Utah Valley (5-6) vs. Montana Tech (6-7) GAME INFORMATION
Live Video Stream: WolverineGreen.com (Brandon Crow/Matt Peterson)
Radio: ESPN 960 AM (Jim McCulloch/Holton Hunsaker)
Radio Webcast: espn960sports.com
Live Stats Link: UVU StatBroadcast
 

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OPENING TIP
Utah Valley looks to snap a four game skid on Friday afternoon as the team returns home to take on NAIA foe Montana Tech. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. (MST) at the UCCU Center.

The Wolverines hold a 3-1 mark at home this season with wins over Idaho State, Benedictine and UTSA. UVU's lone setback at home was an 80-79 overtime loss to in-state rival Utah State.

Zach Nelson led Utah Valley with a team-high 14 points, connecting on 5-of-11 shots from the field with a 3-of-5 mark from long range in the loss at UTSA on Wednesday night. Jordan Poydras was also in double figures with 12 points, hitting 4-of-9 shots on the night, including three shots from beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard Conner Toolson leads the Wolverines in scoring at 14.6 points per game. Junior forward Isaac Neislon ranks second on the team in scoring at 13.7 points a contest. Neilson leads the team on the boards, pulling down 10.2 rebounds a game. Neilson is the lone player in the WAC to average double digit rebounds this season. Brandon Randolph leads the team in assists, averaging 5.7 helpers a game.

Isaac Neilson ranks 20th nationally in field goal percentage as the junior forward is connecting on 61.1 percent of his shots. Brandon  Randolph ranks 33rd nationally in assists per game at 5.7. He also ranks 47th nationally with 63 assists this year. As a team, UVU ranks third in the nation in tempo, according to KenPom.com.

Utah Valley knocked down a school-record 18 three-point field goals en route to its 114-101 win at BYU on Nov. 26. The 114 points are the second most points ever scored in a game by the Wolverines and is the most points ever scored by a BYU opponent in the Marriott Center. UVU ranks 44th nationally at 9.4 threes per game.

Utah Valley recorded its biggest comeback in school history on Nov. 23 as the team erased a 27-point deficit to defeat Denver 88-85 at Magness Arena. The Wolverines nearly erased an 18-point deficit in Wednesday's loss at Washington State as the Wolverines pulled to within one point with under a minute to play. UVU erased a 14-point deficit to take a three-point lead late in the loss at Utah. The team also erased a 16 point deficit to get to within a point of UTSA in San Antonio before falling down the stretch.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Friday's's game against Montana Tech will be streamed live at WolverineGreen.com/Watch with Brandon Crow and Matt Peterson calling the action. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN 960 AM radio with Jim McCulloch and Holton Hunsaker handling the play-by-play and color duties. A live stream of the radio broadcast will be available through ESPN960sports.com and also through the ESPN 960 app, which is available for both iPhone and Android.

ABOUT MONTANA TECH
Montana Tech is an NAIA school located in Butte, Montana. The school is a member of the Frontier Conference. Montana Tech heads into Friday's matchup against Utah Valley with a 6-7 overall record. The Orediggers count game against Division I opponents as exhibition contest and they do not figure into the team's overall record. The 'Diggers have played one game against Division I opponents this season, falling 76-46 to Idaho State on Dec. 16 in Pocatello. The team most recently dropped three games on back-to-back-to-back nights at the Cactus Classic in Chandler, Ariz. The Orediggers fell 69-56 to Valley City State to open the Classic. The team then dropped an exhibition contest to Calgary, 70-67, before wrapping up play with a 67-55 setback to Arizona Christian. Montana Tech has dropped six straight games dating back to a 76-62 loss to Montana State University Northern. The 'Diggers last win was a 105-72 victory over Salish Kootenai College on Nov. 22. Junior guard Chris O'Neill leads the team in scoring at 11.7 points per game. Sophomore guard Lukas Vining is just shy of averaging double figures at 9.8 points a contest. Junior forward Flemming Okeke leads the team on the boards, pulling down 6.9 a game. As a team, Montana Tech averages 66.3 points a game while limiting opponents to a 64.2 average.

