubles at eight.

Southern Utah’s Ava Uhrich is T21 in double-doubles with seven. Tarleton State’s Shadasia Brackens is T36 at six double-doubles.

UT Arlington’s Kira Reynolds and CBU’s Emma Johansson are both in the national top-10 for shots blocked per game. Reynolds is third at 3.0 per game while Johansson is seventh at 2.67.

After missing Saturday’s ACU win against UT Arlington, the Wildcats’ Meredith Mayes is still third in national field goal percentage at 68.24%.

Utah Valley’s Amanda Barcello is T5 in free throw percentage at 91.89% while Southern Utah’s Sierra Chambers is 34th at 87.5%.

Uhrich is also 30th in rebounding at 9.8 per game while Barros is T37 at 9.5. The Thunderbirds’ Brooklyn Fely is T75 at 8.4.

Barcello is also T13 nationally in made 3-pointers per game at three a game.

Weekly Awards:

Southern Utah’s Ava Uhrich earned her second Player of the Week award in three weeks with a pair of double-doubles as the TBirds split games with Utah Valley and California Baptist University. She is the first to repeat as Player of the Week this year.

Meanwhile, UT Arlington’s Kira Reynolds won her third Newcomer of the Week award in leading the Lady Mavs with 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four blocks during Saturday’s loss at Moody Coliseum. Reynolds is the first to reach three Newcomer of the Week selections this year.

Career Milestones:

ACU head coach Julie Goodenough recorded career win No. 550 in Thursday’s win at Moody Coliseum against Tarleton State.

Emma Johansson had a career scoring day on Saturday afternoon with 21 points in CBU’s overtime win at the America First Events Center.

Utah Tech’s Lauren Crocker connected on four 3-pointers, a career-high in the Trailblazers’ win over Utah Valley at Burns Arena to start the final (for right now at least…) series of Old Hammer Rivalry games.

Southern Utah’s Sierra Chambers set a new career-high in assists with nine in the TBirds overtime loss against CBU.

Power Rankings:

1. CBU (11-7, 5-0): The Lancers narrowly survived their first Utah trip with a pair of wins by ten points or less and have won five straight after losing six in a row before Christmas.

2. ACU (12-5, 3-1): The Wildcats nearly gave away a pair of games at Moody Coliseum last week but hung on and set up a matchup for first place on Thursday morning in Riverside. Big question is will ACU have Meredith Mayes for that matchup? Mayes, third in the country for field goal percentage as of Saturday morning, did not play in the win over UT Arlington after a late knee injury on Thursday.

3. Southern Utah (11-5, 3-1): The Thunderbirds, after a couple of tough seasons following their WAC championships in ‘23-’24, are going to be a tough out for everyone this year as demonstrated Saturday afternoon.

4. Utah Valley (9-7, 2-3): Tough week for the Wolverines, who dropped a pair of close games on their trip through the southern part of the Beehive State.

5. Tarleton State (7-8, 1-3): Texans have dropped three straight after winning the opener against UT Arlington but have a chance to right the ship at home this week.

6. Utah Tech (6-8, 1-3): The Trailblazers lost Maddie Warren to a season-ending injury late in Thursday night’s loss against CBU but overcame 32 turnovers to defeat Utah Valley in round 1 of the Old Hammer Rivalry.

7. UT Arlington (6-10, 0-4): The Lady Mavs are discovering just how razor-thin the line is between winning and losing after dropping consecutive games by a possession. They’ll be back in the College Park Center for a pair this week, looking to get back on track.

The Week Ahead:

Thursday, January 15, 2026»

11 A.M. PST: Abilene Christian University at California Baptist University

6:30 P.M. CST: Utah Tech at UT Arlington

7 P.M. CST: Southern Utah at Tarleton State

Idle: Utah Valley

Saturday, January 17, 2026»

1 P.M. CST: Utah Tech at Tarleton State and Southern Utah at Abilene Christian University

2 P.M. CST: Utah Valley at UT Arlington

Idle: California Baptist University

If you wanted an early preview of WACVegas and a possible tournament championship game on March 14, Saturday’s CBU at Southern Utah women’s basketball game from Cedar City fit the bill.

CBU (11-7, 5-0 WAC) freshman Lauren Olsen hit a floater in the lane as time expired to rally the Lancers back from a five point deficit with five minutes left to force overtime. She then added nine of CBU’s 13 overtime points to push the Lancers to a 82-77 win at Cedar City’s America First Events Center.

Schmidt set a new season-high with 23 points to go with five rebounds while Johansson added a career-high 21 points, six rebounds, and a pair of blocks as the front court tandem did the heavy lifting in regulation.

“They were really good today and needed to be against a good Southern Utah team,” Lancers coach Jarrod Olson said of his front court in a postgame TV interview.

CBU led 15-12 with 2:25 left in the first quarter after a Reyleigh Hess layup. Brooklyn Fely scored five of the last seven TBirds point to cut the Lancer lead to a point with a quarter gone.

Denver Anderson’s 3-pointer with 7:13 left to the half put Southern Utah (11-5, 3-1 WAC) ahead 24-23. The TBirds closed on a 10-4 run to take a seven point lead to intermission.

CBU came out of the break on an 11-0 run covering 2:46 to take a 38-34 lead with 7:14 left in the third. Johansson had back-to-back 3-pointers to cap the run while Schmidt scored the first five. Khloe Lemon hit a 3-pointer with 3:39 left to give the Lancers their largest lead of regulation at 45-38. They’d take a six point lead to the final ten minutes after a Filipa Barros layup with seven seconds left.

“We were trying anything to stop their post players and I was pretty disappointed with how we defended them…,” TBirds head coach Tracy Mason said. “

Sierra Chambers scored five straight Southern Utah points to give the TBirds a 66-64 lead with 2:26 left in regulation. Barros and Kortney Doman traded 3-pointers within 11 seconds of each other as Southern Utah kept a 69-67 lead. Out of a called timeout by Jarrod Olson, Olsen missed a good look at a corner 3-pointer but Schmidt was there for the offensive rebound as Southern Utah called timeout after a held ball.

Olsen turned the corner and put up a floater off a Schmidt assist that video review confirmed was good to tie the score at 69.

“The plan was to foul twice in that last sequence and we just didn’t execute but she (Olsen) made a very tough shot and we weren’t in a great place to defend,” Mason said in her postgame press conference.

Devyn Kiernan’s jumper with 2:42 left in overtime pulled Southern Utah even for the final time at 73.

CBU scored the next eight points on four Olsen free throws and a layup along with a Johansson jumper. Kiernan’s 3-pointer with 22 seconds left cut the lead to five but that’s as close as Southern Utah got.

Sierra Chambers had 20 points and a career-high nine assists to lead Southern Utah while Ava Uhrich added 19 points with 17 rebounds. Kortney Doman chipped in 11 points with seven rebounds.

This is the third straight game in the series that has been decided by five points or less.

“Every game we’ve played against Southern Utah recently has been wild and today was no exception.” Olson added about just how close the last trio of games against Southern Utah have been. “Tracy always finds a way to get the most out of what she has and it’s no surprise our last few games have been this way.”

The Lancers return home to host Abilene Christian on Thursday in their annual Education Day game with an 11 A.M. local time tipoff before taking their first bye next Saturday. Meanwhile, the TBirds embark on a Texas two-step…visiting Tarleton State on Thursday and ACU on Saturday in a game that might eliminate one team from regular season title contention.