OREM, Utah—Freshman Mariah Seals scored the game-winning layup with 1.9 seconds left to give Utah Valley University a 59-57 victory over Omaha on Monday afternoon in the UCCU Center.
 
With 20 seconds remaining,Seals ran down the clock until the final moments when she split two defenders and converted an the left-handed layup in the Wolverines' (6-8) first game back following a short Christmas break.
 
"Mariah is pretty tough to stop off the dribble and she is pretty crafty in the paint, but honestly, we have lost two of our last three games in the last second possession, so this was a long time coming," head coach Cathy Nixon said. "I'm really happy for the team, sometimes you just have to find a way to win and I think that's a stepping stone for this team. We are gaining momentum and playing pretty good basketball."
 
Rhaiah Spooner-Knight led the Wolverines with 18 points (9-for-15) and also added five rebounds. Karlee Norris earned her first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Seals finished with 13 points while Rebecca MaWhinney also finished with 5 rebounds. Utah Valley shot 43.3 percent on the night and had 18 assists as a team, among their highest this season.
 
With two minutes remaining before the break, Utah Valley tied the score at 23-23 courtesy of a layup from Norris. MaWhinney hit a free throw to jump ahead to 24-23, but Omaha's (5-7) Brianna Bogard hit a pair from the charity stripe to take the lead at the half 25-24.
 
Halfway through the second, Utah Valley had a six point lead 42-36, that the Mavericks quickly knocked away with two 3's from Briana Bogard. Bogard's six points were the start of a 13-3 run to bring the score to 49-45 with four minutes to play.
 
Patrice Toston put up a jumper and Taylor Gordon followed up with a pair of free throws to tie it up. Seals followed suit with another pair of free throws to take a short winded lead, until UNO's Madi Robson made all four of her next free throws to take a 53-51 lead with just under two minutes to play.
 
Utah Valley responded with a jumper from Spooner-Knight to tie again at 53, which was matched with a jumper from Omaha's Mikaela Shaw. Norris hit a free throw -- cutting UVU's deficit to one -- and the Mavericks had possession, until Taylor Gordon stole the inbounds pass at midcourt and found Norris, who got it back to Gordon for a three-point play consisting of a layup and a free throw with 30 seconds remaining. Omaha's Remy Davenport made two free throws for a tie once again at 57 before Seals' game-winner.
 
The Wolverines will return to action on the road at Southern Utah on Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. It will be UVU's final non-conference game of the year.