OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University women's basketball managed to open the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run en route to recording a 76-68 victory over NAIA foe, 22nd-ranked Arizona Christian on Wednesday afternoon at Lockhart Arena.
 
Jordan Holland led all players with a game and career-high 21 points and six rebounds on her way to helping UVU improve to 4-1 on the young season. Makayla Enders paced the Firestorm (5-1) with 19 points and six boards in the losing effort. 
 
"We've been trying to emphasize that we need to play hard for the full 40 minutes and it was great see our conditioning pay off for us late in the fourth quarter. Our depth also paid off for us in the game, as we managed to get to get to the rim down the stretch," head UVU coach Cathy Nixon said. "We seemed to get off to a sluggish start in the game, but I was really proud of the way that the girls stepped up. We had a number of key contributions in the game, including strong play from both Keana (Delos Santos) and Va'e (Malufau) off of the bench."
 
Entering the fourth quarter down a point at 50-49, the Wolverines managed to reel off a clutch 11-0 run to take a 60-50 advantage. After a pair of free throws from Keana Delos Santos gave UVU a 51-50 lead, Maria Carvalho and Delos Santos followed with back-to-back layups to make it 55-50. Alexis Cortez then added a three-point play with a layup and the foul and Holland capped the Wolverine spurt with a layup of her own with 6:46 to play to give UVU a 10-point cushion. 
 
Arizona Christian fought back to pull within six on a couple of occasions, including at 70-64, with 1:14 left, but UVU responded by hitting four free throws down the stretch as well as a late layup from Holland to put the game away.
 
Carvalho and Eve Baslis too reached double figures in the scoring column for the Wolverines with 14 and 11, respectively, while Cortez and Keana Delos Santos each followed with nine. Carvalho led the way in the assist column on the afternoon for UVU with a team-high six, while ACU's Toni Davis dished out a game-high 11. 
 
The Firestorm got off to a quick start, as they jumped out to an early 9-2 advantage. With UVU later trailing 13-6, the Wolverines then managed to reel off six straight points to pull within a point at 13-12. UVU later tied things up at 15-15 following a layup from Holland and a free throw from Sophia Jacobsson, but ACU scored the next four of the next five points to take a 19-16 lead after one.
 
ACU then again took a 36-30 lead into halftime after ending the first half on a 7-2 run, which included banging home a deep three-pointer from Enders. 
 
UVU then got things going in the opening stages of the third quarter with back-to-back-to-back baskets to quickly tie things up at 36-36. The third quarter then stayed close from there, as ACU took a 50-49 advantage into the fourth followed another made three-ball from Enders. 
 
Holland set a new career high of scoring in the contest after shooting 10-of-17 from the field and 1-for-4 from the charity stripe. 
 
"Jordan is so solid and consistent for us. She does a lot of those intangible things, like taking a charge for us there late in the game as well as her rebounding and finishing at the rim," Nixon added. "We rely on Jordan and she brings it every day."
 
As a team, Utah Valley outrebounded ACU by nine in the ballgame (37-28). The Wolverines also held a 21-10 fast-break advantage in the contest and a dominant 52-32 advantage in the paint. 
 
The Wolverines will now take the next week off and will return to action with a UCCU Crosstown Clash against neighboring rival BYU on Thursday, Nov. 29 at Lockhart Arena in Orem. The rivalry game will begin at 11 a.m. at UVU's Lockhart Arena and will mark the final game of a current six-game homestand for the Wolverines.