Utah Valley Sweeps, Texans Punch Ticket, and Road Teams Rule the Day
Road teams were 6-5, Utah Valley swept the Lancers and another ticket to WAC Vegas was punched.
Another Thursday night around the Western Athletic Conference has come and gone.
As of Friday morning, the GCU men and women sit alone atop the WAC standings, each at 13-1 in WAC play after a pair of wins over Utah Tech in very different ways.
Another ticket to WAC Vegas was punched in another thriller between two teams separated by about 90 miles.
After announcing a new head wrestling coach, the gates seemed to open for Utah Valley as both the men and women got big wins on Thursday night.
And, back to the narrative of having to win road games…that happened at a 70 percent clip on Thursday night.
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Now, back to the newsletter from Thursday night.
Coming into Thursday night, the Utah Valley women had scored over 70 points only once in WAC play. That came in a 75-62 win over UTRGV on Jan. 13 in Orem.
In the past six games, Utah Valley had score more than 60 points just once in a 72-63 loss to SFA in Orem.
Well, whether it was the hiring of a new wrestling coach that brought some renewed energy, or it was simply a confidence thing, the Utah Valley offense came out in a big way inside Lockhart Arena.
Jenna Dick hit seven 3-pointers and Tessa Chaney had a 25-point, 14-rebound double-double to lead the Wolverines to a 92-89 upset win over California Baptist Thursday night.
Dick came off the bench to knock down a pair of first quarter 3-pointers. And in the third quarter, Dick knocked another pair. Perhaps the biggest 3-pointer Dick hit all night came with 3:57 left in overtime.
Dick’s seventh 3-pointer tied the game at 76 and was the start of an 11-0 run that gave the Wolverines control.
Following Dick’s 3-pointer, Kylee Mabry knocked down a pair of big 3-pointers and Utah Valley got its biggest win of the season.
Utah Valley hit 11 3-pointers in the win. And a big reason for that is CBU had to focus a lot of emphasis on stopping Tessa Chaney.
Possession after possession, Chaney would get deep in the paint, had a significant size advantage and went to work. Multiple three-point plays, easy buckets, and an impact that allowed the Utah Valley shooters to knock down perimeter shots.
93 points is the most points scored in a game this season for the Wolverines who aren’t known for their pace. But, Thursday night, Dan Neilson’s crew was up to the task and got the job done.
All that despite a game-high 32 points from potentially the WAC Player of the Year Chloe Webb.
Along with the big performance by the Utah Valley women, the Utah Valley men got a big performance…and on the road. A place where the Wolverines have struggled all season.
Yes, 1-10 in true road games coming into Thursday night. That lone win dates back to Nov. 9 over Conference USA leader Sam Houston in the WAC-Conference USA Scheduling Initiative.
Well, the Wolverines got after it defensively at Fowler Events Center, holding CBU to just 46 points on the night en route to a 69-46 win over the Lancers, and the season sweep.
Drake Allen 19 points to lead the Wolverines including an up and under layup in the second half.
It was a big night for the Wolverines. The wins came just a few hours after Utah Valley announced its new wrestling head coach, Adam Hall. Coincidence? Perhaps. But, a good night to be a Wolverines.
Tarleton Wins Thriller, Punches Ticket
A month ago, at Wisdom Gym, Tarleton and UT Arlington played an epic thriller that ended with a 78-76 win for the home team.
On Thursday night, at College Park Center, the two teams played another epic thriller that came down to the final possession.
DaJuan Gordon’s layup came up a bit short and Tarleton was able to head back to Stephenville with an 80-78 win and sole possession of second place in the WAC standings.
It was the sixth straight win for the Texans. It was the 11th win of league play. And it was the 18th win of the season. The win also ensured that Tarleton will be heading to Las Vegas in March for the WAC Tournament.
Lue Williams had 22 points as the Texans became the fourth team to punch their ticket to WAC Vegas.
In a wild game that saw 47 free throws attempted in the second half, two teams combining to score 97 points after halftime, and multiple players fouling out, everything came down to the final possession.
Tarleton escaped. And UT Arlington was once again close to winning a ball game but couldn’t quite get over the hump.
DaJuan Gordon finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Mavs.
Tarleton is now 18-7 overall and 11-3 in WAC play. UT Arlington drops to 12-13 overall and 7-7 in WAC play.
Road Warriors
A month ago, it was the home teams dominating WAC play. On the men’s side, there was a stretch of two weeks where home teams lost just one game.
Well, we have come full circle. On Thursday night, road teams were a combined 6-4 between the men and the women.
On the men’s side, ACU, Tarleton, Seattle U, and Utah Valley all picked up road wins.
On the women’s side, UT Arlington and GCU got road wins.
The only home teams to win were the Utah Valley women, ACU women, GCU men, and Seattle U women.
Road wins are going to be the difference between going to WAC Vegas and not going to WAC Vegas.
Who will come out with a few more road wins over the final 6-7 games of the regular season?