OREM, Utah – Alexis Cortez scored a career-high 19 points to lead three Utah Valley University players in double figures in a 90-61 win over Ottawa University (Arizona) on Saturday in the UCCU Center.
 
Cortez' game-high scoring effort came on 8-for-12 shooting overall as well as 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. The Wolverines (3-1) were 8-for-11 from three (72.7 percent) and hit 55.4 percent (36-for-65) overall.
 
"I don't doubt that we can score the ball. I think we have a lot of depth offensively and good balance inside and out," said UVU head coach Cathy Nixon. "Happy we were able to play some kids who weren't getting as many minutes. It's a process and I saw some things I really liked and some things I didn't."
 
Joining Cortez in double figures were Jordan Holland and Eve Braslis, who finished with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Utah Valley had a decisive edge on the glass, out-rebounding the Spirit 49-28. Josie Williams had a game-high nine rebounds. Braslis and Holland – who hit 5-of-7 from the floor – both had seven rebounds for UVU. Ottawa was led by Bailey Osmer, who scored 16 points.
 
Utah Valley scored the first seven points of the game with Holland getting five of those including a 3-pointer. The lead was seven, 17-10, when the Wolverines closed the first quarter on a 9-0 run with four different players scoring during the spurt. Holland had nine of her 11 first-half points in the quarter with UVU leading 26-10 after one.
 
In the second quarter the teams traded mini-runs. The Spirit got within 12, 40-28, with 3:35 left until the break before eight straight Wolverine points gave UVU its biggest lead of the game to that point, 48-28.
 
In the opening half, UVU turned 11 first-half turnovers by Ottawa into 16 points. That, combined with shooting 62.5 percent from the field, allowed the Wolverines to build a 48-30 lead by halftime.
 
The Wolverines continued their torrid shooting in the third, hitting 10-of-16 in the quarter and pushing the lead to 76-47 by the end of the third. A Cortez 3-pointer with just under two minutes left in the third began a quick 9-0 Wolverine run that spanned just over one minute and extended the lead to 32, 76-44. UVU was 30-for-48 (62.4 percent) from the field after three quarters of play.
 
Maria Carvalho finished with eight assists and three steals, while Keana Delos Santos also added three steals. Madison Grange hit both of her attempt from the field – both 3-pointers – to finish with six points with Leya Harvey and Emma Jones also chipping in six.
 
The Wolverines are back in action next Wednesday at 1 p.m. MT against Arizona Christian in Lockhart Arena.