Utah Valley pulls away from UT Rio Grande Valley for 4th straight win

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OREM — Utah Valley ahead Trevin Dorius stated playoff basketball has come early within the Western Athletic Convention.

“Everyone seems to be inside one or two video games of one another proper now,” he stated. “We have now to show it on now.”

And ever because the Wolverines seemingly hit all-time low two weeks in the past of their loss to Tarleton State, they actually look the a part of a group hitting their stride.

Led by Dorius’ 15-point, 14-rebound double-double, Utah Valley (13-14, 8-8 WAC) used one other second-half eruption to place away the pesky UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros 70-59 Thursday evening in entrance of an almost crammed decrease bowl of two,601 followers on the UCCU Middle.

In doing so, the Wolverines not solely handed UTRGV (6-20, 2-13 WAC) their ninth straight loss, retaining the Vaqueros winless in February, however additionally they snatched their fourth consecutive win, propelling them into fifth place within the WAC. They’re only one sport behind fourth-place UT Arlington, and a half-game forward of Stephen F. Austin, who misplaced 69-49 at Seattle U later Thursday.

The Lumberjacks go to Orem Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. MST for Utah Valley’s annual Homecoming sport.

Daylen Williams led UTRGV with a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double of his personal.

Wolverines head coach Todd Phillips stated as soon as his group stopped settling for sure pictures, the sport modified.

“We made some changes and we got here out and hit them as an alternative of them hitting us,” Phillips stated. “I used to be actually pleased with our guys and the trouble they’d tonight.”

That second-half effort has been the distinction, particularly within the final two dwelling video games for Utah Valley. The Wolverines scored 39 second-half factors after placing up 44 of their rout of Abilene Christian on Feb. 10.

It is a stark distinction from their loss to Tarleton State on Feb. 8, the place the Wolverines gave up a 15-point halftime lead in that 72-61 loss. Phillips stated belief has allowed his group to lastly put it collectively after their four-game shedding streak a month in the past.

“We have grown from that shedding streak rather a lot,” he stated. “We have simply relied on guys being in the correct spot to make the correct performs.”

Dorius, a Utah State switch, and Ethan Potter have been simply two of these gamers making all the correct strikes for the Wolverines not too long ago. Potter scored 16 factors and had seven rebounds, briefly threatening to set a brand new career-high in factors, only a week and a half faraway from doing so in back-to-back video games.

It was the 7-foot-tall Dorius, aptly named “The Wasatch Entrance,” who had the most important impression on the evening, although. The graduate ahead snagged six of his 14 rebounds within the first 9 minutes of the sport.

Dorius stated the latest turnaround, nonetheless, is not attainable with out his teammate Potter.

“You possibly can see when guards drive at us, they’re consistently occupied with recover from us,” Dorius stated. “Due to what he does with me throughout the sport, he’ll assist us go far.”

Potter and Dorius actually did assist the Wolverines go far, combining for 20 factors within the first half, however the Vaqueros got here out even higher, surging forward to a 32-31 halftime edge, due to a terrific taking pictures show to the tune of 54%.

“Their share within the first half was means too excessive for us,” Phillips stated. “Credit score them, UTRGV ended up hitting some pictures.”

Dorius stated the Vaqueros had been displaying extra vitality than the Wolverines had been, and that led to a heated halftime dialog.

“We had an actual heart-to-heart and acquired a bit of offended at one another,” he stated.

That anger spilled over onto the ground as Utah Valley took management 5 minutes into the second half with an 8-0 run, giving them a 45-40 lead. The lead continued to mushroom after that, rising to as massive as 18 with underneath three minutes to play.

And identical to of their sport towards Abilene Christian, the Wolverines held UTRGV to only 1-of-14 taking pictures in an almost seven-minute stretch. In addition they gathered 14 assists on their 16 made discipline objectives within the second half.

Dorius stated the latest second-half energy surges are simply glimpses of what the Wolverines need to be heading into the WAC Match in Las Vegas in two weeks — although there are nonetheless battles left to be gained earlier than then.

“You possibly can’t anticipate to beat each group by 20 or 30 factors,” he stated. “We anticipate each sport goes to be powerful.”

However Phillips stated his group has come a great distance since their loss to Tarleton State.

“We’re getting there; we’ve not had a terrific sport but,” he stated. “Our guys are assured, although; that is huge this time of the yr.”

Dorius is among the gamers gaining that confidence. He earmarked the loss to the Texans as a turning level within the season; the subsequent day in follow, the group got here collectively and made their intentions recognized that they wished one other WAC championship.

“We come out right here to win, and we play for one another as brothers now,” Dorius stated.

And he was not afraid to ship that message to the remainder of the WAC as he completed his press convention.

“We will be there in Vegas, and we’ll present you all what we’re able to.”

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