CHICAGO – Utah Valley University raced past Chicago State University, 97-57, on Thursday at Jones Convocation Center in the Windy City. The win, combined with UTRGV's win over Grand Canyon, puts the Wolverines back in second place in the Western Athletic Conference standings.
 
UVU had five players reach double figures and improved to 17-7 overall and 6-2 in the WAC while the Cougars dropped to 2-24 overall and 0-9 in conference play.
 
The Wolverines hit a scorching 57.4 percent from the floor, a team season-high in WAC play. Conner Toolson and Kenneth Ogbe shared game highs of 18 points with both players going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. Jake Toolson added 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting and also hauled in seven boards and dished out four assists.
 
Akolda Manyang notched a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds and also added three blocks, while Ben Nakwaasah scored 10 to round out the Wolverines in double figures. Chicago State was led by 17 points from Fred Sims, Jr.
 
Utah Valley used a 15-0 run early in the game to turn a 7-5 lead into a 22-7 advantage. The Wolverines pushed the lead to 50-26 by half time on their way to earning a season sweep against CSU.
 
The Wolverines had a decided, 44-22, edge on points in the paint and never trailed in the contest. UVU also turned 17 Chicago State turnovers into 25 points and also out-rebounded the Cougars, 43-30.
 
UVU is now en route to Kansas City, where they'll face UMKC on Saturday night at Municipal Auditorium. The Kangaroos snapped a five-game losing streak with a 74-67 win over Seattle U on Thursday night. Saturday's game, slated for a 6 p.m. MT tip, rounds out a three-game road swing for Utah Valley. The Wolverines return home next Thursday to host WAC-leading and unbeaten New Mexico State.