SAN FRANCISCO – After falling behind by 22 points, the Utah Valley University men's basketball team stormed back to make it a three-point game with under two minutes to play, but ultimately fell to San Francisco, 78-73, as the season came to a close in the College Basketball Invitational quarterfinals at War Memorial Gym on Monday night.
 
Utah Valley ends the year with a 23-11 record, which is a school record for wins in a season. Despite the setback, UVU outshot San Francisco with a 46 percent clip to the Dons' 43 percent mark. The Wolverines also outrebounded the Dons 35-33 and won the battle down low with 34 points in the paint against USF's 28.
 
The offense was clicking early for Utah Valley as it opened the game with back-to-back layups from Akolda Manyang and Kenneth Ogbe. Manyang then knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Wolverines a 6-0 lead an Ogbe drilled a three to cap a 9-2 run. San Francisco would quickly catch up though as it began hitting threes and strung together a 12-4 run to grab its first lead.
 
A layup from Conner Toolson ended the Dons' run and the teams traded baskets for the next several minutes. The score remained a one-possession game until USF finally rattled off 10-straight points and claimed a 30-21 lead. Jake Toolson hit a tough layup and Brandon Randolph and Ogbe dropped in consecutive threes in response.
 
Utah Valley spent the remainder of the half chipping away at the deficit and was able to get the margin down to three. The Dons would not surrender their lead though and used a short burst to take a 39-31 lead into halftime. Ogbe's 10 points led the Wolverines in the first half while Randolph added nine.
 
San Francisco opened the second half with a 10-2 burst on its way to grabbing a 16-point lead. Randolph hit a three to end the drought for UVU, but the Dons answered right away with a three of their own. Overall, USF pulled off an 18-5 run coming out of the locker room.
 
By the time UVU's offense warmed up, it was facing a 22-point deficit. The Wolverines then came alive as they ripped off a 21-1 run. USF finally ended the run and knocked down three-straight threes, but Ogbe had the answer with deep, back-to-back triples of his own to keep it a one-possession contest. Utah Valley had multiple opportunities to tie the game or pull within one but was unable to convert. San Francisco then hit its free throws and closed out the victory.
 
Ogbe led the comeback effort for Utah Valley with a game-high 26 points, just two off his career-high of 28. Randolph scored a career-high 22 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists in his last game in a UVU uniform. Manyang recorded one last double-double for the Wolverines with 10 points and 11 rebounds for the game.