LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Junior Mariah Seals scored a game-high 22 points while juniors Sam Lubcke and Taylor Gordon each tallied a double-double for Utah Valley, as the Wolverines overcame a fourth-quarter deficit for a 59-53 overtime victory over CSU Bakersfield Wednesday night at the Orleans Arena in the WAC Tournament Quarterfinal.
 
Along with Seals' offensive performance, Lubcke added 19 points and 10 rebounds alongside Gordon's 10-point, 11-rebound effort to help UVU (9-21, 4-11 WAC) complete a comeback after trailing by seven with 7:06 remaining in regulation. The victory gives Utah Valley's second WAC Tournament win in program history and advances the squad into the WAC semifinals for the second straight year.
 
"I told the girls in the locker room that I knew we could win this game," said Utah Valley head coach Cathy Nixon. "They were awesome tonight. Every season is a journey and this has been a rocky one, but in every way these girls have stuck together. I couldn't be more proud of them for accomplishing this tonight."
 
With the Wolverines facing its largest deficit in the game's final stretch, Seals spearheaded the late push with a personal 7-0 run to cut the deficit to three with under three minutes left in the fourth. After stealing an errant pass by CSUB's (15-14, 10-4 WAC) Erika Williams, Seals converted the ensuing fastbreak layup and then completed the surge with a three from up top and another driving layup as UVU pulled to within 49-46.
 
"I've honestly had a chip on my shoulder since our last game against them because I was really disappointed I wasn't able to get on the court and help my team. I felt like coming out and laying everything on the line to try to get a win for my team," said Seals, who missed the first game of her career in UVU's setback at CSUB in February.
 
Moments later, Gordon – who was held to four points until the closing moments of the fourth – brought Utah Valley to within striking distance at 49-48 after sinking a pair of free throws with 2:02 on the game clock. Gordon went on to score UVU's final six points of regulation, including the game-tying foul shots that followed her foul drawn on CSUB's Brittany Sims with six seconds to send the game to overtime.
 
After each team went scoreless to begin overtime, freshman forward Jordan Holland followed up a pair of missed shots by Lubcke and Gordon with an offensive rebound, UVU's final offensive board of the game, and drained a bucket inside while being fouled on the play. Holland converted the three-point play on the ensuing go-head point from the charity stripe to give Utah Valley its first lead since 28-26 with 35 seconds left in the first half.
 
In addition, Holland's three-point putback gave the Wolverines the final two of its 32 points in the paint on the night as they doubled the Roadrunners' offensive output inside with a 16-point advantage in that area. She extended the UVU lead to three, 55-52, notching her third point in the extra period by hitting 1-of-2 free throws.
 
The Wolverines sealed the game with six straight made foul shots, as Seals and Gordon added another pair over the contests' final 41 seconds. Prior to Gordon's game-clincher with 13 seconds, sophomore Britta Hall made her mark on the final outcome as she jumped near the sideline at midcourt to intercept a pass from Alexus Gilbert and managed to keep her feet inbounds before finding her open teammate in play.
 
Behind Lubcke's and Gordon's double-digit rebounding nights, along with 16 offensive boards, UVU outrebounded CSUB 41-38 on the evening.
 
A native of Murray Bridge, Australia, Lubcke brought down a game-high seven boards on the offensive glass en route to becoming the program's all-time single season leader in offensive rebounds. Lubcke broke the record with her fourth offensive rebound of the first half, which she followed up with her sixth field goal of the opening 20 minutes while giving UVU a 23-20 lead.
 
"It means a lot," said Lubcke. "I went into tonight's game thinking, 'I don't to get just four [offensive rebounds], I want to smash [the record].' So I am happy that I got seven in the game."
 
Along with its scoring surge during the comeback, Utah Valley's stingy defense held CSU Bakersfield without a field goal in the last 6:33 of the game and an 0-for-8 clip from the floor in that span.
 
The Wolverines will next face No. 2 seed Seattle U in the WAC semifinal broadcasted on ESPN3 on Friday, March 10. Tip-off for the contest is set for 2:30 p.m. PT and 3:30 p.m. MT at Orleans Arena.