Saturday night’s matchup between Utah Valley and Southern Utah was about as big as they come in the Western Athletic Conference.
Heading into the game, UVU held the top spot in the WAC with SUU right behind them in second place.
If the Wolverines picked up a win, they would strengthen their grip as the top team in the conference. On the other hand, a win for the Thunderbirds would mean the two teams would be tied atop the league with five regular season games remaining.
The two teams had already faced off earlier in the season before Saturday, with SUU battling back from a first-half deficit to win in Cedar City.
First half
Utah Valley came out of the gate playing very well, controlling the entire first half.
Thanks to a higher shooting percentage (48% to 37%) and double the rebounds (28-14), UVU led SUU by 15 at halftime, 48-33.
Le’Tre Darthard tallied 15 points in the opening 20 minutes for Utah Valley, while Southern Utah was led by nine points from Jason Spurgin.
The lone bright spot in the first half for the T-birds was only turning the ball over three times, compared to the Wolverines’ seven.
Second half
The T-Birds knew that they had to make a push to start the second half to keep the game close. They were able to do just that, quickly cutting the deficit to just two points within the first five minutes of the second half.
The second half kept repeating that process, as the Wolverines would jump out to a lead, and then SUU would cut the lead right back down.
However, the Thunderbirds were never able to take the lead in the second half and although it was closely contested, UVU was able to stay in front for a 90-83 win.
With the win, the Wolverines move a full two games clear atop the WAC standings, while also picking up their 20th victory of the campaign.
Top performers
The Wolverines had five players finish in double figures scoring, four of them being starters.
Le’Tre Darthard led all scorers in the game by tallying 31 points, knocking down 16 of 17 free throw attempts.
Tim Fuller added a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds for UVU in the win, while Aziz Bandaogo, Trey Woodbury, and Tahj Small each chipped in 10 points apiece.
Drake Allen and Jason Spurgin each tallied 17 points to lead Southern Utah, while Tevian Jones added 15.
Final thoughts
In the biggest game of the regular season, UVU was able to come through with a massive win.
The Wolverines played a great game overall and were able to overcome some momentous runs that SUU was having.
The raucous crowd at the UCCU Center no doubt aided UVU in its pursuit of victory, as the home team emerged victorious and edged closer to a second WAC regular season title in three years.
While the two in-state foes split the season series in a pair of entertaining matchups, they are both no doubt top teams in the conference and could possibly meet again at next month’s WAC Tournament in Las Vegas.
Up next
Utah Valley
The Wolverines (20-6, 11-2 WAC) will now travel to Seattle University on Saturday, February 18. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. MT and can be seen on ESPN+.
Southern Utah
The Thunderbirds (17-9, 9-4 WAC) will return home to face rival Utah Tech up next.
The matchup with the Trailblazers will take place on Friday, February 17 at 7 p.m. and can be streamed via ESPN+.