SERIES HISTORY VS. MONTANA TECH
Utah Valley and Montana Tech meet on the basketball hardwood for the fourth time on Friday afternoon. The Wolverines hold an all-time 3-0 series lead over the Orediggers. Utah Valley is 51-0 all-time against non Division I teams. Utah Valley picked up a 70-60 win over Montana Tech in the two team's last meeting on Feb. 13, 2012 at the UCCU Center.

All-Time Series Results vs. Montana Tech (UVU leads series, 3-0)
Feb. 13, 2012    Utah Valley def. Montana Tech, 70-60    Orem, Utah
Dec. 22, 2005    Utah Valley def. Montana Tech, 79-54    Orem, Utah
Dec. 20, 2003    Utah Valley def. Montana Tech, 79-43    Orem, Utah

SLOW START HINDERS UVU IN 66-60 LOSS AT UTSA
Utah Valley overcame a 16-point second half deficit to climb to within one point but couldn't get any closer in a 66-60 loss to UTSA on Wednesday night at the Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Trailing by 16 points, 39-23, with 17:20 to play in the final period, Utah Valley scored 15 unanswered points over a five-minute stretch to get to within one point, 39-38, with 12 minutes remaining. UTSA used a 12-3 run of their own to extend their lead back up to 10 points, 55-45, with 5:35 left on the clock.
 
Back-to-back threes by Zach Nelson and Jordan Poydras got the Wolverines back to within three pints, 60-57, with 1:57 remaining. UVU then missed a pair of game-tying shots from beyond the arc, forcing the Wolverines to send UTSA to the free throw line. The 'Runners then knocked down 6-of-8 free throws over the final 32 seconds to secure the win.
 
Nelson led Utah Valley with a team-high 14 points, connecting on 5-of-11 shots from the field with a 3-of-5 mark from long range. Poydras was also in double figures with 12 points, hitting 4-of-9 shots on the night, including three shots from beyond the arc.
 
Conner Toolson scored nine points, while Isaac Neilson added seven points to go along with a game-high 13 rebounds. Ivory Young had six points with a career-high seven assists.
 
Utah Valley shot 31.7 percent (19-of-60) from the field on the night compared to UTSA's 35.4 percent (23-of-65) clip. UTSA just edged out UVU on the boards, 47-45.
 
LATE SECOND HALF RUN LIFTS WEBER STATE OVER UTAH VALLEY, 93-85
Brandon Randolph and Conner Toolson each led two other Wolverines in double figures with 15 points to lead Utah Valley in a 93-85 setback to in-state rival Weber State on Saturday night at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.
 
After Weber State jumped out to an 8-2 lead to open the game, Utah Valley responded with a 7-0 run capped off by a Zach Nelson shot in the paint to give the Wolverines their first lead of the game, 9-8, with 15:38 remaining in the first half. The Wildcats went back up by six points, 18-12, at the 11:12 mark before UVU tied the game, 19-19, on a Jordan Poydras three-pointer. The two teams then played through five lead changes and five ties before Weber State took a 41-38 lead into halftime.
 
Both teams played closely through the first 10 minutes of the second period until the Wildcats took their biggest lead of the game, 65-58, with 10:58 remaining. UVU responded with an 8-3 run to cut the Wildcat lead to just two points, 68-66, with 7:48 to play. Weber State then used a 12-3 run over the next two minutes to extend its lead to an 80-69 advantage with 5:09 remaining. WSU extended its lead over the final five minutes to secure the 93-85 win.
 
Randolph knocked down 7-of-10 shots from the field for his team-high 15 points. The junior guard also pulled down five rebounds and dished out a game-high five assists on the night. Toolson scored his 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting, including a shot from three. Toolson also pulled down four rebounds with one assist.

Zach Nelson and Isaac Neilson were also in double figures with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Nelson connected on 6-of-11 shots, including a pair of shots from long range for his 14 points. Neilson scored 13 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the field. He also hit 5-of-6 free throws and tallied three rebounds, two assists and a pair of blocks.    
 
As a team, Utah Valley connected on 51.6 percent (32-of-62) of its shots on the night compared to Weber State's 58.5 percent (31-of-53) clip from the field. Weber State knocked down 12 shots from long range while UVU connected on seven shots from three-point range. WSU just edged out UVU on the boards, 31-29.
 
