OREM, Utah – Center Sam Lubcke notched a double-double with 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds and guard Taylor Gordon scored 21 points to pave the way for Utah Valley's 68-56 victory over Dixie State Saturday afternoon inside Lockhart Arena.
 
Lubcke's third double-double of the year and Gordon's second consecutive 20-point effort (6-of-12 FG) gave the Wolverines (5-10) their second straight win to close out non-conference play. With only seven UVU players suited up, the junior duo of Gordon and Lubcke stepped up to account for more than half of the Wolverine scoring.
 
"We were short to begin with, so I took it upon myself to keep my hands up and dominate on the boards," said Lubcke. "I go into games with the mindset that every rebound's going to be mine and that I've got to work hard and be athletic to get myself in position to get those."
 
Behind Lubcke's 16-rebound night on the boards, which was the highest rebound total by a UVU player all season, the Wolverines held a 44-32 advantage on the glass in the game.
 
"It was a great night for her," said Utah Valley head coach Cathy Nixon. "At halftime I told her she's a two-time NJCAA All-American and she needed to go out there and play like she was. She was the key for us tonight."
 
Gordon also helped shoulder the load on the glass for UVU, as she finished just shy of her second straight double-double with nine rebounds on the afternoon.
 
The Wolverines opened the game on a 13-2 run, guided by four points a piece from Sam Lubcke and Taylor Gordon. Lubcke went on to finish the half with 10 points and Gordon scored nine in the opening frame.
 
Utah Valley came out strong in the second half with an 11-3 run to extend its lead to double digits, 43-31, following four straight points from freshman Jordan Holland off free throws. Gabrielle Leos hit a three-pointer and Gordon added a pair of buckets, as the Wolverines opened up a 12-point lead.
 
The Trailblazers pulled to within single digits of the Wolverines with a 12-4 run toward the end of the third quarter, before Gordon hit a quick two-pointer on the other end to give UVU a 56-46 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
 
With 5:37 remaining in the game, Dixie State's Ashlee Burge's finished a layup to bring the Trailblazer deficit to its lowest since the first half at 59-53. Burge's bucket also capped a 7-3 Dixie State run which spanned the first four minutes and 23 seconds of the fourth quarter.
 
Lubcke ended the quick Dixie State surge with a putback following an offensive board for her 13th rebound of the day that pushed UVU's lead back to eight, 61-53. She added her fourth straight point on the squad's next possession en route to scoring five of UVU's final 10 points, while grabbing three more boards down the stretch to hold off a Dixie State comeback.
 
The win marked the 351st career victory for Nixon, who is in her 22nd season at the helm for the Wolverines. Nixon is now 14 wins shy of tying UVU volleyball coach Sam Atoa for most career wins by an  active UVU coach heading into conference play.
 
"It does feel good to close 2016 with back-to-back wins. Hopefully we can continue this momentum going forward. I feel like we played good on the defensive end, which has been our focus lately," she said.
 
In addition to it's dominance on the glass, Utah Valley's defense held its opponent to under 60 points for the second straight contest. The Wolverines improved to 3-1 this season when they achieve that feat.
 
Utah Valley will conclude its three-game home stand to ring in the new year when it opens WAC play against Grand Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 7. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m. at the UCCU Center.