No. 5 Utah Valley University vs. No. 4 Seattle University
Wednesday, March 11, 2015  |  2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT
WAC Tournament Central
WAC Digital Network   |   StatBroadcast

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Utah Valley University women's basketball team opens the 2015 WAC Tournament on Wednesday at 2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT against Seattle University. The Wolverines are the No. 5 seed facing the fourth-seeded Redhawks in the opening game of the tournament at the Orleans Arena.
 
Utah Valley (11-18, 5-9) and Seattle U (9-20, 6-8) split two games during the WAC regular season, with each team winning on its home court. The Redhawks opened the conference season with a 73-58 win on Jan. 10, with the Wolverines posting a decisive 73-42 victory on Feb. 7 in Orem. This marks the first postseason meeting between the teams.

"We feel like we've played pretty good basketball over the last month and that the conference season has prepared us for this. I think we're peaking at the right time," said head coach Cathy Nixon. "My goal as a coach is to have the girls prepared and confident and I think we're at that point. Now we need to go out a leave on the floor on Wednesday."

On Tuesday the league announced its All-WAC teams with two Utah Valley players represented on the teams. Mariah Seals was named the WAC Freshman of the Year and to the WAC All-Newcomer Team and redshirt sophomore Rhaiah Spooner-Knight was named second team All-WAC.

Spooner-Knight leads the team with 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and Seals is scoring 13.2 points per contest. Those scoring averages rank sixth and seventh, respectively, among all WAC players.
 
This season's tournament will be Utah Valley's second as members of the WAC. Entering as the No. 7 seed last season, the Wolverines nearly knocked off No. 2 Bakersfield in the quarterfinals, falling 65-63 in overtime in Las Vegas. In that contest Sam Loggins recorded a career high with 28 points.

Wednesday's winner advances to Friday's semifinal contest against regular season champion New Mexico State. That game tips at noon PT/1 p.m. MT.