OREM, Utah—Marcel Davis led Utah Valley with 19 points and Zach Nelson recorded his second double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 78-62 win over Chicago State Thursday night at the UCCU Center.
 
Utah Valley (8-11, 3-2) got off to a quick start, taking an 8-0 lead at the 17:08 mark. The Wolverines stretched the advantage to 10 points on three different occasions in the first half and took a 42-35 lead into the break.
 
Utah Valley built upon its lead in the second half, going on a 15-5 run to take a 64-45 lead with 11:37 to play. The team then held on to the lead and extended the advantage to as many as 25 points late in the second half to secure the win.
 
"We had a great crowd and we appreciate the enthusiasm they showed," said Utah Valley head coach Dick Hunsaker. "The fans really energized our team tonight. I thought that we gave a consistent effort against a very scrappy, never-say-quit Chicago State team."
 
Davis scored his 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field. He also knocked down 9-of-13 free throws and dished out a season-high seven assists with a steal. Nelson scored his 16 points on a 6-of-7 clip from the field, including a 2-of-3 mark from long range. Nelson also recorded a career-high four blocks in the victory.
 
Donte Williams and Mitch Bruneel were also in double figures with 16 and 13 points, respectively. Williams scored his 16 points on three makes from three-point range and a 7-of-9 clip from the charity stripe. Bruneel hit 5-of-10 shots on the night, including three made shots from beyond the arc. Boston Gubler also helped with a career-high seven points.
 
Jared Dimakos led Chicago State (4-18, 0-5) with a game-high 22 points.
 
As a team, Utah Valley shot a 44.2 percent clip from the field while holding the Cougars to a 36.1 percentage. The Wolverines knocked down nine three-point field goals on the night.
 
Utah Valley continues play at home on Saturday night against Missouri-Kansas City. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. (MT). The game will broadcast nationally on the American Sports Network, which can be found locally on KMYU and Altitude Sports.