WOLVERINES CONTINUE TO RECEIVE VOTES IN COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25 POLL
Utah Valley fell out of the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top 25 Poll after going 0-2 last week with losses at Utah and at home against Utah State. The Wolverines made their debut at No. 24 in the Nov. 28 version of the poll before dropping to No. 25 last week. Despite the loss at Weber State on Saturday night, UVU continues to be among others receiving votes in the poll with five.

FAST AND THE FURIOUS
As of Dec. 22, KenPom.com has Utah Valley ranked as the third-fastest team in the nation at 79.9 possessions per 40 minutes. The Citadel is ranked as the No. 1 tempo team in the nation, followed by Savannah State. UVU is third, followed by BYU in fourth.

LOVING THE LONG BALL
Utah Valley has knocked down 103 three-pointers through just nine games this season. At that pace, Utah Valley is set to connect on more than 280 shots from beyond the arc this season. The team is on track to break the UVU single season record of 256 made threes set by last year's team. UVU has already broken the all-time UVU single game record for threes made with 18 at BYU. The team also broke the single game UVU record for threes attempted as the Wolverines put up a school-record 43 three-point attempts in a 86-52 win over Benedictine on Nov. 19, surpassing the previous record of 37 set last season against Chicago State (2/18/2016). Utah Valley ranks 37th in the nation in threes per game, averaging 9.5 threes a contest.

UVU BREAKS SCHOOL RECORD WITH 18 THREES IN WIN OVER BYU
Utah Valley's 114 points against BYU are the most points ever scored against the Cougars in the Marriott Center. UVU's 18 three-point field goals are also the most ever recorded in the Marriott Center. The 18 threes breaks the UVU single game record for threes, breaking the previous record of 16 set in 2009 against NJIT.

RANDOLPH BREAKS UVU SINGLE GAME ASSISTS RECORD, TOP MARK IN NATION THIS SEASON
Utah Valley junior guard Brandon Randolph registered 14 assists in the Wolverines' win at BYU on Nov. 26. The 14 assists are the most ever recorded in a single game in UVU history. Randolph breaks the previous record of 12 set by Nick Thompson on Dec. 28, 2012 against Austin Peay. The 14 assists ties Randolph with Fordham's  Joseph Chartouny and  Ball State's Tayler Persons for the most assists dished out in a single game in the country this season. Randolph ranks 33rd nationally, averaging 5.7 assists per game this season.

UVU PICKS UP HISTORIC 114-101 WIN OVER CROSSTOWN RIVAL BYU
Isaac Neilson scored a career-high 26 points and Brandon Randolph recorded a 21-point, 14-assist double-double to help lead the Utah Valley University men's basketball team to a 114-101 win over Brigham Young in the UCCU Crosstown Clash on Nov. 26 at the Marriott Center.  

Utah Valley knocked down a school-record 18 three-point field goals en route to its 114-point performance—the second most points ever scored in a game by the Wolverines. The 114 points are also the most points ever scored by a BYU opponent in the Marriott Center.

Neilson connected on an impressive 10-of-12 shots from the field, including a perfect 2-of-2 clip from beyond the arc. The junior forward was just one rebound shy of his third double-double with nine boards. He also tallied a pair of blocks. Randolph registered his career-high 21 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field. The junior also went a perfect 2-for-2 from three and made 8-of-10 free throws.
Randolph was just one rebound shy of a triple-double as he tallied his 21 points with 14 assists and nine rebounds. Randolph's 14 helpers are the most assists ever recorded by a UVU player in a single game, breaking the previous single game record of 12 set by Nick Thompson against Austin Peay in 2012. Conner Toolson and Poydras also had career nights with 21 and 20 points, respectively.  

Jared Stutzman was also in double figures with 11 points. Utah Valley shot 52.9 percent (36-of-68) from the field, including a 48.6 percent (18-of-37) clip from beyond the arc. The Wolverines held BYU to a 47.4 percent (37-of-78) mark from the field and a 28.6 percent (6-of-21) clip from long range. The Wolverines out-rebounded BYU 43-38 on the night.

