Opponent: Portland State
Date: January 10, 2006
Location: Orem, Utah (McKay Center)
Time: 7:05pm MST
This Week's Action ...
Utah Valley State will play its fourth straight Big Sky opponent on Tuesday night when Portland State comes to town. It will be the only game this week for the Wolverines, who will face their first fellow Independent school next Tuesday, the 17th, when Texas-Pan American comes to Orem.
The Wolverines went 1-2 last week with their only win coming at home against Idaho State. They fell at Montana State to open the week before the win over ISU and then finished the week with a loss to Weber State.
In that game Robyn Fairbanks scored 26 points and pulled down 12 rebounds while Sandy Marvin scored a career high 21 points as the Wolverines beat the Bengals 83-74.
The game against Weber was the fourth and final game against in-state opponents this season. The Wolverines are still winless against in-state Division-I schools during their tenure as a D-I school.
Last Time Out ...
After dominating the first half, Utah Valley State struggled in the second frame losing to Weber State, 65-57 at the Activities Center.
Utah Valley State head coach Cathy Nixon said poor shooting cost the Wolverines.
"There are just games when your shots don't go in," she said. " Weber State tried to take away our inside game in the second half. When that happens someone else needed to step up for us and it just didn't happen."
The Wolverines went into halftime outscoring Weber State 26-7 over the final 12 minutes of the half. Despite a slow start, Utah Valley managed to stiffen defensively, holding Weber State to 29.6 percent shooting in the first half while forcing nine turnovers.
The Wildcats started the second half on a 12-1 run, regaining a 34-32 lead with 15 minutes remaining in the game. The Wolverines struggled shooting and with turnovers to start the second half.
Weber State kept the defensive pressure on Utah Valley throughout the second half. The Wolverines didn't their first field goal of the half until there was 7:33 remaining in the game when Marvin beat her defender to the baseline and scored the layup. Despite missing its first 15 shots of the second half, Utah Valley State stayed closed thanks to stifling defense and poor ball control by the Wildcats.
With the Wolverines only down six, Porter hit a three with 2:20 remaining in the game to give Weber State a 56-47 lead. The trey proved decisive as Utah Valley never came within six points as the Wildcats made their foul shots down the stretch.
Fairbanks led the Wolverines with 22 points and 11 rebounds. It is the third straight game that Fairbanks has recorded a double double. Marvin added 11 for Utah Valley State.
Scouting the Opposition ...
Portland State is 6-6 following a loss at Gonzaga (81-57) way back on Monday, January 2nd. They are led in scoring by Kelsey Kahle's 18 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Brianna Thompson is second on the team in scoring (14.8) and rebounding (8.4).
Head coach Charity Elliott is in her second season at the helm in Portland.
Portland State is virtually six players deep, as five players average over 30 minutes per game and one averages 26.8 mpg. No one else averages more than seven minutes per contest.
The Vikings are looking to snap a five game road losing streak and a two game losing streak overall.
Up Next ...
The Wolverines will play their first Independent opponent next Tuesday the 17th when Texas Pan American comes to town.
