Feb. 17, 2011
Box Score
OREM, Utah - Utah Valley led South Dakota early Thursday evening in the UCCU Center in Orem but the Wolverines (5-19, 3-6 GWC) went cold in the second half and the Coyotes (15-10, 6-2 GWC) took advantage, winning it 53-42.
"I felt like the difference in the game was that we didn't hit our shots," UVU head coach Cathy Nixon said. "Our kids played hard and honestly executed our game plan perfectly. South Dakota is a good shooting team and I thought we defended them well. The bottom line was that we just couldn't hit a shot in the second half."
UVU, who had won its last three games, continued its hot play early on in the as it jumped out to a 15-4 lead over the Coyotes. The game was tied at 4-4 a couple minutes in when the Wolverines went on an 11-0 run to take the quick double-digit lead.
The Coyotes then managed to hold the Wolverines to just five points over the next eight minutes to get within two at 20-18 with four minutes to play until the half. USD then managed to regain the lead at 24-23 with 37 seconds to play in the first after a made 3-pointer from Tempestt Wilson.
UVU's Whitney Jenkins then was fouled with four seconds left and she converted two of three free throws to give the Wolverines a one-point lead, 25-24, going into the break.
Sammie Jensen paced UVU in the first half finishing with seven points and six rebounds.
In the second half the Coyotes scored the first five points to take a 29-25 advantage. The Wolverines were slow to get going offensively in the second half as they scored just four points in the first 15 minutes of the final period.
With UVU trailing 37-29 with 7:44 to play USD's Amber Hegge hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Coyotes up 40-29, their largest lead of the game at the time.
UVU's Kim Bell finally broke the scoring drought as she sank a deep jumper from just inside the 3-point line to bring the Wolverines within nine with five minutes to play.
With South Dakota leading 46-37 with two and a half minutes left, Katelyn Edwards hit a 3-ball to put USD up by 12. With the Coyotes up by 15 a minute later, UVU's Jenna Johnson converted a 3-point play to cut the score at 52-40.
The late Wolverine comeback attempt came up short as the Coyotes held on win by 11 points.
Johnson led UVU with 13 points, while Jensen notched her 12th double-double of the season as put up 11 points and 15 rebounds. Amber Hegge led the Coyotes as she finished with a double-double of 14 points and 13 boards.
For the game the Wolverines shot just 26-percent from the field and 7-percent from behind-the-arc on 1-of-14 shooting. USD ended up shooting 34-percent from the floor and 40-percent from distance.
The Wolverines will continue their four-game homestand Saturday when North Dakota comes to town. The game will begin at 4:30 p.m. UVU will then play its final regular season home game Feb. 26 versus Houston Baptist.