NATIONAL ACCOLADES POUR IN AFTER WIN OVER BYU
Utah Valley received numerous accolades after its 114-101 at BYU on Nov. 26. The Wolverines received ESPN SportsCenter anchor Kevin Connors' Star of the Night that night on SportsCenter. UVU was named the American Sports Network's Team of the Week. The team also entered the CollegeInsider.com's MidMajor Top 25 poll following the win.

MILE HIGH MAGIC - UVU RECORDS BIGGEST COMEBACK IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Utah Valley recorded its biggest comeback in school history as the Wolverines overcame a 27-point deficit to defeat Denver 88-85 on Nov. 23 at Magness Arena. Utah Valley was just five points shy of breaking the all-time NCAA record for biggest deficit overcome to win a game set by Duke, which came back from 32 points down to defeat Tulane in 1950. The 27-point comeback win breaks the previous UVU record set last season when the Wolverines came back from a 20-point deficit to defeat UMKC, 79-70.

All-Time Biggest Comebacks in UVU history
Nov. 23, 2016    27 points    Utah Valley (88) at Denver (85)    Denver, Colorado
Feb. 20, 2016    20 points    Utah Valley (79) vs. UMKC (70)    Orem, Utah
Dec. 03, 2005    17 points    Utah Valley (71) vs. Sacramento State (69)    Orem, Utah

NELSON CLIMBING UVU CAREER RECORD CHARTS
Zach Nelson currently ranks in the top-10 in 17 different all-time individual career statistical categories. The junior forward ranks fourth all-time at UVU in blocks (71), fifth in blocks per game (1.0), fifth in rebounds (420), fifth in defensive rebounds (317), sixth in defensive rebounds per game (4.3), sixth in rebound average (5.8), fifth in games started (71), seventh in assists (188), eighth in points scored (762), eighth in field goals made (296), eighth in field goal percentage (.493), eighth in assist average (2.6), ninth in minutes played (2,150),10th in scoring average (10.4), eighth in field goals attempted (600), ninth in offensive rebounds (103), and 10th in offensive rebound average (1.4).

SECOND-LARGEST CROWD IN UVU HISTORY
Utah Valley welcomed 6,792 fans to its game against Utah State on Dec. 10. The 6,792 fans are the second-most ever to attend a UVU basketball game at the UCCU Center, not far behind the record of 7,124 set in 2010. UVU opened the season with the largest crowd ever for a home opener in UVU history. The 6,117 fans at the home opener against Idaho State also marks the seventh highest attended game in UVU history.

NUVI BASKETBALL CENTER
Utah Valley University broke ground on a new $3.5 million basketball practice and conditioning facility on June 22 at a ceremony celebrating the new building. The 14,500-square-foot facility, which is privately funded, will be named the NUVI Basketball Center after a lead donation from NUVI executive chair Keith Nellesen. The structure will be located on the south side of the UCCU Center on UVU's Orem campus.
 
The facility, designed by Method Studio, will include 8,000 square feet of court space and nine basketball standards, with "game-day atmosphere" graphics to match the UCCU Center environment. A mesh wall will separate the court from 1,900 square feet of strength and conditioning space, with sliding doors to dampen sound when necessary. A mezzanine level overlooks the court and will include 3,000 square feet of office space split into suites for the men's and women's coaching staff. Each suite will feature a large office for each head coach that can double as a conference room, offices for three assistant coaches and basketball operations.

NEW FACES
Utah Valley welcomes 11 new players to its roster this season, including three players (Brandon Randolph, Isaac Neilson, Jordan Poydras) who had to sit out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. The Wolverines have added five new transfers (Conner Toolson, Kenneth Ogbe, Jake Toolson, Cory Calvert, Akolda Manyang) to this year's roster, including three (Jake Toolson, Cory Calvert, Akolda Manyang) who will have to sit out and redshirt this season. UVU welcomes three freshman to the team in Jared Stutzman, Joonas Tahvanainen and Jeffrey Yan.

MBA SMARTS
Utah Valley might be the only team in the country with two juniors that are entering their first year in a post graduate MBA program. Zach Nelson and Kenneth Ogbe started their first year in the MBA program at UVU this year.

WAITING IN THE WINGS
Utah Valley has three players that must redshirt this season due to NCAA transfer rules. UVU signees Jake Toolson (BYU), Cory Calvert (BYU) and Akolda Manyang (Oklahoma) will redshirt this season.