Dec. 28, 2007
Box Score
OREM, Utah - In a physical battle, Cal State Northridge edged Utah Valley 73-65, Friday evening at the McKay Center.
"I thought we fought and battled," UV head coach Dick Hunsaker said. "Credit Northridge, they are a good team and made the runs down the stretch."
Kevin Woods scored a career-high 15 points to lead the Wolverines while dishing out four assists. Ryan Toolson scored 15 while Jordan Brady scored 12 and pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds.
Thanks to early defensive pressure Utah Valley jumped out to an early 11-2 lead in the first seven minutes of the game as five different Wolverines scored a basket. CSUN responded with a 6-0 run to cut the Wolverines lead to 11-8 with 12:07 remaining in the half.
UV used a total team effort to build an eight-point advantage as several different UV players scored. UV opened a 24-16 lead on a Jabir Jinna jumper with 3:35 remaining in the half. The Matadors came back with an 8-4 run to end the half to cut the UV lead in half. The Wolverines held a 28-24 advantage at the break.
Defense dominated the opening period as UV shot just 35 percent from the field in the half. The Wolverines held Northridge to just 25 percent shooting from the field in the half and forced 12 turnovers.
The scoring picked up early in the second half with the Wolverines playing one point better than the Matadors in the first four minutes. UV held a 39-34 after a Kevin Woods running jumper with 16:00 minutes left. Behind 43-38, CSUN went on an 11-2 run taking its first lead and going ahead 49-45 with 10:50 left after a Deon Tresvant three-pointer. UV took the lead back on the heels of a 5-0 run of its own.
The game went back-and-forth over the final nine minutes with the teams trading the lead nearly every minute. With Utah Valley ahead 60-58, the Matadors got a pair of tip-ins from Jayme Miller to build a four point lead. Northridge made free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win.
UV next plays on Monday when the University of San Francisco comes to town to take on the Wolverines Monday night at 7:05 p.m.
