Utah Valley (16-7, 5-2) at Chicago State (2-23, 0-8)
Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018  |  6 p.m. MST
Chicago, Illinois   |   Jones Convocation Center (7,000)
Complete Utah Valley Game Notes (PDF)

GAME INFORMATION
TV: WAC Digital Network
Live Video: WACsports.com/watch
Radio: ESPN 960 AM (Jim McCulloch/Jason Erickson)
Radio Webcast: espn960sports.com
Live Stats Link: GoCSUcougars.com
 

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OPENING TIP
Utah Valley missed a game-winning shot at the buzzer in a 55-54 road loss at Seattle U last week. Despite the setback, the Wolverines have won nine of their last 11 games as the team embarks for on a road trip to Chicago State and Kansas City this week. UVU will open play this week at Chicago State on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. (MST).

After falling behind by 15 points in the first half, Utah Valley fought back to make it a one-possession game but could not hit a shot as time expired as it fell to Seattle U, 55-54, at Key Arena on Saturday night. Kenneth Ogbe missed a game-winning shot as time expired as UVU dropped its sixth road game of the season. Brandon Randolph led Utah Valley in both scoring and assists on the night with 15 and six, respectively. He also pulled down six rebounds on the night. Jake Toolson was not far behind as he dropped in 14 points and snagged five rebounds. Conner Toolson was the final Wolverine in double figures with 10 points to go along with six rebounds and an impressive five steals on the defensive end.

Utah Valley is tied for the 12th-longest current home win streak in the nation at 10 games. The Wolverines are tied with three other schools with 10-game home win streaks. Cincinnati holds the nation's longest current home win streak at 38 games, followed by Purdue at 21 games and Vermont at 20 games.

All five of Utah Valley's starters are averaging double figures. Akolda Manyang leads the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game. Kenneth Ogbe ranks second on the team at 13.2 points per game. Conner Toolson is third at 12.0 points a contest. Jake Toolson averages 11.7 points, followed by Brandon Randolph at 11.0.

Utah Valley graduate forward Zach Nelson is closing in on the 1,000-point mark. Nelson currently has 949 points and is just 45 points shy of reaching the milestone. Nelson will become just the seventh player in UVU history to reach the mark. Nelson will become the first player in UVU history to score 1,000 points, pull down 500 or more rebounds and dish out 200 or more assists.
 
Utah Valley has played five teams that won their conference tournaments last season and made trips to the NCAA Tournament, including Kentucky (SEC Tournament), Duke (ACC Tournament), UC Davis (Big West Tournament), North Dakota (Big Sky Tournament), and New Mexico State (WAC Tournament). The Wolverines went 2-3 with wins over UC Davis and North Dakota.

UVU opened the season with what might just be the toughest 24 hours ever played in college basketball history as the Wolverines took on No. 4/5 Kentucky and No. 1 Duke on back-to-back nights to open the season. The Wolverines dropped a 73-63 decision at Kentucky before falling 99-69 at Duke. UVU has since won 15 of 18 games since the loss at Duke.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday's game at Chicago State will be broadcast live on The WAC Digital Network at www.WACsports.com/watch. WDN is also available on numerous media platforms, including Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV. The game will also be available on the air waves at ESPN 960 AM radio with Jim McCulloch handling the play-by-play duties. A live audio 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 CHICAGO STATE
Chicago State enters Saturday night's game with a 2-23 overall record. CSU is looking for its first WAC win of the season as the team is 0-8 in league play this season. The Cougars have lost 19 straight games dating back to an 84-73 setback at UMBC on Nov. 23. CSU's wins include a 101-53 win over Silver Lake and a 113-65 win over East-West on Nov. 21. Preseason first team all-WAC honoree Fred Sims Jr., leads the team in scoring at 13.3 points a game. As a team, Chicago State averages 66.3 points a game while allowing opponents an 86.1 points per game average. The Cougars are coached by Tracy Dildy who is in his eighth season with the team.

SERIES HISTORY VS. CHICAGO STATE
Utah Valley and Chicago State meet up on the basketball hardwood for the 22nd time on Thursday night. UVU holds a 16-5 all-time advantage in the series dating back to 2008. The two teams split the two-game WAC series last year with each team winning on the road. UVU has won four of the last five matchups, including an 83-58 decision in Orem earlier this season. UVU holds an all-time 6-4 advantage in games played in the Windy City. Chicago State won its first-ever game at the UCCU Center last season, defeating UVU 70-61. That win marks Chicago State's last WAC victory.

Last Five Results vs. Chicago State (UVU leads 16-5)
Jan. 13, 2018    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 83-58    Orem
Feb. 11, 2017    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 87-54    Chicago
Jan. 12, 2017    Chicago State def. Utah Valley, 70-61    Orem
Feb. 18, 2016    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 74-72    Orem
Jan. 23, 2016    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 82-76    Chicago